| Osteopathy is a theory of disease and | | | | "osteopathy", reasoning that "the bone, |
| method of cure founded on the assumption | | | | osteon, was the starting point from |
| that deformation of some part of the | | | | which [he] was to ascertain the cause of |
| skeleton and consequent interference | | | | pathological conditions." The object of |
| with the adjacent nerves and | | | | osteopathy was to "improve upon the |
| blood-vessels are the cause of most | | | | present systems of surgery, midwifery, |
| diseases. (Oxford English Dictionary). | | | | and the treatment of general diseases." |
| Practitioners of osteopathy, called | | | | Its scientific foundation was the |
| osteopaths (or osteopathic physicians in | | | | discipline of anatomy. Its philosophy |
| the US), have a holistic approach; | | | | was based on the understanding of the |
| osteopathic philosophy requires | | | | integration between body, mind and |
| addressing the whole person in | | | | spirit, the interrelatedness of |
| diagnosis, prevention and treatment of | | | | structure and function, and the ability |
| illness, disease and injury, using | | | | of the body to heal itself when |
| manual and physical therapies | | | | mechanically sound. Osteopathic |
| (Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine, or | | | | treatment must be a rational application |
| OMM). Graduates of osteopathic medical | | | | of these principles in comprehensive |
| schools are conferred a doctorate of | | | | patient care with a focus on the |
| osteopathy abbreviated as D.O. | | | | neuromusculoskeletal system as an |
| With its origins in the late 1800's, | | | | integral part of health and disease |
| osteopathy was initially a variant of | | | | processes. Over time he and his students |
| the contemporary Western medical | | | | and faculty developed a complete medical |
| approach, and became integrated with | | | | school curriculum which included a |
| mainstream medicine in 1969. Outside the | | | | series of specialized physical |
| United States, osteopathy is considered | | | | treatments, now called Osteopathic |
| a complementary or alternative therapy, | | | | Manipulative Treatment (OMT). Still |
| and is limited largely to | | | | founded the American School of |
| musculoskeletal conditions and treatment | | | | Osteopathy (now the Andrew Taylor Still |
| of some other conditions using OMM. | | | | University, Kirksville College of |
| Osteopathic began in 1874 in the US. In | | | | Osteopathic Medicine) in Kirksville, |
| the twentieth century, the American | | | | Missouri, for the teaching of osteopathy |
| osteopathic profession adopted the use | | | | on May 10, 1892. Kirksville was one of |
| of medicine. The osteopathic profession | | | | few places where he was not figuratively |
| has evolved differently outside the USA, | | | | "chased out of town" by other doctors. |
| where it has remained essentially a drug | | | | While the state of Missouri was willing |
| free system based on manipulative | | | | to grant him a charter for awarding the |
| techniques. Osteopaths outside the USA | | | | M.D. degree, he remained unhappy with |
| have a scope of practice similar to | | | | the practices of his peers and chose |
| chiropractors. Chiropractic is a | | | | instead to grant his own D.O. degree. |
| distinct manipulative medical profession | | | | In the late 1800s Still taught that |
| that originated at around the same time | | | | "dis-ease" was caused when bones were |
| in the USA. It is claimed that the | | | | out of place and disrupted the flow of |
| founders of these two traditions never | | | | blood or the flow of nervous impulses; |
| met. | | | | he therefore concluded that one could |
| Osteopathy was founded by Andrew Taylor | | | | cure diseases by manipulating bones to |
| Still, M.D., D.O., who was born in 1828 | | | | restore the interrupted flow. Still |
| in Virginia. Still was a freestate | | | | stimulated his students to investigate |
| leader who lived near Baldwin City, | | | | these postulates. Research began in the |
| Kansas at the time of the civil war, and | | | | 1890s at Kirksville and has continued |
| it was here where he developed the | | | | there and at other osteopathic |
| practice of osteopathy.[4] Still was | | | | institutions ever since. The A.T. Still |
| trained by apprenticeship and was | | | | Research Institute was founded in 1913 |
| employed as an army doctor during the | | | | and Louisa Burns, DO and others |
| American Civil War in the U.S. Army. The | | | | developed a rigorous series of |
| horrors of battlefield injury and the | | | | scientific investigations of the |
| subsequent death of his wife and several | | | | relationships between musculoskeletal |
| children from infectious diseases left | | | | dysfunctions and health and disease. |
| him totally disillusioned with the | | | | Still's critics point out that he never |
| traditional practice of medicine. Still | | | | personally ran any controlled |
| perceived the medical practices of his | | | | experiments to test his hypothesis; his |
| day to be ineffective, even barbaric. | | | | supporters point out that many of |
| Troubled by what he saw as problems in | | | | Still's writings are philosophical |
| the medical profession, Still founded | | | | rather than scientific in nature -- a |
| osteopathic practice. Using an | | | | point critics would likely not contest. |
| alternative philosophical approach, he | | | | He questioned the drug practices of his |
| opposed the use of drugs and surgery as | | | | day and regarded surgery as a last |
| remedial agents, reserving their use for | | | | resort. As medical science developed, |
| such cases as being the cure for the | | | | osteopathy gradually incorporated all |
| condition, such as an antidote for a | | | | its proven theories and practices. |
| poison or amputation for gangrene. He | | | | Internationally, all osteopathic |
| saw the human body as being capable of | | | | training currently incorporates at least |
| curing itself, and the duty of the | | | | the basic biomedical sciences and |
| physician to remove any impediments to | | | | differential diagnosis, while |
| the healthy function of each person. He | | | | emphasising non-surgical, |
| promoted healthy lifestyle, nutrition, | | | | non-pharmaceutical care of the |
| abstinence from alcohol and drugs, and | | | | musculoskeletal system and its related |
| used primarily manipulation techniques | | | | neural, vascular and lymphatic |
| to improve physiologic function. | | | | components. |
| Still named his new school of medicine | | | | |