'You are not a drop in the ocean. You are the entire ocean in a drop.' ― Rumi
Still Point is a company specialised in offering osteopathic services and related manual treatments. Our vision is to create a collaborative environment for professionals in the fields of osteopathy, visceral manipulation, biodynamics, body psychotherapy and similar treatments with the purpose of research and improvement of therapeutic approach.
Zvonka Tomasović BSc (Hons) Ost, D.O. SEP BFRP
Osteopathic treatments
Somatic Experiencing®
Bach Flower Remedies
Treatments during pregnancy
Individual counselling*
Systemic constellations
Tutoring for students*
Lectures and professional training*
Original workshops and programmes:
Get Your Body Moving
Health Through the Year
The Art of Health
* online sessions available
+385 95 9020 948
info@osteopatija-stillpoint.hr
Your body’s ability to heal is greater than anyone has permitted you to believe
Osteopathy is a healthcare discipline grounded in scientific and medical knowledge and using manual techniques with the aim of supporting and restoring physiological function within the body.
The osteopathic approach seeks to identify functional factors that may contribute to pain, reduced mobility and changes in the way the body functions.
Osteopathy is a distinct, person-centred healthcare discipline and is not intended to compete with conventional medicine. It does not replace medical diagnosis or the treatment of disease, but may be used alongside medical care, as well as in prevention and in maintaining health and functional capacity.
An osteopath must have a sound understanding of pathology, recognise conditions that are not appropriate for osteopathic treatment and, where necessary, refer the person to a doctor or another appropriate healthcare professional.
Osteopathic assessment is based on knowledge of anatomy, physiology, neurology, pathology and biomechanics, together with the case history, clinical examination and well-developed palpatory skills.
An osteopath does not consider only the area in which a person experiences pain or another complaint, but also how different parts of the body function in relation to one another, how the person moves, breathes and adapts to load.
An osteopathic assessment does not arise from a single test or palpatory finding. It is formed by integrating the case history, observation, clinical examination, palpation, movement testing and, where available, relevant medical findings.
The area in which a symptom appears is not always the only region relevant to the problem. Referred and neural pain, previous injuries, scars and compensatory patterns may create functional relationships between more distant areas of the body.
For this reason, osteopathic assessment often considers the person within a broader functional context.
Palpation is one of the fundamental manual skills of an osteopath.
Through touch, the osteopath assesses anatomical relationships, sensitivity, tissue texture and tone, elasticity, resistance and the mobility of different structures.
Palpatory skill develops over many years of education and clinical practice. It is not simply the ability to “feel something under the hands”, but requires a sound understanding of anatomy and physiology and the ability to relate the palpatory impression to the other information gathered during the assessment.
Not all palpatory findings are equally reliable, nor can palpation determine everything that is taking place within the body. Palpation is therefore not used as an isolated diagnostic method, but as part of a comprehensive clinical assessment.
A particular form of osteopathic palpation used within some osteopathic approaches is known as listening – “listening to the body”. It involves following subtle rhythmic changes described within the osteopathic tradition through the concepts of Cranial Rhythmic Impulse – CRI and Primary Respiratory Mechanism – PRM.
Within cranial osteopathic practice, these patterns are traditionally described through changes in the quality, amplitude, symmetry and direction of the palpated movement.
William Garner Sutherland described the PRM in terms of the inherent motility of the central nervous system, fluctuation of the cerebrospinal fluid, reciprocal tension of the membranes, mobility of cranial structures and the relationship between the cranium and sacrum.
Understanding of these phenomena and the methods used to investigate them continues to develop, including research into the reliability of palpatory perception, standardisation and the relationship between palpated rhythms and different physiological processes.
Osteopathy aims to support the function of the body and its interconnected systems. It is based on the osteopathic principle that the organism has an inherent capacity for self-regulation, adaptation and recovery.
Within the osteopathic tradition, particular importance is given to movement, circulation and the exchange of bodily fluids, including blood, lymph, cerebrospinal fluid and synovial fluid.
An osteopath assesses functional restrictions that may influence mobility, circulation and the relationships between different structures and systems of the body.
