Osteopathy is a unique form of American medical care that was developed in 1874 by Andrew Taylor Still, MD.

    Dr. Still became dissatisfied with his medical training of blood letting and mercury therapy when he lost his wife and children to diphtheria....none of his medical training helped him save his family. 

    Dr. Still began to study good health in order to better understand the process of disease.  He can be credited with pioneering the concept of "wellness" over 100 years ago!  He went on to develop a philosophy of medicine based on the ideas that date back to Hippocrates, the Father of Medicine.   Hippocrates ideas focused on the unity of all body parts.  A.T.Still identified the musculoskeletal system as this key element of health.
    We must pause, for this story is interesting.  It seems A.T. Still suffered from incapacitating migraine headaches.  One day in the throws of a migraine, he was out walking and came upon a rope swing.  He feel asleep with his head suspended on the rope swing.  While falling asleep, he relaxed, and the weight of his body, "popped" his neck waking him.  Upon awakening, he realized his headache was entirely gone!  OMT was born.

Click on this link to read the Autobiography of A. T. Still 

Click here for links of Early American Manual Therapy  this is an extensive listing with complete manuals. 

    There are 28 Osteopathic Schools in the United States.
    By the year 2000, it is expected that 45,000 Osteopathic Physicians will be in practice in the U.S.
    60% of all D.O.s practice in the primary care areas of general practice, internal medicine, obstetrics/gynecology and pediatrics.
    D.O.s represent 5.5% of the total U.S. physician population and 10% of all U.S. military physicians.
    Each year, 100 million patient visits are made to D.O.s.
    Strong concentrations of D.O.s are found in Florida, Michigan, Missouri, New Jersey, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Texas.