The idea is to get the body functioning at as high a level as possible by treating out the musculoskeletal dysfunctions and allowing health to manifest. Occasionally the other influences are overwhelming and they need to be dealt with. This is why we are trained as physicians rather than therapists. It is more complex an issue than this. As an osteopath, we can identify structural problems in the body that are contributing to or causing a problem.
Some problems tend to manifest in the same area with a given set of symptoms or region of the body.
Newborns frequently have cranial compression and we have seen colic go away by treating this, especially the area around the occipital base, occipital condyles, and occipitoatlantal area. There is good anatomical reasoning for this. It is just a matter of knowing applied anatomy and developing your sense of touch. Then these two can be used in conjunction with a physician's general medical knowledge to get a good picture of a patient's problem. Bones are encased in membrane and connected by ligaments.