Login to the Osteopathy Australia website to make the most of your membership.
Not a member? Join Osteopathy Australia to access member-only content.
In 1874, Andrew Taylor Still MD DO (1828-1917), a medical doctor living on the Missouri frontier in America, discovered the significance of living anatomy in health and disease. Dr. Still realised that optimal health is possible only when all of the tissues and cells of the body function together in harmonious motion. He reasoned that disease could have its origins in anatomical deviation from normal and he could assist health by treating the body with his hands, naming his innovative approach to restoring health: osteopathy.
He understood that the human body is composed of many parts, all intimately related as a functional whole. More than a hundred years ago, Dr. Still realised that the human being is more than just a physical body. He envisioned a totally new medical system that acknowledges the relationships of the body, mind, emotions and spirit. He was one of the earliest people to consider health within a biopsychosocial context.
As a practicing physician, Dr. Still diligently researched and developed osteopathy. He developed a very practical way of treating people using just his hands. Today, osteopaths continue to use their hands to treat their patients in this same tradition, while introducing modern knowledge, science and techniques.
In the late 1800s, none of today's drugs, such as antibiotics, were available. Out of necessity, Dr. Still looked first to nature's own (or the body's) ability to heal. Dr Still saw this self-correcting, interconnected potential as a cornerstone of his osteopathic philosophy.
Today, osteopathy has grown as a recognised form of allied healthcare, with a combination of traditional methods and modern scientific healthcare philosophies. When combined with the appropriate use of present-day medical therapeutics, osteopathy offers a common-sense contribution to the practice of healthcare.
Osteopathy has been practiced in Australia for over 100 years and has been taught in Australian universities since the early 1980s. It became a regulated healthcare profession in 1991 in Australia.
The Department of Health and Aged Care (DoHAC) released the Aged Care Data and Digital Strategy 2024-2029 to outline how they will work with partners and the aged care sector for better collaboration through data and digital innovation.
In response to recommendations from the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety, the Department of Health and Aged Care (DoHAC) has reviewed the current Standards and developed a set of draft strengthened Aged Care Quality Standards (strengthened Quality Standards). The strengthened Aged Care Quality Standards will replace the current Standards and aim to ensure older Australians receive safe and quality care.
Osteopathy Australia's consumer website to promote osteopathy and osteopaths' whole-body approach to managing pain.