One of the fundamental principles of osteopathy is the interrelationship between structure and function. Changes in structure may influence function, just as altered function may, over time, influence structure.
The body’s capacity to adapt throughout life may be affected by injury, illness, surgery and scarring, pregnancy and childbirth, repetitive loading, prolonged inactivity, ageing, and physical and psychological stress.
Throughout life, the body develops different compensations. These may allow good function to be maintained for a long time, but when adaptive capacity is reduced or an additional load is introduced, symptoms may appear.
The aim of osteopathic treatment is not to “heal the body on its behalf”, but, through a manual approach, to reduce functional restrictions and create more favourable conditions for movement, physiological function, adaptation and the body’s own regulatory processes.
Osteopathy is based on a number of core principles that have been developing since the time of A. T. Still.
The body is a functional whole.
All parts of the body are interconnected and influence one another. The fascial system forms a continuous network connecting different regions of the body and contributing to force transmission, movement and tissue organisation.
Circulation and the exchange of bodily fluids are important for physiological function.
The osteopathic tradition places considerable importance on arterial and venous circulation and on the movement of lymph and cerebrospinal fluid.
Structure and function are interrelated.
Structure influences function, while function can also influence structure over time.
The organism has the capacity for self-regulation, adaptation and recovery.
The osteopath does not aim to “fix” the body, but to support the conditions in which its own processes of regulation and recovery can function more effectively.
Within some osteopathic traditions, particularly cranial and biodynamic approaches, this capacity is also described using terms such as Health, Breath of Life, potency, fulcrum and vital potential.
The osteopathic approach is global and individualised.
The person is not reduced to a symptom or diagnosis, but is considered within a broader physical, psychological, emotional, social and life context.
The emphasis is not only on what is functioning poorly, but also on the organism’s capacity for adaptation and recovery.
Osteopathic clinical reasoning can be considered through five interconnected models:
These models do not represent separate systems, but different perspectives that help the osteopath understand the person as a functional whole.
A wide range of manual techniques and approaches is used in osteopathic treatment.
Osteopathic work is not limited to the musculoskeletal system. It may include work with joints, muscles and fascia, as well as visceral, cranial, functional, neural and neurovascular approaches.
Depending on the findings and the needs of the individual, an osteopath may use very gentle and indirect techniques as well as more direct mobilisation or manipulative approaches.
The choice of technique is always adapted to the individual, their health status and the clinical findings.
Osteopathy originated in the United States in the second half of the nineteenth century.
Its founder was the American physician Andrew Taylor Still (1828–1917), and 1874 is traditionally regarded as the beginning of osteopathy.
Still emphasised the functional unity of the body, the relationship between structure and function, the importance of circulation and the organism’s capacity for self-regulation. In 1892, he founded the American School of Osteopathy in Kirksville, Missouri.
His students and successors went on to develop different branches of osteopathic practice.
John Martin Littlejohn made an important contribution to the development of a physiological and whole-body approach and to the development of osteopathy in Europe.
John Wernham continued Littlejohn’s tradition and is closely associated with the development and teaching of General Osteopathic Treatment – GOT.
William Garner Sutherland developed the cranial osteopathic approach and the concept of the Primary Respiratory Mechanism – PRM.
Viola Frymann played an important role in the development of cranial and paediatric osteopathy.
Fred Mitchell is associated with the development of Muscle Energy Technique – MET, while Lawrence H. Jones developed the Strain-Counterstrain approach.
Gordon Zink developed a model of compensatory patterns, Jean-Pierre Barral developed visceral and other manual approaches, while James Jealous developed Biodynamics of Osteopathy from one line of Sutherland’s tradition.
Osteopathy has continued to evolve through contemporary authors and educators, including Torsten Liem and Paolo Tozzi, who contribute to connecting classical osteopathic concepts with contemporary clinical and scientific knowledge.
Osteopathic education is extensive and takes place over several years.
It includes anatomy, physiology, neurology, pathology, biomechanics, clinical examination, differential assessment, osteopathic principles, manual techniques, ethics, research methodology and supervised clinical practice.
