26/11/2024
I've been spending some time this afternoon on my admin day studying anatomy. My textbook of Netter's illustrations of the heart's anatomy and embryology are a fascinating follow-up for the weekend. I spent Friday to Sunday with the on the second of their new courses on circulation.
Fellow osteopaths reading this will be familiar with the value that osteopathy's founder AT Still placed on circulation - a strong theme in all of his writings highlights the importance of both blood flow and drainage in health and disease. When I meet patients, whatever their age and state of health, it's very common for me to notice issues that relate to the health and function of their vascular system. For example, when you injure yourself, the physiological consequence is inflammation and the, often painful, swelling you see in the tissues is evidence of normal changes in circulation. In health, this can help healing because it brings blood to the area but when this persists we see and feel that the surrounding tissue becomes congested and less healthy.
It was interesting spending time on the weekend exploring aspects of the body which disrupt or enhance the flow of blood. As my patients and students know, I use my hands to listen to a body. Blood is a fluid and it feels different, depending on whether it is in arteries, veins, or capillaries. When tissues have poor blood flow (particularly drainage), the organ, muscle, bone etc takes on a different texture which is noticeable when you are familiar with how bodies feel. Being autumn, there were lots of examples amongst colleagues of how lungs can been challenged by illnesses. These became opportunities to explore the influence that compromised lungs have on the body's whole circulation.
There's lots more I can say but instagram has a word limit. In summary, the technical detail of this course is very much the 'bread and butter' of my everyday work. Consequently, this course felt like an exciting opportunity to share ideas and learn. Also, it was a lovely end to my week, which had started with a trip to Milan to teach an attentive group of paediatric osteopaths at