Osteopathic treatment has the important final step - reeducation. Patients who learn how to keep their bodies functioning in a relaxed and healthy state have less anxiety and tension, and are better able to cope with stress.

• Relaxation techniques may be used to reduce the levels of excessive tension often present in the muscles of people with joint and back problems. These methods, combined with specifically designed exercises and stretches, help the patient to restore functional integrity, restore balance, coordinate muscular activity, and reduce stress on the joints, making any manipulative treatment easier and more effective.
• Improved breathing methods may be taught where necessary in order to cut down on the excessive stress endured by certain muscles in the back and neck when breathing patterns are dysfunctional. This helps restore normal diaphragmatic breathing, allowing for improved lung capacity while lessening the wear and tear on joints which were previously restricted by the excessive contraction of muscles inappropriately overworking.
• Postural correction teaches patients how to use their bodies in less stressful, more efficient and economical ways (in terms of energy output), reducing damage and tension affecting the joints and soft tissues, as well as decreasing levels of fatigue. These methods draw on systems such as Feldenkrais, Trager, and Alexander, along with osteopathic innovations, and are particularly useful in relation to patterns of overuse and misuse found commonly in work and sports related activities.
• Individualized nutritional guidance taking into account the particular requirements of the patient, may be used, as well as the known links between specific nutrients and the tissues of the system.

 

  Health concerns, from heart and breathing dysfunction to fatigue and hyperventilation, can be helped by therapeutic correction of the underlying mechanical disorder. A complete osteopathic treatment to normalize the musculoskeletal system will keep the body working smoothly and efficiently, a fact that is synonymous with health.

 

  Osteopathy originated in the United States in the end of the nineteenth century. Andrew Taylor Still, a registered physician, founded the first school of osteopathy in Kirksville, Missouri, in 1892. Dr. Still continually sought better methods of medical treatment for his patients, especially for those faced with the epidemic diseases of the time, and the terrible side effects of the drugs used for their problems.

  By the time of Still's death there were over five thousand licensed osteopaths in the United States, and the first school had been established in the United Kingdom. Today, there are over fifteen osteopathic medical colleges in the United States, many associated with major universities.

  Osteopathic training in the United States unites conventional medical, surgical, and obstetrical practices with osteopathic manipulative treatments, providing a comprehensive system of health care. American D.O.'s (Doctors of Osteopathy, of which there are over 33,500) carry the same license and scope of practice as M.D.'s. However, some osteopaths focus on the conventional medical approach while others give priority to the manipulative therapies. 

  There are also many thousands of registered osteopaths in Europe, with schools in France and Belgium. Practitioners trained in the United Kingdom and other English-speaking countries, such as Australia, New Zealand, and Canada, where osteopathy focuses on manipulative treatment, are considered an integral part of alternative and additional health care.