About Us
The Alberta Association of Osteopathic Manual Therapists (AAOMT) was established as a not-for-profit association in September, 2007. Although Osteopathic Manual Therapy was in its infancy at the time of incorporation, it was important to establish an organization that would set the standards of care, education, and safety in Alberta. In addition, the AAOMT would oversee the advancement of the profession of Osteopathic Manual Therapy in our province, unify its members, and educate the public. The AAOMT is a recognized member of the Canadian Federation of Osteopaths (CFO) and the Osteopathic International Alliance (OIA).
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The AAOMT prioritizes the safety of the public first and foremost, with the recognition and protection of Osteopathy as a safe and effective treatment practice. The World Health Organization (WHO) has outlined the benchmarks for training in Osteopathy, and defines type I and type II education. The difficulties that lie in the WHO Benchmarks for Osteopathic Training is that the transference of osteopathic education for Type II programming was not defined and suggests the program length can be adapted based on the prior health care training; thus, opening the doors for vast interpretation of the criteria. Because Osteopathy is not a regulated profession in Canada, osteopathic training can vary significantly in length and who the training is provided by. The information available can be misleading to the public and those seeking a quick diploma to practice Osteopathy. The AAOMT has chosen to clearly define the membership requirements with the WHO benchmarks as a foundation, and setting our standards above this foundation.
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As our membership continues to increase with qualified Osteopathic Manual Therapists from Canada and around the world, we remain committed to quality of care and therapists over quantity of members. We will continue to advocate for education standards in Canada and Alberta that meet our expectations, that information provided to the public for services or education is transparent- not misleading or misguided, or marketed for the sole purpose of financial gain. It is our mission to honour our founder and father of Osteopathy, Dr. A.T Still, who not only spent years studying the human body to bring new health, vitality and life to the suffering, but who embodied the true nature of love, working with an open heart, leaving no room for ego, to help those in need.
What is osteopathy?
Osteopathy is a gentle, hands-on practice that assesses the whole person and all of the systemic interrelationships of the body. Osteopathic Manual Therapy uses skilled palpation to assess the structural, fluid and energetic body through assessment of the bones, muscles, joints, organs and the viscera of the body.
The goal of manual osteopathic intervention is to remove unwanted structural dysfunction using a wide variety of techniques that mobilize and manipulate tissues in order to reduce pain, improve mobility and facilitate optimal functioning of the person as a whole.
Is osteopathy regulated in Canada?
Osteopathy is not regulated in Canada and for that reason training varies across the country. The AAOMT accepts members who have completed a minimum 4 years of osteopathic education delivered as either a type I or type II program.
Education of Osteopathic Manual Therapists:
Type I education - Delivered as a full-time program (4200 hours)
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Type II education - Delivered as a part-time program requiring a prior degree in health sciences and requires a minimum of 1000 hours of in-person, supervised training, instructed by qualified educators. ​
Is osteopathy covered by insurance providers?
Many insurance providers offer coverage for osteopathic manual therapy sessions. Please check with your provider before your session to make sure you have coverage and that your practitioner meets the required standards.
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** Please note that at this time direct billing for osteopathic manual therapy is unavailable **​