Prelims-F10219.qxd 6/29/06 4:12 PM Page iv © 2003 Urban & Fischer Verlag München · Jena English translation © 2006 Elsevier Limited. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of the Publishers. Permissions may be sought directly from Elsevier’s Health Sciences Rights Department, 1600 John F. Kennedy Boulevard, Suite 1800, Philadelphia, PA 19103–2899, USA: phone: (+1) 215 239 3804; fax: (+1) 215 239 3805; or, e-mail:
[email protected] You may also complete your request on-line via the Elsevier homepage (http: //www.elsevier.com), by selecting “Support and contact” and then “Copyright and Permission”. ISBN-13: 978-0-443-10219-6 ISBN-10: 0-443-10219-8 British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library. Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data A catalog record for this book is available from the Library of Congress. Note Neither the Publisher nor the Author assume any responsibility for any loss or injury and/or damage to persons or property arising out of or related to any use of the material contained in this book. It is the responsibility of the treating practitioner, relying on independent expertise and knowledge of the patient, to determine the best treatment and method of application for the patient. The Publisher The Publisher’s policy is to use paper manufactured from sustainable forests Printed in China Cover image © Susanne Kracke, München Photographs Susanne Kracke, München; photographs 7.9–7.14 Dr Sebastian Schmidinger, Seefeld Hechendorf Illustrations Gerda Raichle, Ulm ix Foreword to the German edition I have known Peter Schwind for a long time; we first met seventeen years ago. Since that first meeting, we have been constantly engaged in a prolific exchange of ideas. Again and again we have asked ourselves how we can structure our work as effectively as possible so as to achieve the best outcomes for our patients. We have been guided by the fundamental concept that every aspect of the organism is important and we must not neglect a single one of its elements. This overarching philosophy of osteopathy served as a connection between us from that first moment and, over time, we discovered that we have much in common in our view of the human body. Starting from my own work, particularly with regard to the diagnostic approaches of general listening, local listening, and manual thermodiagnosis, which I consider so very important, Peter Schwind has developed his personal research and way of treating patients. He has found new emphases within these areas and, in so doing, has elaborated on my own ideas. It is his habit to work hard; he has a broad range of interests and approaches all things with curiosity. He is able to refine individual techniques with personal involvement and perseverance. In his practice, he works with a high level of commitment and he is an inspiring teacher. Everyone who meets him encounters the earnestness and passion which he applies to his profession. For all these reasons it was a pleasure for me to write this short foreword to one of his books. In practice, our primary duty is to be there for our patients and to help them. However, it is also important to teach and to write books such as this one. In so doing, we are able to make the little that we know accessible to a larger audience; we foster the sort of critical dialogue that is essential for the continued development of our field. Peter Schwind is one of the therapists pr