If you’ve ever been to an osteopath and thought, “Why are they working on my hips when my neck hurts?”, you’re not alone. It might seem unusual at first, but there’s a reason for it.

This principle was originally described by Andrew Taylor Still, the founder of osteopathy, who observed that changes in how a structure moves (whether a joint, a muscle, or even the way someone breathes) can influence how that area functions. Modern research now supports the idea that mechanical, neurological, and physiological systems interact in complex ways, and that movement, load, and flexibility can influence comfort and performance in everyday life.

Osteopathy has been around since the late 1800s when its founder, Andrew Taylor Still began exploring new ways of understanding the human body and how it functions. From these observations, he developed a set of guiding ideas now known as the four principles of osteopathy. Modern Osteopathy practice grounded in current research, contemporary pain science, and evidence-informed clinical reasoning, however these 4 principles still provide a useful framework.