The duration and academic level of osteopathic education vary between countries, and continuing professional development remains an important part of the profession.
Osteopathy developed differently in the United States and in Europe.
American Doctors of Osteopathic Medicine – DOs are now fully licensed physicians who may practise in all medical specialties, prescribe medication and perform surgery.
Outside the United States, a professional model developed in which manual osteopathic assessment and treatment remained at the centre of the profession.
Osteopathy has developed considerably over more than 150 years.
Today, it can no longer be reduced to the idea of “putting bones back into place”, just as the effects of manual treatment cannot be explained solely through a mechanical model.
Contemporary understanding of the human being includes the interrelationships between the musculoskeletal and nervous systems, fascial and visceral structures, the autonomic nervous system, pain perception, breathing, movement, emotional state and the person’s broader life context.
Some traditional osteopathic principles fit well with contemporary understanding of physiology and regulation within the organism. Other concepts continue to be reconsidered and require new explanations and further high-quality research.
For me, this represents one of the values of osteopathy: to respect its tradition and principles while remaining open to contemporary scientific knowledge, research and changes in our own understanding.
I therefore do not see osteopathy simply as a collection of manual techniques, but as a way of clinical thinking.
At the centre of the osteopathic approach remains the person, not simply the symptom, together with the question of how, through touch, movement, clinical understanding and collaboration, we can support their capacity for regulation, adaptation and recovery.
I am an osteopath, Somatic Experiencing® Practitioner and Bach Foundation Registered Practitioner, with more than twenty years of experience working with people through manual, somatic and educational approaches.
From the beginning, my professional path has been shaped by a deep interest in the human body as a whole – in the relationships between structure and function, movement, the nervous system, internal organs, emotions, and the organism’s capacity for regulation and adaptation.
I grew up in Omiš and completed secondary education in a healthcare-related field in Split. From an early age, I was interested in anatomy and human physiology, nature, medicinal plants, sport, and the relationship between physical and emotional processes. After moving to Zagreb, I graduated from the Faculty of Graphic Arts, but my professional interests gradually brought me back to the field that had always attracted me most – working with the body and health.
I have been practising osteopathy since 2005. I obtained my osteopathic diploma and qualification at the Academy of Osteopathy, now the Croatian Academy of Osteopathy, under the mentorship of Velda Lulić, D.O.
I further advanced my formal osteopathic education by completing a BSc (Hons) in Osteopathy at Swansea University in 2026, graduating with First Class Honours.
Over the years, my osteopathic education has developed through extensive postgraduate training in visceral, cranial, fascial, neural and neurovascular osteopathy, work with the autonomic nervous system, the urogenital and endocrine systems, and the psychosomatic dimensions of osteopathic practice.
One of my long-standing areas of interest has been women’s health and the osteopathic approach to the urogenital system. I studied visceral osteopathy of the urogenital system with Diane Laflamme, D.O., whose work also inspired my research into primary dysmenorrhoea. I presented this research at the Academy of Osteopathy in Zagreb and at the Neurological Aspects of Osteopathic Medicine conference in Pescara.
In the field of fascia, I studied with Paolo Tozzi, MSc Ost, BSc Ost (Hons), D.O., PT, while the work of Jean-Pierre Barral, D.O. has also had a significant influence on my professional development. I continued my education through programmes offered by the Barral Institute and the Barral Osteopathic Teaching Organisation (BOTO).
A particularly important part of my professional development has been my long-term engagement with the work of the Münich Group für interdisziplinäre manuelle Behandlungsformen, as well as dr. phil. HP Peter Schwind and HP Christoph Sommer. Their interdisciplinary approach, professionalism and understanding of fascial, visceral and neurovascular relationships have significantly influenced the way I understand and approach the body today.
Other osteopaths and teachers whose work has contributed to my development include Marie-Laure Gentilini, D.O., particularly in the field of urogenital osteopathy, and Dutch osteopath René Zweedijk, D.O., founder of Panta Rhei, an organisation dedicated to postgraduate osteopathic education.
