History of Osteopathy

In second half of the 19th century Andrew Taylor Stills, D.O. (1828-1917) evolved from a conventional physician to become founder of a new kind of healing modality that initially challenged orthodox medicine. During his life he was influenced by: homeopathy, magnetic healing, bone setting, and various popular health movements. Yet, despite these influences Still developed principles and methods that were uniquely his own. He began calling his work Osteopathy in 1874.

Dr. Still’s contributions included a new emphasis on the alignment of vertebrae and bones in the healing process and a theory of disease that focused on obstructions or imbalances in the spine as the central factor in illness. According to A.T. Still it was the disruption of the vital flow of fluids that led to disease. He believed that re-alignment of the spine could be used to treat all illnesses. Throughout his life he fought against the use of drugs, which he thought of as more toxic to the body than helpful. He believed that the body was capable of healing itself when the source of obstructions or imbalances was corrected.

He stated that his practice of medicine would be based on three principles:

1. The body produces its own healing substances
2. Health is dependent upon structural integrity
3. Perverted structure is a fundamental cause of disease.

He asked his followers to be witnesses to the wonders of the human body in both structure and function. Dr. Still fully believed that healers could only heal through an ongoing attempt to commune with the divine intelligence within all of our cells and structures.