I’m happy to share some great news — the Ontario based, College of Registered Manual Osteopaths (CRMO), together with the Coalition for Regulation of Manual Osteopathy in Ontario (CRMOO), has officially started the process of getting manual osteopathy regulated in Ontario.
As many of you know, osteopathy is part of the heritage of Indigenous Peoples. It’s only fitting that Indigenous Peoples lead this effort to protect and preserve that heritage for future generations while protecting people of Ontario.
The College of Registered Manual Osteopaths was founded and is led by Indigenous Peoples. It includes a Council of Elders and is supported by Indigenous Nations and communities across Canada.
Since most manual osteopaths in Ontario are my students, I want to give my full support to this initiative. While osteopathy’s roots belong to Indigenous Peoples, we want this process to be inclusive and open to everyone who practices or studies manual osteopathy.
Here’s what’s been decided by CRMOO so far:
-Free membership:
Any manual osteopath or current student in Canada can join CRMOO free of charge.
-Grandfathering for practitioners:
All practicing manual osteopaths who are members of CRMOO before regulation takes effect will automatically be accepted into the new regulatory college once it’s created.
-Grandfathering for students:
All current and future students of manual osteopathy programs in Canada who join CRMOO before regulation will also be accepted into the new regulatory college when it’s formed.
-Recognition for schools:
Manual osteopathy schools that join CRMOO will have their graduates grandfathered into the new regulatory college.
-Recognition for associations:
Any osteopathy association in Canada that joins CRMOO will have its members grandfathered and accepted into the new regulatory college.
-Representation on the board:
Every participating school and association will have one paid seat on the executive board of the new regulatory college.
In addition, First Nations, Métis Nations, and Inuit Nations that join CRMOO will each have one paid position on the board of the regulatory college as well.
Regulating a new health profession takes time and resources — it involves lawyers, lobbyists, and other professionals. As a member of the Southern Cherokee Nation and the Red Fire People, and a former Minister of Education for the Nation, I see it as my responsibility to help and support this effort.
The following organizations have already joined CRMOO and pledged to contribute funds toward the regulation project:
-National Academy of Osteopathy (Canada, USA)
-National University of Medical Sciences (Spain, USA, Panama)
-Osteopathy Chronic Pain Clinics of Canada
-College of Registered Manual Osteopaths
-American Association of Osteopathic Manual Practitioners
-OSTEO-MASSAGE Health Centers of America
-Canadian Naprapathic Association
-International Osteopathic Association
-Osteopathy Association of Panama
-Iranian Osteopathic Association
-U.S. Council on Osteopathic Manual Practice Education
-American Osteopathic Manual Practice Examining Board
-Indigenous Peoples Association of Osteopathy
-Canadian Manual Osteopathic Association
-Canadian Union of Osteopathic Manual
In the coming weeks, CRMOO will contact all osteopathy schools and associations across Canada to invite them to join.
Manual osteopaths and students are also welcome to join the movement by visiting our official CRMOO Facebook group (link below): https://www.facebook.com/groups/1084799586800929
Let’s work together to make manual osteopathy a regulated profession in Ontario — to protect the public, strengthen our profession, and honor the heritage of the Indigenous Peoples who gave osteopathy to the world.
Dr. Shawn Pourgol, MBA, DC, DO, DN, PhD
Osteopath, Naprapath, Chiropractor & Founder of:
National Academy of Osteopathy (Canada, USA)
National University of Medical Sciences (USA, Spain, Panama)
Osteopathy Chronic Pain Clinics of Canada (380 clinics in 34 countries)
World Osteopathy Day