Through Panta Rhei and other international programmes, I continued my studies in cranial work, fluid dynamics, the endocrine system, the autonomic nervous system and contemporary osteopathic approaches.
Working with people who had experienced trauma gradually opened another important area of my professional development.
Since 2013, I have been involved as a member of the professional team in the project “I Am Much More Than My Trauma”, created to support women who had survived war-related trauma. This experience encouraged me to explore body-oriented approaches to trauma and nervous system regulation in greater depth.
I completed the full Somatic Experiencing® training, developed by Dr Peter A. Levine, and qualified as a Somatic Experiencing Practitioner – SEP.
I regard osteopathy and Somatic Experiencing® as two distinct approaches and do not seek to equate them. In my work, they meet primarily through a shared interest in the organism’s capacity for regulation and adaptation, body awareness, the experience of safety and the possibility of choice.
In recent years, I have become particularly interested in the autonomic nervous system, the vagus nerve, interoception, neuroendocrine-immune relationships, psychosomatic aspects of osteopathy, and the ways in which prolonged stress and life experiences may influence bodily organisation, breathing, movement, digestion, sleep and a person’s overall experience of their body.
My further professional education in these areas has included programmes and seminars such as:
I am currently continuing my postgraduate education through Psychosomatic Osteopathy (PSO) Training with Torsten Liem.
I regularly attend international osteopathic congresses, conferences, seminars and professional training programmes, following developments in osteopathy as well as current knowledge in neuroscience, physiology, mechanobiology, the autonomic nervous system and other disciplines relevant to understanding the person as a whole.
Throughout my professional career, I have worked as an assistant and lecturer at the Croatian Academy of Osteopathy, contributing to student education and delivering professional lectures, presentations and practical workshops.
I am also currently a lecturer at Shiatsu School Croatia, where I teach structural work, integrating osteopathic understanding of the body with shiatsu principles and movement.
Alongside my individual clinical work, I lead educational programmes and workshops focused on osteopathy, body structure and function, natural movement, breathing, coordination, body awareness and autonomic nervous system regulation.
An important aspect of my work is that the person does not remain only a passive recipient of treatment. Through a better understanding of their own body, movement and perception, I aim to support people in developing more options, improved bodily organisation and greater trust in their own capacities.
I have also completed professional education in the Bach Flower Remedy system and qualified as a Bach Foundation Registered Practitioner – BFRP.
I use this approach as a separate modality, primarily as support for emotional processes and personal development.
Today, my professional work is grounded primarily in the osteopathic understanding of the human being as a functional whole.
Rather than focusing only on the area where a symptom appears, I consider the relationships between different parts and systems of the body, the way a person moves and breathes, the organism’s capacity to adapt, and the broader context in which a particular difficulty has developed.
For me, continuing education is not simply a professional obligation, but an integral part of osteopathic practice. Every new training, encounter with different teachers and exchange of experience with colleagues brings me back to the question that has accompanied me throughout my professional journey:
How can we better understand the body and support its inherent capacity for regulation, adaptation and change?
It is a medicine practiced from the instinct. Instinct, which is millions and millions of years old: very, very old wisdom, which is inside of us and that instinct knows its origin and lives in a different time. — James Jealous DO
Interdisciplinary integrative approach
I find in man a miniature universe. — A.T. Still
• Conversation with a patient and anamnesis
• Osteopathic exam and evaluation
• Treatments
Osteopathic manual treatments take into consideration personal and medical history of a patient, so if the patient already has any medical records, it is recommended to take it with him/her to the first appointment.
The first treatment includes a thorough evaluation and usually lasts for an hour and a half. The following treatments may last from 30 to 60 minutes.
After an informative conversation, the osteopath starts with the evaluation of the patient's condition by monitoring and palpation.
The examination and evaluation require the patient to remove outer clothing or to wear cotton shorts as it enables the better palpation and assessment. During the treatment, the patient is covered with a light linen bed sheet or a warm blanket. Combining the patient’s story with the results of the evaluation, the osteopath then determines a carefully structured treatment plan, which is then thoroughly explained to the patient. Once the patient has fully understood and has consented to the plan, the treatment begins.
