OSTEOPATHY   By definition osteopathy is a complete natural medicine and science with precise palpatory acts. Osteopathic medicine began in the United States in 1874. The term "osteopathy" was coined by Andrew Taylor Still, an army doctor during the American Civil War. The linguistic aspect of the term is misleading implying that bones are the focus of osteopathy, and most of the American public is under an impression that the word osteopath denotes a bone setter. In modern times the practice of osteopathy is based on the deep knowledge of anatomy, embryology, physiology and other fundamental sciences. The principles of osteopathy are very similar to the tenets of ancient Eastern philosophies. They are based: a) on the holistic perception of the entire organism: body, emotions, mind and spirit; b) on the postulation that structure and function of the organism and its parts are interrelated; c) on the assertion that health is expressed in the organism by the unrestricted movement of tissues, fluids and information; d) on the innate ability of the organism to heal itself. The goal of an osteopathic treatment is to restore the inherent motion where such motion is impaired.   Traditional osteopathy employs various manual treatment techniques. Most common of them are manipulations of the muscular-skeletal and visceral systems. These modalities proved to be effective in the treatment of humans and of mammals in general. The osteopaths rely on their own senses both for treatment and diagnostics. Osteopaths in Europe, Canada and Australia successfully treat a wide variety of dysfunctions ranging from skin condition to psychological disorders. The abbreviation “DO” means Doctor of Osteopathy or Diploma in Osteopathy, depending on the legal rules and regulations of a particular country.   Ironically, traditional osteopathy enjoys popularity outside of the US, while in its home country there are only a few dozens of practitioners who adhere to the principles of osteopathy and practice exclusively manual medicine. Some of them achieved amazing clinical results and are highly regarded all over the World as educators and promoters of osteopathy. The majority of the osteopathic physicians in the United States are the licensed allopathic medical practitioners who are to some degree familiar with the osteopathic fundamentals. As a rule, American osteopaths do not use manual therapy, and while most of them practice a mainstream allopathic medicine, some opt to use experimental drugs, and procedures.