Osteopathy & Antigravity for Pregnancy

,Perth, Western Australia.

As previously discussed, the body is designed and intended to function as an interconnected whole. Yet this isn’t the case for the past majority of people. The simple act of living a human life under the effects of stress and gravity means that very few of us have an unblemished history. An accumulation of traumas of a great many types, eventually show themselves as restriction and imbalance within the physical body – and of course painful symptoms and degeneration are the final result.

The good news is that such symptoms provide the motivation necessary to unearth the Wholeness, Inner vitality and Self-Healing capacity that is retained within us.

When a person’s whole body begins to function in an integrated way, it is able to generate it’s own Antigravity.

So what is Antigravity?

In Osteopathy, Antigravity is termed Longitudinal Fluctuation. It is a rising vitality within the body, that is generated when the body is integrated and functioning as a synchronised whole. Within the body, the Longitudinal Fluctuation feels like a river running uphill through the spine, and it is that which assists in lifting (through body awareness) the spine as a whole, supporting the chest and neck, and expanding the head from the inside – all of which allow Osteopaths to do their work – utilising the body’s own (self-generated) internally opening and lifting vitality.

In this case, “The function of the Whole is greater than the sum of its parts”.

This Antigravity element exists as a natural physiological function (or inner vitality) when the body functions as an integrated whole. The body remains asleep to this function, when it operates as many disjointed and unrelated parts (some regions compressed and inert, and others floppy and inflamed).

Humans have been living under the effects of gravity for over 200,000 years, and have developed adaptive physiology to accommodate and maintain an upright posture. Even after almost ¼ million years of living under the effects of gravity, perfectly open and upright posture is still normal for a human being – assuming that is, that a person is functioning as a complete and integrated whole.

In preparation for pregnancy and birth, this Antigravity is of great importance. When functioning as a whole, this internal lift within the body brings foundational support and a stabiising core strength. This internal stability is also essential for the latter ability to soften and disengage the pelvis, pelvic floor and diaphragm ready for delivery. The body will only every truly let go, if there is also genuine support present from within. There are many other physiological functions associated with baby positioning, engagement and the process of delivery that are influenced by midline (or core) organisation, but these are beyond the scope of this short blog..

Ultimately, Osteopathic treatment aims to bring a natural supporting Vitality to the Whole person, such that they can relax and let go from within, and so release their own Self-healing capacity. With a natural softness and transparency (instead of tension and inflammation), a pregnant woman will begin to glow with Health. This is one of those rare occasions in life when we are able to observe the same glowing Health that resides within us all, yet for the remainder of us, has been obscured through holding a lifetime of tension. Pregnancy is a precious period of time, and one that has a profound influence upon the yet to be born baby.