On June 22, 1874, Dr. Still announced to the world his new medical philosophy which he called "osteopathy"; Combination of the Greek word "osteo" or bone and the Greek word "pathy" which means to feel.

Dr. Still was one of the first physicians to spread "holistic medicine", theorizing that all parts of the body are in correlation and therefore man should be treated as a whole.

He assumed that the functioning of the nervous, circulatory and musculoskeletal systems are important factors in teaching and applying his new model of medicine.

Research and clinical observation led Still to believe that the musculoskeletal system played an essential role in health and disease, and that the body contained all the elements necessary to maintain health, if properly stimulated.

Still believed that in correcting the problems of body structure, by using the manual techniques now known as OMT (Osteopathic Manipulative Treatment), the body's ability to function and heal itself could be greatly improved.

He also promoted the idea of ​​preventive medicine and the philosophy that doctors should concentrate on the overall treatment of the patient.