Mind-Bending Facts About Osteopathy That Will Leave You Stunned

9. Regulations And Osteopathy

Osteopathic medicine in the United States is regulated by each state. State licensing boards are what give osteopathic physicians their license to practice like any other physician in the United States. All individuals eligible to receive a Doctor of Osteopathy degree have a Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science degree and have a minimum of three years in college. Osteopathic medicine is a distinctive type of medical practice, and Doctors of Osteopathy and Medical Doctors (MDs) are the only kinds of complete physicians in the United States. Both types of physicians are fully licensed to prescribe medication, order diagnostic procedures and laboratory tests, deliver babies, and perform surgery. The United States currently has twenty-nine accredited osteopathic medical schools. Any individual who practices osteopathy and does not hold the title of a Doctor of Osteopathy will have the title of a Manual Osteopath, Osteopathic Manual Therapist, or an Osteopathic Therapist. While they have been through advanced training in manual osteopathy, they are not Medical Doctors and are not able to perform surgery or prescribe medication.

10. History of Osteopathy: The Birth of a New Medicine

In the late 19th century, a pioneering American physician named Andrew Taylor Still grew disillusioned with the brutal medical practices of his day—things like bloodletting and harsh narcotics. He believed the body was a powerful, self-healing machine and that disease was a result of structural misalignment. In 1874, he introduced a revolutionary philosophy centered on the idea that by restoring the body’s natural alignment through hands-on manipulation, you could unleash its healing potential. He opened the first school of osteopathy in Kirksville, Missouri, in 1892, laying the groundwork for a new, holistic approach. Over the next century, his ideas spread, and osteopathic medicine became a fully licensed and accredited medical field, with the American Osteopathic Association receiving federal recognition in 1957.