Canadian Federation of Osteopaths

Osteopathy in Canada

Membership Distribution:

The membership of the CFO is distributed in the provinces of Nova Scotia, Newfoundland, New Brunswick, PEI, Quebec, Ontario, Manitoba, Northwest Territories, Saskatchewan, Alberta, British Columbia and the United States.

The CFO represents members from the Atlantic Canada Association of Osteopaths, the Association des Osteopaths du Quebec (ADOQ), the Ontario Association of Osteopaths (OAO), The Alberta Association of Osteopathic Manual Therapists, and the Society for the Promotion of Manual Practice Osteopathy (SPMPO).

The CFO has 801 members distributed throughout these provinces as follows:

Nova Scotia: 25
New Brunswick: 4
Newfoundland: 1
Quebec: 500
Ontario: 180
Manitoba: 1
Alberta: 7
Saskatchewan: 1
British Columbia: 16
Northwest Territories: 1


Of these members all meet the minimum educational criteria set out in our by-laws, minimum WOHO education standards for non-physician osteopaths: 1500 hours of training, clinical competencies and research qualifications.

In Alberta

In Alberta the titles "Osteopath" and "osteopathic practitioner" are protected by the Health Professions Act. This means that only licensed, medically trained, Osteopathic Physicians graduating from American universities can use them. For this reason non-physician Osteopaths graduating from Colleges outside America use the title "osteopathic manual therapist" if they want to work in Alberta. 

The AAOMT is a first step in the organization and regulation of manual practice osteopathic therapists in Alberta. It agrees with and meets the Osteopathic International Alliance and World Osteopathic Health Organization in both the definitions of an Osteopath and an Osteopathic Physician and the minimum educational requirements for both. In order to support both these organizations and further Osteopathy in Canada the AAOMT will be taking all the steps necessary to get manual osteopathic therapists recognized and protected both nationally and provincially. 

In British Columbia

The BC Society for the Promotion of Manual Practice Osteopathy (SPMPO) was incorporated under the Society Act of the Province of British Columbia in 2005 and has been a member of the Osteopathic International Alliance since 2008. It is an association of professional Osteopathic Practitioners committed to fostering education of the public about osteopathy, demonstrating accountability and ethical practice, and providing a list of practitioners whose training and qualifications are of a high standard. There are currently 17 members and membership comprises the majority of fully qualified osteopathic practitioners in BC, including members trained in Canada, the UK, Australia and New Zealand.
In BC, non physician osteopaths, known throughout the rest of the world as simply ‘osteopaths’ use the title “Osteopathic Practitioner” to differentiate themselves from American trained osteopathic physicians who were legally granted exclusive use of the title ‘osteopath” in June 2009. Both streams of osteopathy are currently practiced in BC. For more information about the SPMPO see our website: www.osteopathybc.ca

In Ontario

In Ontario, the title of Osteopath is reserved for Osteopathic Physicians trained in the United States. In order to practice in Ontario, non-physician Osteopaths must call themselves Osteopathic Manual Practitioners. To maintain clarity, OAO now stands for the Ontario Association of Osteopathic Manual Practitioners.

In 2009, the OAO revised its bylaws in preparation for the sophistication of becoming a self-regulating professional body in the province of Ontario. The goal of the association is the eventual regulation of Osteopathy under the Regulated Health Professional Act (RHPA) in Ontario. The OAO has been active in submitting applications to the RHPA.

The board of directors oversees and takes recommendations from different committees such as governance, education, registration, professional standards, professional practice, public relations and educational standards. The OAO is committed to the development of educational competencies in preparation for future entry to practice examinations.

The OAO also maintains a website, organizes educational courses and holds it’s AGM in the fall of each year