Canadian Federation of Osteopaths

Osteopathy is a patient-centered approach to health.

It is guided by principles of relating to the patient as a whole.

The body is a self-regulating, functional unit in which function and structure are inter-related, and healthy tissues require proper circulation of all body fluids.

Skilled palpation and a detailed knowledge of anatomy, physiology and biomechanics guide the osteopath to assess and restore balance within and between all the systems of the body; musculoskeletal, cardiovascular, neurological, cranial and visceral.

In health, the body seeks to maintain a balance within and between these systems.

The osteopath uses a wide array of manual approaches to reduce and resolve strains, stress and dysfunction in all areas of the body.

The goal is to remove restrictions to vascular, neural and biomechanical mechanisms and ultimately support the natural healing mechanism by promoting autoregulation.

Osteopathy was introduced as a science, philosophy and practice by Andrew Taylor Still, MD in the 1870’s. Disheartened with his tools during a deadly meningitis outbreak, Still began developing a manual, patient centered approach. Many osteopaths since Still have contributed their life’s work to Osteopathy – as a science and a practice.

There are two streams of osteopathy recognized internationally, a medical stream of Osteopathic Physicians and Surgeons, and a manual stream of Osteopaths.

Canada represents a unique situation as it is one of a few countries world wide in which both streams of osteopathy are represented within the different provinces. Currently, the medical stream of Osteopathic Physicians and Surgeons falls under the legislation and licensure of the individual provincial Colleges of Physicians and Surgeons.

Individual associations represent Osteopaths provincially. The Canadian Federation of Osteopaths (CFO) in turn, represents these provincial associations nationally. The CFO maintains membership in the international body, the Osteopathic International Alliance (OIA). Both the manual and medical streams of Osteopathy within Canada are members of the OIA. The purpose of the OIA is to advance the practice of manual osteopathy and osteopathic medicine throughout the world.

Osteopathic Physicians have a long history in Canada, dating back to the turn of the last century. Despite small numbers they obtained medical practice rights for physicians who graduated from the United States (US) medical schools, approved by the American Osteopathic Association (AOA). As a result, in certain provinces, the title “Osteopath” is reserved for graduates of US medical schools only. Due to increasing numbers of Osteopathic Manual Practitioners in Canada, there is a growing need for provincial governments to recognize both streams.

A French Osteopath, Philippe Druelle, introduced the manual stream of osteopathy to Canada from Europe in 1981 when he founded the College d’Etudes Osteopathie (CEO) in Montreal. Due to the success of the college, with its emphasis on Traditional Manual Osteopathy, Mr. Druelle went on to establish the Canadian College of Osteopathy (CCO) in Toronto which first opened in 1992. There are now two other campuses of the CEO, in Halifax and Vancouver. Since then a number of independent schools have been established in Quebec and Ontario. Since 1981 there has been a growing number of Osteopathic Practitioners, who are now successfully helping patients in nearly all the Canadian provinces.