Plans to Regulate Osteopathy in Ontario
Today, there are no government regulations for the manual practice of osteopathy in Ontario. The OAO is working on a submission to the Ontario government that asks the government to create regulations for osteopathy in Ontario.
Any future Ontario regulations will have to recognize the difference between 2 types of osteopathy practitioners.
- Osteopathic physicians practise in Ontario, and they are recognized by the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario. However, the training needed to become an osteopathic physician is not available in Canada - these practitioners get their training in the United States. They have a medical degree from a college approved by the American Osteopathic Association. They are licenced physicians who also have osteopathic manual training.
- Osteopaths have extensive training in manual osteopathic practice, but they are not medical doctors. They treat patients using manual techniques only. The training needed to become an osteopath is available in Canada.
To support the development of government regulations, the OAO will adopt the education standards for osteopaths that are being developed by the World Osteopathic Health Organization (WOHO). The WOHO was created in March 2003 at a meeting in Ottawa, Ontario. Representatives from 25 countries attended that meeting.
The aim of this organization is to promote, develop, protect and establish throughout the world the study, philosophy, science, and practice of osteopathy in both its application and research for the benefit of the peoples of all nations. In addition WOHO seeks to ensure the worldwide availability of the practice of traditional manipulative (manual) osteopathy of the highest standard and its integration into existing health services in different countries.
The WOHO recognizes the two types of osteopathic practitioners: osteopathic physicians and osteopaths.