Many clients ask me: „Is osteopathy a serious complementary medicine or some kind of hocus pocus?“ In this text, I explain how I work, how osteopathy is positioned in Europe and why education and responsibility are so important. My goal is to clarify what I do, and the decision for or against always rests with you.

What I do in practice

In his practice i'm handmade on the body of babies, children and adults. When I say handwork, I describe mode (palpation, mobilization, tension regulation), and I do not compare osteopathy with other manual techniques in philosophy or approach. Foundation my rada su anatomy, physiology (way joints, muscles, fascia and nervous system function) and pathophysiology (pain, inflammatory processes, circulation changes, muscle tensions and spasms, degenerative changes, nerve compressions, autonomic nervous system disorders, hormonal and immune responses to stress).

• By palpation, I look for where tensions, blockages or restrictions of movement are shown in the body.
• With targeted techniques, I support the body to better regulate and correct observed imbalances and limitations.
• The goal is to create conditions in which the body can use its own healing and adaptation mechanisms more effectively.

In more european countries osteopathy is legally regulated as an independent health call, eg in France, Denmark, Finland, Norway, Portugal, Switzerland, Luxembourg, Liechtenstein, Malta, Iceland, Cyprus and the United Kingdom. There, osteopaths are officially involved in the health system and partially work in clinics –, for example in the care of mothers and babies around childbirth.

In other countries, such as Germany, osteopathy is not (yet) an independent health call. Anyone who wants to work independently in the medical field needs a medical license or state authorization to work as „Heilpraktiker“. This means that osteopathic treatments do not take place in a „legal vacuum“, but have clear frameworks and responsibilities.

Education, recognition and why it has nothing to do with “magic”

Quality osteopathic work requires many years of structured education.
In my case it means:

• study with more years intensive theories (anatomy, physiology, pathology, anatomical preparation, clinical subjects)
• extensive practical training with many hours of work on patients
• i academic completion (master's degree) with clearly defined quality and testing standards.

From that needing to differentiate short courses or internal „diplome“ after several weekend seminars. Such training for certain goals may make sense, but it cannot be compared professionally and in terms of content with higher education diplomas.

It is understandable that patients find it difficult to monitor all these differences. That is why I consider it completely fine and important to ask about qualifications and education. All my diplomas, education path and authorization to work are openly listed on my page – transparency is important to me.

My approach to work: physical, humanistic, antidogmatic

In addition to medical-‑manual work, attitude in treatment is also important to me.

• I combine medical knowledge with a humanistic‑integrative, antidogmatic view of man.
• I work critically and reflectedly, I ask questions that encourage development and follow them personally and with appreciation.
• With me, there are no rigid „istiver“, but a joint search for what can be really useful in a specific situation.

I want reach out to people who want to understand what I do and koji are ready actively participate u decisions about your own health – without coming to my side in terms of persuasion and persuasion and without false promises.

Which I'm not specifically doing

In the area of alternative/complementary work there are very different offers. Some are serious, some are unfortunately not. This is why clear demarcation is particularly important to me.

In his work:

• no I summon forces, spirits, devils or angels
• no I work with esoteric rituals, symbols or „secret energies“
• no I make promises that cannot be established
• no I am replacing the necessary medical diagnostics or therapy.

I see myself as part of health care – as supplement medical and physiotherapy work, not as a substitute.

Respect, information and responsibility of adults

Questions, doubts i skepticism they're normal, especially with something that not known.
At the same time, decision for or against a particular treatment always includes i part of personal responsibility.

I often hear sentences like: „I don't understand exactly how you do it – almost nothing can be seen from the outside.“ or „Is it Bioenergy?“
The fact that osteopathic work externally seems quiet and unobtrusive (especially in babies) can be confusing. Some people then stay in the pattern: „I don't understand, so it's not for me.“ At that moment, further conversation becomes very difficult for me – not because the questions are undesirable, but because the client's internal decision has already been made.

 In everyday life, in many areas we trust expertise, although we do not understand every detail.
When building a house, we usually don't ask a structural engineer to explain every single calculation –, it's about taking his education, license and responsibility seriously. It is similar in complete medicine: we don't have to understand everything, but it's always about deciding whether we want to trust someone or not. And, of course important su thorough information and hello reflection. 

On my website you can find detailed information about my work, education and answers to frequent questions. These texts serve to provide you with a first orientation.
Ideally you read them before we get in touch. After that, there is enough space for your personal questions, ambiguities and what specifically interests you, instead of trying to go through the entire „basic osteopathy course in a few minutes.

I experience it as very useful when people:

• first they gain basic insight (read information),
• then they ask – in a targeted manner what is not yet clear to them or what is important in their situation  
• and on that basis, they evaluate if they want to take the next step with me and with my way of working.

So responsibility for decision it remains at your, and we can use our time together for topics that are really important to you.

How I treat different decisions

It is important to me that you know:

• Always you have the right to say „non“ – for religious, personal, practical or any reason.
• No you have to make your decision justify.
• I respect if you decide exclusively for orthopedics, pediatrics or physiotherapy.

At the same time, I want my professional path and work to be respected:

• Osteopathy is a legally regulated health call in several European countries.
• Behind my work are years of education, experience, responsibility and ongoing education.
• I don't want my work to be reduced to „hokus‑pokus“, „magic“ or „danger“. What I do is based on professional education and a responsible, thoughtful approach, not on bypassing medicine or common sense.

It makes me incredibly sad that frivolous offers often put everything in the same basket. At the same time, I regret that in Croatia, on the one hand, there is a lack of quality information, and on the other hand, many have no interest in looking a little outside the usual framework.

I am happy to work with people, especially those who are ready to ask questions, listen to answers, think about them and only then decide how much and what of all this information can be useful for them. Sometimes it happens that someone asks a lot of questions, and he already knows that – will not come and that is, of course, legitimate.

However, it is important to me that my work is not perceived as ‘quasi-therapy’ or ‘charlatanstvo’, but as a serious and responsible approach that deserves the same level of respect as any other professional profession. Those who have already decided in themselves that „can't work anyway“ – and that attitude I usually recognize quickly – will probably feel better somewhere else, instead of investing time in something they don't really believe in

And that's fine.

Call

If you want to better understand if osteopathy might be a suitable method for you (or your child), we can arrange a separate information appointment for a certain duration.
These conversations are a special, chargeable service, because they require separate time, experience and attention dedicated exclusively to your situation. It doesn't matter if you decide to have osteopathy after the interview or not. It is important that you get enough information how could you to assess is this one method suitable for you or your child.

Please read the information on my website beforehand. Many initial dilemmas have already been clarified there, so that there is more room in the conversation for what is personally important to you, instead of for general questions that can be clarified in advance.

Short, technical questions (term, prices, brief description of problems, etc.) can of course be asked by phone or e‑mail, but for a deeper explanation and advice, an agreed appointment is required in which I am fully committed to you.

Yours Alexandra Marjanovic