The founder of the practice of Osteopathy is Dr.A.Taylor Still (1828-1917), an American medical doctor and surgeon. Taylor established “The American School of Osteopathy” in 1892. He viewed the underlying links between the various anatomic systems of the body (anatomy and relational anatomy) as of essential importance to the research into, and treatment of patients. In particular, he noted that all bodily tissues are endowed with a certain degree of mobility or flexibility, and that any restraint on this could have a negative impact on the health of a person. Taylor developed the practise of Osteopathy out of the symptomatic treatments of his patients. Osteopathy has since evolved and developed into a complete scientifically grounded field of its own. Osteopathy has had the legal status that regular medicine enjoys in the United Sates since 1966.
It is a field that has gradually gained momentum within Europe, having originally arrived via England and France. The Netherlands has a 5-year post-graduate course in Osteopathy, available to medical school and physiotherapy graduates.