Osteopathy

Osteopathy is the body of medicine that originally used strictly manipulative techniques for correcting somatic abnormalities thought to cause disease and inhibit recovery. However, over the past century, osteopathy has embraced the full spectrum of medicine (to different degrees across the world), including the use of prescription drugs and surgery, in addition to manipulative techniques. Osteopathy or osteopathic medicine is thus both a philosophy and a set of manipulative techniques.

Osteopathy in the European Union

Within the European Union there is no standardised training or regulatory framework for the profession, although attempts are being made to co-ordinate the profession within the EU. At present there is a conflict between the principle of free movement of labour and right to practice osteopathy in different member states as their is little equivalency in training and regulation of the profession. Previously the practice of spinal manipulation by non-medically qualified practitioners was outlawed in many European countries. This lead to the arrest and imprisonment of the osteopathic faculty in France in the 1960s, who on their release then sought refuge in the UK and established the European School of Osteopathy. The

Related Topics:
European Union - France

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General Osteopathic Council, the UK osteopathic regulatory body, has issued a position paper on pan-European regulation of the professionhttp://www.epha.org/a/1673.

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