International
Osteopathic
Education

Osteopaths are primary contact practitioners who specialize in diagnosis, management, treatment, and prevention of disorders of body structure and the way this can compromise the health and well-being of the individual. They use hands-on techniques to treat and prevent somatic dysfunctions that may cause mechanical and systemic conditions. Osteopaths advise on self-help measures and may choose to use adjunct treatments. Osteopaths are trained to be primary practitioners. This means that they are able to undertake an initial consultation with any patient. This includes taking a case history, performing an examination of the patient, formulating a differential diagnosis and undertaking treatment where appropriate. Osteopaths work in partnerships with patients and are trained to refer patients to other healthcare professionals when they are not the most appropriate professional to manage an underlying condition (although they may still provide treatment to the referred individual).

If we talk about Osteopathic Education, we can detail the fifth main ressources: Osteopathic Medicine (OM) is first of all based on Anatomical knowledge of the all body including semiology and medical knowledge of pathologies. Second, OM is based on a very precise clinical examination of all the structures, joints, organs, nerves and vessels: here is the notion of mobility and motility of the human structures including organs, nerves and vessels. Third, is the knowledge of the links between primary (traumas) and secondary dysfunctions (compensations and bio mechanical adaptations) which give to the practitioner the treatment reasoning trough a lesion pattern. Four is the capacity to reduce all systemic dysfunctions by Osteopathic Manipulation Treatments (OMT). OMT are since more than a hundred year following by scientific researchers who demonstrated the efficiency of Osteopathic treatments in many clinical studies (JAOA). Five is the clinical capacity to analyse clinical signs and to insure the right orientation for the patient if necessary(Diagnosis of exclusion). The Osteopath is also educate to analyse X Ray examination and biological examination. The aim of Osteopathic Practice is to be a central actor and to work daily with medical and para medical professionals.

Osteopathic medicine was developed in USA since more than one and a half century. Dr Andrew Tailor Still was the precursor of an other vision of the etiological factors of human diseases: he discovered the link between structures (Skull, Joints and Bones) and physiological systems unbalances.