Osteopathy

Osteopathy is the body of knowledge and practices of osteopaths, a school of physicians in the United States founded by Dr. Andrew T. Still in the 19th Century. "Still was trained in orthodox medicine before the Civil War. He spent most of his training in an apprenticeship under a local doctor with didactic work for an unknown period of time in Kansas City" (reference for quote: ). He was devastated by the loss of three of his children from meningitis and derived a new system of medicine based on spinal manipulation, Christian faith, and abstinance from alcohol.

Osteopathy was founded on the American frontier and its initial development was regionally focused in the West.