Tradition, Clinical Methodology, Research and Know-How

Osteopathy is a natural medicine with a goal of restoring the functions of the organism by treating the causes of pain and functional issues. Dr. Andrew Taylor Still, doctor and surgeon, used the quality of his palpation to evaluate and treat patients. Osteopathy is a science based on the knowledge of the interaction between the systems and the mechanisms that stabilise, produce and guarantee the balance of physiology and health.

Osteopathy involves a philosophy of the Human Being. The concepts and principles stated by Andrew T. Still are still alive and applicable towards developing a clinical methodology. Since the practice’s beginnings in 1874, osteopaths consider the Human Being as a physical, mental, emotional, social and spiritual whole.

The College d’Études Ostéopathiques (CEO) was founded in Montreal on March 11th, 1981 by Philippe Druelle, D.O. This osteopathic educational institution was the first of its kind in Quebec and Canada.

Philippe Druelle, D.O. was helped in this endeavour by his friends Jean-Guy Sicotte, ing., M.D., D.O., Denise Laberge, D.O. and Philippe Thomas, CO, Pht. Throughout the years, osteopathy became more and more popular. These pioneers chose to create a school that brought together all fields of osteopathy to train osteopaths that are well-educated, effective and safe for the public.

The vocation of the Collège d’Études Ostéopathiques is to train high-quality healthcare professionals that respect the Human Being at the physical, mental, emotional and spiritual levels. We are constantly improving our programs and we cultivate an atmosphere of mutual assistance and transmission of know-how.

Since 1988, we have established a continuing education program. We have also held the International Symposium on Traditional Osteopathy every June since 1983. Since then, we have invited more than 250 osteopaths from around the world as guest speakers. We have welcomed Harold Magoun, D.O., Thomas Schooley, D.O., Ann Wales, D.O., Fred Mitchell, D.O., Laurence John, D.O., Alan Becker, D.O., Anthony Chila, D.O., Francis Peyralade, D.O., Viola Frymann, D.O., Irvin Korr, D.O., and many others who came to share their experiences and transmit their know-how.

Throughout the years, Philippe Druelle has developed a clinical methodology, which allows osteopaths to treat patients in their entirety by treating the causes of symptoms, establishing priorities and restoring the mechanisms that produce balance and health, all while specifically responding to the needs of each patient. We teach this method with great success around the world (Canada, Europe, Russia, Japan and the United States). It has also become an effective support for clinical and fundamental research. It allows, among other things, the justification of treatment plans. This pedagogical development allows students and osteopaths to better treat causes in a logical fashion and think like “engineers of the human body” according to the formula used by Dr. Andrew Taylor Still, founder of osteopathy.

The college has always been very implicated in the process for the recognition of the profession. In 1996, it was the first representative of the community to present before the Office des Professions du Québec (OPQ) and would participate in the first debate at the National Assembly. In 2013, representatives of the CEO appeared before the Office des Professions to answer questions so the Office could inform themselves for the purpose of regulating professional practice. Our full-time program in osteopathy effectively proved the seriousness of our training programs. Currently, our challenge is to preserve the entirety of our scope of practice that has developed over the years. Our goal is to work in complementarity and jointly with healthcare professionals for the greater benefit of patients. We work in harmony with the physicians who recommend patients to us and to whom we refer patients who need medical diagnoses and treatments.

In 2016, thanks to Nadia Todoroff, D.O. and Tatiana Vera-Lescano, D.O., the CEO created a five-year program with the Catholic University of Santa María in Arequipa, Peru.

Since 2004, the External Clinic offers more than 6000 osteopathic treatments per year and the population is very satisfied by the care it receives. The college’s external clinic also plays a social role by offering osteopathic treatments at low costs for those with low incomes.

In 1982, right from the start of our activities, we created the Fondation Canadienne pour l’Enseignement et la Recherche en Ostéopathie (FCERO) to promote osteopathy, research and the healing of children with handicaps. From 1992 to 1998, the college organised one of the largest dance performances in North America with the FCERO with the goal of raising funds to finance the treatments of young handicapped children at the foundation. The Don des Étoiles brought together twenty-seven dancing stars from all of the great ballet companies, like l’Opéra de Paris, the New York City Ballet, the American Ballet Theater, the Kirov, les Grands Ballets Canadiens, the Bolchoï, etc. Stars such as Patrick Dupont, Andreis Lïepa, Jean Marie Didière, Nina Anachvili, Farouk Rousimatov, Sylvie Guillem, Karen Kain, Cyril Atanasof, Monique Loudière, Frank Augustin, Evelyn Hart, Manuel Legris and many others succeeded one another to participate in these beautiful moments of classical and modern ballet. The majority of these artists had received osteopathic treatments during their careers and came to thank us by dancing on a voluntary basis for handicapped children. These exceptional evenings were also organised to promote osteopathy and its benefits. On this occasion, we were able to explain the value of osteopathy to the media and we were able to raise awareness among influential people in our society. We have had as patrons of honour Jeanne Sauvé, Governor General of Canada, and Claire Kirkland-Casgrain, Cabinet Minister; members of government such as Robert Bourassa, prime minister of Quebec and Pierre Elliott Trudeau, prime minister of Canada were also present and encouraged us in the creation of the show.

The Collège d’Études Ostéopathiques also developed humanitarian missions in Peru and Pakistan thanks to Nadia Todoroff, D.O., Tatiana Vera-Lescano, D.O., Sylvie Erb, D.O. and Faisal Naqvi, D.O. To this day, more than 25 000 treatments have been given on a volunteer basis over a period of twelve years. Currently, two universities in these countries are working with us to develop university programs in osteopathy.

The Collège d’Études Ostéopathiques benefits from an excellent reputation around the world, which allows exchanges between students and teachers. We are affiliated with ATMAN College in southern France and the Russian Academy of Osteopathic Medicine in Saint Petersburg, which we chose to develop and give a 250-hour training course to teachers who are osteopathic physicians. We have good academic relationships with the JOPA and The Fulcrum Osteopathy Study Group in Japan. We have also developed a 250-hour post-graduate program for European D.O.s in Bordeaux (FROP) in France, with the help of Bruno Ducoux, D.O., and Aude de Blois, D.O.

These courses are given by the expert teachers of our college with the Master Class teaching method. We have also been teaching for eighteen years at the Osteopathic Center for Children in San Diego. The CEO has also begun a collaboration with Italian D.O.s to give a 180-hour series of courses on cerebral neuroplasticity and osteopathy with Massimo Carracino, D.O.

Finally, we have contributed to the creation of an international association, “Osteopathy Without Borders” in New York. This association’s goals are to open schools of osteopathy in countries without the means to do so and to support humanitarian missions.

Our contribution has also extended to the translation and editing of important books such as Osteopathy in the Cranial Sphere by Harold I. Magoun, D.O., with permission from the Cranial Academy, as well as the work of Viola M. Frymann, D.O., FAAO: The Collected Papers of Viola M. Frymann, D.O.: Legacy of Osteopathy to Children. We also recently published Bernard Daraillan, D.O.’s book Ostéopathie et conscience.

Our college’s Documentation Center is an important reference. It possesses a collection spanning over 2000 documents on osteopathy and health. Our students’ theses and essays are often requested as reference material throughout the world.
The Companions of Osteopathy

The CEO created the Companions of Osteopathy association, which brings together the osteopaths and scientists most involved in the teaching and promotion of osteopathy. The Companions of Osteopathy’s mission is to preserve the heritage of traditional osteopathy.

The Companions’ mission is to protect tradition and work to advance osteopathy around the world.