Welcome to the Ontario Osteopathic Medical Association
Origins of Osteopathy
The osteopathic profession was founded by Dr. Andrew Taylor Still in the United States in the late 1800s. Osteopathic medicine, or osteopathy, is a complete system of health care emphasizing a whole person approach to medicine. There are currently 33 colleges of osteopathic medicine in the United States with 58 campuses producing physicians with comprehensive medical and surgical training, and with special skills in musculoskeletal diagnosis and treatment, who make use of all modern diagnostic and treatment modalities, including unique manual treatment principles known as ‘osteopathic manipulative medicine’.
It is the American Osteopathic Association's Commission on Osteopathic College Accreditation (COCA) that provides the advanced medical and surgical training required for licensure in Canada. These US colleges are also responsible for the development of the advanced osteopathic manual treatment techniques used by specialists in osteopathic manipulative medicine worldwide. The American Osteopathic Association and American Academy of Osteopathy continue to be the international leaders in advanced manual therapy techniques.
Please note that since its inception, osteopathic education has always included comprehensive medical and surgical training. It is this traditional model of osteopathy that continues to be taught at US colleges of osteopathic medicine and is recognized for licensure in Canada, the United States, and over 45 countries worldwide for full osteopathic medical practice.
The OOMA represents only qualified and licensed practitioners
Please be advised that currently there are various non-physician practitioners using osteopathic titles, practicing outside of legislation in Ontario, and without osteopathic licensure, who do not hold the comprehensive medical, surgical, and musculoskeletal training required for osteopathic registration with provincial health care regulatory authorities.