Osteopathy and osteopathic medicine are often used interchangeably[1] for the philosophy and system of alternative medical practice first proposed by A. T. Still MD, DO in 1874. It emphasizes the interrelationship between structure and function of the body and recognizes the body's ability to heal itself; it is the role of the osteopathic practitioner to facilitate that process.[2] The American Osteopathic Association recommends using osteopathic physician and osteopathic medicine to describe 'American Osteopathy', practiced by full scope of practice physicians, and using osteopath and osteopathy to describe the restricted-scope form of practice in many other jurisdictions.[3][4][5] Despite this, many osteopathic physicians in the US still use the term osteopath.

Extracted from www.wikipedia.org.