osteopathy - a term fashioned by its founder, Andrew T. Still, around 1885 to describe a science of healing

Osteopathy, known today as osteopathic medicine, is a comprehensive and scientifically based school of medicine that is founded upon a certain philosophy: the body is a unit that is capable of self-regulation, self-healing, and self-maintenance. Health exists as long as there is a normal flow of body fluids and nerve activity, and therefore, illness is often caused by mechanical impediment of this flow. Osteopathic physicians use their hands to diagnose, treat, and prevent illness or injury. They understand that environmental, social, mental, and behavioral factors contribute to the cause of disease and illness.

Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine (OMM) is the use of osteopathic principles to treat mechanical restrictions that may be preventing optimal function of the body. This involves using gentle, hands-on techniques to normalize abnormal mechanical tensions in muscles, joints, ligaments, fascia, visceral organs, lymphatic fluids, and structures of the nervous system in order to treat a wide variety of clinical conditions. An osteopathic physician is able to use OMM to treat a range of ailments including headaches, arthritis pain, TMJ pain, sports injuries, back and neck pain, scoliosis, as well as symptoms during pregnancy, recurrent ear infections, sinusitis, asthma or COPD in ALL age groups. This manual manipulation can be administered safely in combination with other medical treatments to improve outcomes.