Osteopathy was founded by A. T. Still. In autumn 1874, during an outbreak, he healed a child of dysentery and seventeen other successfully; it was the first osteopathic treatment. June 22, 1874, he finally broke with traditional medicine that has never really answered his hopes and exposes his theories and findings on osteopathy. It establishes the principles of osteopathic art: "I throw to the wind the banner of Osteopathy! "It heals with his hands, which is totally inappropriate for her peers. In 1892, the American School of Osteopathy in Kirksville is created. This is the first college of osteopathic medicine in the world. He spends the official recognition of osteopathy in the state of Missouri. The students formed therein receive the title of D.0. graduate (doctor of osteopathy) and not M.D. (MD). Still standing from the outset, to make the difference between two totally different professional activities. From 1892 to 1900, osteopathy extends throughout the Southern United States. From 1894 to 1900, develops violent opposition official medical bodies. Osteopathy yet acquired the right to practice in most states, as a paramedical profession without the possibility of prescription drugs, but with the right to practice obstetrics and surgery. Medical colleges are opening across the United States.

In 1901 , osteopathy receives support choice in the person of Mark Twain, which earned him much criticism and hostile stands in the Times , that support was strengthened after the healing of his daughter Jean of his seizures and treatment of its own chronic bronchitis . He thought that the opposition of the medical school to osteopathy was essentially a desire for monopoly on health care.
1905 is the year of publication of the Flexner report . Traditional medicine still predominant , highly organized and structured side to the young osteopathic medicine , through the powerful American Medical Association (AMA) , exerted enormous pressure on the authorities who named then Flexner commission. It obtained , after inspection of private medical institutions, the closure of many schools and prevented the creation of those being formed . Public opinion was so outraged that petitions at national level forced President Theodore Roosevelt, whose family was treated by osteopathy, to authorize the opening of these colleges being established .

The first state to legitimize osteopathy was Vermont in 1896. It will take almost 100 years for California last State of the Union obtains the same right by a stubborn fight in 1974. Viola Fryman , head of a handful of old osteopaths last appeal to the Judge of the United States Supreme Court , granted the right to create the College of osteopathic medicine of the Pacific in Pomona . The osteopath now recognized profession , obtained in 1969 medical entitlements and chirurgicaux.Viola Frymann was condemned twice (1992 and 2000) by his peers and justice for incompetence and endangerment of others .

Development of osteopathy in Europe

The British John Martin Littlejohn long stay in Chicago and receive direct instruction from Still. With the agreement received it during his lifetime, Littlejohn creates the British School of Osteopathy (in) in London in 1917. It will remain the only English school until the birth of Osteopathic Institute of Applied Technology in Maidstone, created by John Werhnam, self-proclaimed student of John Martin Littlejohn. The French School of Osteopathy was founded in 1957 under the direction of Paul Geny with the help of Thomas G. Dummer, a British osteopath. It delivers a private education for doctors and physiotherapists. The same teaching is given to doctors and physiotherapists, which goes against the will of the Council of the Order of French doctors. The board of the order will leave to do and requires the expatriation of the French school of osteopathy in England where she became the European School of Osteopathy of Maidstone in 1960 and delivers a not recognized osteopathic degree in instances Britain. She is now totally official and recognized.

In 1973, the International Society of osteopathy, based in Geneva and founded by former therapists without validated osteopathic training , recommends teaching standards of the academic type of osteopathy in three cycles totaling five thousand hours of being six years after graduation from secondary school to lead a competent job in prevention and preservation of health , according to WHO recommendations