Clinic: 01580 212293 .........Mobile/Out of Hours: 07811 114487......... email: info@moatosteopaths.com

Dr Andrew Taylor Still

Founding father of Osteopathy

Dr A T Still of Missouri, USA founded Osteopathy in 1874.  Trained in Medicine Dr Still’s transition into his role as Osteopathy’s founding father was not an easy one.

The medicine of the day is now considered to be quite barbaric, with major operations performed without any anaesthesia and techniques such as blood-letting common-place.  This lead Dr Still to become disillusioned with Medicine and prompted him to research into alternative forms of Medicine.

Originally Dr Still advertised his skills as a ‘Lightening Bone Setter’.  Bone setting was more common in the UK, the Matthews Family in particular had a long history dating further back than 1680 as bonesetters in the Midlands. 
As a bone setter Dr Still treated medical pathology with his approach, with such success that patients would travel from far and wide to see him.  As a result he set up boarding houses to accommodate his patients.
Dr Still refined his approach and set up an Osteopathic School in Kirksville, Missouri. This is still there today... all be it in a slightly different form Click here to see.

To Be Continued! Check back for more information on the history of osteopathy