Real-Life Communication
You're an osteopathic physician at the local family medical center.
On account of your good professional track record and overall positive standing
in the community, you've been asked to give a five-minute presentation to
a group of students in a career futures program. You will be presenting a
May 1996 case study by Jon Davies of the John Wernham College of Classical
Osteopathy in England.
Here are the four principles of osteopathy, as
set out in 2008 by the American Osteopathic Association:
- The body is a unit. The person is a unit of body, mind and spirit.
- The body is able to regulate itself, heal itself and maintain health.
- Structure and function are interrelated.
- Rational treatment is based upon an understanding of the basic principles
of body unity, self-regulation and the interrelationship of structure and
function.
As an osteopathic physician, you have to communicate these principles
to your patients.
"Communication is very, very important," says osteopathic
physician Dr. John V. Chang. "For example, when you first go into the room,
you have a nice [conversation] with the patient. And by communicating with
them they'll give you a full history of their condition.
"As you spend
time with them, you can see with your own eyes that they begin to relax,"
adds Dr. Chang. "And if a patient is relaxing, they're developing trust in
you -- that is in many ways preparation for the examination."
As for
your case study, here are the facts:
- James was suffering from asthma after a period of relatively good health.
- Drugs such as Ventolin and Becotide had failed to restore James' health.
The Ventolin was causing an increase in James' blood pressure. Along with
that, he had headaches, skin tremors and disturbances in his lungs.
- James had poor posture, which causes the lungs to work less efficiently.
- James ate a lot of dairy and processed foods, which are possible allergens.
- Treatment would include addressing James' posture, diet and lung discomfort.
- The goal would be to bring about good health in the boy without using
drugs.
- Treatment: Massage the pelvis; oscillate (swing) the spine to integrate
the pelvis with the spine; and stretch the neck area.
- James' mother decided to slowly wean the boy off his medication.
- James' spine took on a more normal curvature. And in one week, he had
only one asthmatic attack.
- Upon Davies' suggestion, James' mom replaced the boy's candy with fruit.
She also replaced his regular milk with soya milk.
- At the sixth treatment session (five weeks after diagnosis), James did
not have any pain or discomfort. He also had much more energy since his body
was healthy and drug-free.
- Four months after being treated, James was still asthma- and drug-free.
(Jon
Davies, 1996)
With the help of these notes, prepare your presentation.