Osteopathic treatment is a manual therapy which is gentle and pleasant for the patient. The osteopath chooses to use techniques which are not considered to be a contraindication to the patient’s condition. By correcting osteopathic lesions, blockages are removed, spontaneous circulation in the body is restored and health is achieved.
The frequency and the number of treatments are based on the patient’s needs and depend on the severity of symptoms, the patient’s condition and his/her response to treatments; also on the patient’s availability to come in for scheduled appointments. In general, treatments are scheduled once or twice a week. The total number of treatments depends on the severity and persistence of symptoms. Many patients, once improvement has been achieved and a series of appointments has been completed, continue to come in periodically as a preventive measure.
Patients can also get professional advice and tips related to body exercises and a diet which, combined with the treatments, help them to achieve much faster long lasting results.
On this webpage you can find information that will give you insight into the range of problems osteopathy can help with. Osteopathy is not a cure; it helps your body to work the best it can, in order to get a chance for self-healing.
Osteopathy, as a complementary therapeutic approach, has been successfully used in Croatia for more than twenty years. More and more trainees of osteopathic education are providing their clients with useful, high quality treatments.
Osteopathy has been successfully applied in the treatment of functional tissue changes, but it does not treat any pathological conditions.
Osteopathic treatment is helpful for functional disorders of the musculoskeletal system, nervous system and/or organs.
In today’s time of stress and a fast lifestyle, there is almost no one who would not benefit from osteopathic treatment, whether it is a child or an elderly person.
The treatment helps with various conditions, ranging from rehabilitation after illness or surgery, restoring vitality to a body that is under constant daily stress, or simply to health prevention.
Indications:
– Neck, back and joint pain
– Sports injuries without the need for surgery
– Injuries caused by accidents (whiplash sy)
– Cranial and vertebral trauma
– Functional spine and rib issues
– Shoulder joint, elbow and fist problems
– Pelvis issues
– Hip, knee and foot problems
– Ankle joint injuries
– ATM jaw joint dysfunction
– Mimic, speech and masticatory muscle dysfunction
– Migraines, headaches
– Dizziness
– Concentration difficulty
– Buzzing in ears
– Sinusitis
– Eye or ear problems
– Breathing problems, respiratory dysfunction, asthma
– Chest trauma
– Gastrointestinal disorders, acid indigestion, reflux, hiatal hernia, intestinal gases, obstipation, colitis
– Functional problems and heart disorders
– Functional problems and kidneys/bladder problems
– Abdominal pains and problems
– Organ ptosis
– Pains during pregnancy
– Postpartum pain
– Gynaecological problems
– Painful menstrual periods
– Scar treatment after surgical or caesarean section
– Nerve inflammation
– Anxiety, (nervous) unrest, depression
– Relaxation, stress reduction (stress relief)
– Functional disorders in children: insomnia, unrest, breastfeeding problems, intestinal gases, irritability, frequent ear inflammation, preventive treatment after a prolonged and/or traumatic birth
Cranial Osteopathy
Visceral Osteopathy
Musculoskeletal Osteopathy
Biodynamic Osteopathy
Somatic Experiencing® – A Body-Oriented Approach to Stress and Trauma Somatic Experiencing® is a body-oriented approach to working with stress and the effects of traumatic experiences. Alongside conversation, attention is also directed towards what is happening in the body – breathing, tension, movement, internal sensations, a sense of support, and changes in the level of…
Can osteopathy help with my problems? Osteopaths are very well trained to evaluate whether the treatment is suitable for you or they should refer you to your GP or other therapist. What qualifications do osteopaths have? Osteopaths are highly trained healthcare workers. They need to complete the training of minimum 5 years, if they study…
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It is a medicine practiced from the instinct. Instinct, which is millions and millions of years old: very, very old wisdom, which is inside of us and that instinct knows its origin and lives in a different time. — James Jealous DO
Ulica Erazma Barčića 12, 10000 Zagreb
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