Osteopathic Principles and Practices: 5 Diaphragm Procedure

Excerpt

Assessment and treatment of the 5 diaphragms fall within the respiratory-circulatory model of osteopathic medicine. Body diaphragms are traditionally defined as anatomical structures occupying a horizontal plane. Considering the 3-dimensional organization of the human body, the diaphragms are more accurately described as regions in close anatomical continuity capable of reciprocal influence: the tentorium cerebelli, the tongue, the thoracic outlet, the diaphragm, and the pelvic floor. This activity reviews the anatomical interconnections of these regions, methods of assessment, and manual treatment strategies, emphasizing potential clinical applications.

The objective of the osteopathic manual approach is to create functional space between anatomical structures. Manual manipulation does not reshape the tissues themselves. Expansion of these spaces facilitates movement and physiologic function. To paraphrase Leonardo da Vinci, “space is life.”