Osteopathy is a school of healing based on the theories that the body has an inherent capacity to defend and repair itself and when the normal adaptability is disrupted, or when environmental changes overcome the body's capacity for self maintenance a disease may occur.

The founder of osteopathy, Andrew Taylor Still (1828-1917), from 1861 to 1864 he served as a captain in the Medical Corps of the Union Army. During his service in the Union Army he failed on his attempts to treat the troops with the therapies available during that time, because of this, Still became disillusioned with the practice of medicine. About the same time three of his children died of meningitis, adding to his disillusionment.

Still declare that the drugs of his day were either useless or were actually detrimental, that it just add stress to the already diseased body. Calomel, for example, which was used extensively for the purging of patients, contained a potentially lethal base of mercury. Still believed that the human body contained the substances necessary for health and could use them if it were properly stimulated. He felt that disorders of the musculoskeletal system could produce pressure on nerves and circulation, causing an abnormal functioning in other organs of the body. He used his sense of touch to find where the changed musculoskeletal conditions existed, like the areas of muscle tension or pain trigger points. When these areas were found, he treated them by applying pressure to the muscles, ligaments, or joints in an attempt to restore normal musculoskeletal functions and thereby eliminate the cause of the disease. Osteopathy is commonly used for the treatment of lower back pain and tension headache, alongside exercise and other rehabilitative techniques.

Today the concepts of osteopathic therapy were expanded to include the use of pharmaceutical and other therapeutic measure (dietary, postural, counseling) so as to provide a comprehensive system of holistic health care

In the USA Doctors of Osteopathic Medicine (D.O.s) are fully licensed medical physicians and surgeons, practicing in all clinical specialties along with their M.D. collegues, and just like M.D's, D.O.s practice the full scope of medicine.