Textbook Osteopathic Medicine

For the first time, a team of 60 internationally recognized editors and authors has collaborated to create a landmark textbook of osteopathic medicine oriented around clinical symptoms, offering an integrative and evidence-based resource that bridges traditional osteopathic principles with modern clinical practice. This authoritative text begins with foundational chapters on the history, philosophy, and global development of osteopathy, followed by a detailed examination of its scientific basis, emphasizing the discipline’s rootedness in anatomy, physiology, and biomedical science.

A major strength of this textbook lies in its two core sections on osteopathic therapeutic strategies. The first section is structured by anatomical body regions (e.g., spine, thorax, limbs), while the second is organized by clinical specialties and systems (e.g., cardiology, neurology, pediatrics, gynecology), presenting osteopathic interventions in real-world clinical contexts. Crucially, the text avoids artificial divisions between parietal, visceral, and craniosacral systems, instead presenting osteopathic treatment holistically, just as it is practiced in clinical settings.

Each symptom-based chapter begins with a conventional medical explanation, followed by the osteopathic view and manual treatment options, making the book especially valuable for both osteopathic students and practitioners. This work is a vital educational tool for students in training—medical and non-medical alike—and an essential clinical reference for practicing osteopaths seeking a deeper, integrated approach to patient care.

Key Features:

• Symptom-Oriented Structure: The first osteopathic textbook to systematically approach diagnosis and treatment based on clinical symptoms, making it highly relevant for everyday practice.

• Multidisciplinary Expertise: Authored and edited by a global team of 60 experts, ensuring a diversity of perspectives and an authoritative, comprehensive scope.

• Integrated Therapeutic Approach: Presents holistic osteopathic treatment as it is practiced—without separating parietal, visceral, and craniosacral modalities—reflecting the real-life application of osteopathic principles.

• Two Core Clinical Parts:

  • Regional Section: Covers osteopathic diagnosis and treatment by anatomical region.

  • Specialty Section: Focuses on system-specific and specialty-related osteopathic applications, such as in neurology, cardiology, urology, pediatrics, and more.

• Science-Based Foundations: Strong emphasis on the scientific and research basis of osteopathy, including biomedical explanations of manual therapy mechanisms.

• Educational and Clinical Utility: Designed as both a comprehensive learning tool for students and a practical reference for clinicians in daily osteopathic practice.

• Clear and Accessible Format: Each clinical topic begins with the medical context of symptoms, followed by the osteopathic interpretation and therapeutic strategy, providing a dual-lens understanding.

• Broad Audience: Ideal for osteopaths in training, both medically qualified and non-medical practitioners, as well as experienced osteopaths, educators, and multidisciplinary clinicians.