Unlike other realms of medicine that were strictly male-dominated, early osteopathy promoted the success of women in the field.
The first class of 21 students to graduate from the American School of Osteopathy (ATS), the first osteopathic school, included five women. The School’s prospectus stated:
“Women are admitted on the same terms as men. It is the policy of the school that there shall be no distinction as to sex, and that all shall have the same opportunities, and be held to the same requirements. They pursue the same studies, attend the same lectures, are subject to the same rules, and pass the same examinations.”
Some notable women in osteopathy:
Nettie Bolle
The ASO’s first graduate, in 1894, was Jeanette “Nettie” Bolles. Her interest in osteopathy began when her father was treated for gunshot wounds by A.T. Still in the 1850s. She was so valued by Dr Still that he asked her to stay on at the ASO as a lecturer in anatomy. Nettie was the first woman to have a career in osteopathy. She founded the Colorado College of Osteopathy, and she was the first editor of the Journal of Osteopathy. During her career, she specialised in treating disorders of the kidneys, bladder and urinary tract.
Louisa Burns
Graduating from the ASO in 1901, Louisa Burns became a significant contributor to osteopathic research and practice. Her pioneering work on neurological reflexes demonstrated the complex interactions between the body’s musculoskeletal and visceral systems. This evidence that stimulation in one part of the body could affect other, distant parts supports the principles that underpin osteopathic practice. In 1948, she published the influential book Pathogenesis of Visceral Disease Following Vertebral Lesions.
Adah Strand Sutherland
Adah’s influence on osteopathy comes via her husband, William G. Sutherland. He founded the concept of cranial osteopathy, but it was Adah who brought his ideas to life through her editorial work on his texts, her publication of his biography, and her anatomical illustrations.
Anne Wales
Anne Wales graduated from the Kansas City College of Osteopathy and Surgery in 1926. She later studied with Dr William G. Sutherland, the father of cranial osteopathy, subsequently dedicating her career to the teaching, practice and promotion of that discipline; that the cranial bones have articulated joints which accommodate movement and influence the entire body. She continued to teach until her death in 2005 at the age of 101.
Viola Frymann
Born in Nottingham, England, in 1921, Viola Frymann was treated by osteopaths who helped her recover from a ruptured Achilles tendon during her youth. She completed medical training in London before emigrating to the U.S. to train as an osteopath. The loss of her first child as a newborn came shortly before she embarked on a study of cranial osteopathy, which she felt could have saved the child. She championed the concepts of cranial osteopathy and taught widely on the subject, founding the Osteopathic Centre for Children in 1982.
These visionary women influenced the growth and development of osteopathy as a profession and paved the way for future female osteopaths. The number of women in osteopathy continues to grow, with females now representing over 50% of the profession in the UK and USA.