The Canadian College of Osteopathy defines Osteopathy as a hands on natural medicine that restores the normal function of the body by treating the causes of pain and imbalance. There are no medications or remedies given or surgery used when treating the body. Osteopathy uses mainly hands on techniques that help to regain balance and decrease pain and tightness in the body. To understand this more, osteopathy is based on four basic principles:

• Each body’s structure supports the body’s functions and vice versa.
• The natural flow of the body’s fluids – lymphatic, blood, synovial, digestive juices and cerebrospinal – must be preserved and maintained.
• The physical, emotional, social, spiritual, and cognitive systems of the body work in unity and harmony.
• When the body has no restrictions or injuries, it has the inherent ability to heal itself.

Osteopathic Manual Practitioners sees a person as an integrated whole and that the body has an innate, natural ability to self-regulate and to heal itself. When all of the body’s components are in balance, a person is complete and in total health. Osteopathic Manual Practitioners work to restore the normal physiological function of interrelated body structures and systems, enhancing the body’s natural ability to heal itself.

The key factor that allows this healing to occur is the free circulation of the all the body’s fluids as mentioned in the previous section. The body's fluids are involved in all facets of life, and serve as mediums for excreting all the byproducts of digestion and cellular respiration.

Any obstruction that impedes this circulation of fluids is the focus of osteopathic assessment and treatment. These impediments may take the form of structural or non-structural blockages. These blockages may be due to the aging process, trauma, accident, illness, surgical scarring, childbirth, repetitive activity, the prolonged influence of gravity on posture, or the cumulative effects of mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual stresses. Over time, the body gradually loses its ability to efficiently self-regulate and self-heal.

The symptoms from these blockages may manifest themselves near the original site of occurrence or, more frequently may be felt far from the site of occurrence. In addition, many people have multiple overlapping injuries and conditions. For this reason, the Osteopathic Manual Practitioner must assess the whole body. Although treatment may be directed toward several specific areas, the effect of that treatment is often felt throughout the body. It is for this reason that the Osteopathic Manual Practitioner also treat the whole body. Therefore, the Osteopathic Manual Practitioner considers the whole patient, recognizing that each individual has unique mental, emotional, and physical conditions.

Osteopathic Manual Practitioners work cooperatively and in communication with physicians and other health care professionals.The aim of the Osteopathic Manual Practitioner is to optimize the self-healing mechanisms of the body by taking away the blockage, imbalances and pain. The frequency of visits is based on your assessment. Adequate time between visits is required to allow your body to accept and integrate the changes that occur from one visit to the next.