The Association Franco-Britannique d'Ostéopathie (AFBO) was created in 1998 with the aim of bringing together former students of the the Franco-British Institute of Osteopathy (IFBO) in Béziers, holders of diplomas from both IFBO and the Southern Classical Society of Osteopaths (UK).
In its early days, AFBO aimed to maintain contact among former IFBO students after their studies and to establish a partnership with the British Osteopathic Association (BOA).
The British Osteopathic Association (BOA), the largest British and European osteopathy association, evolved in 2014 to become The Institute of Osteopathy (iO), an organization representing the majority of osteopaths in the United Kingdom.
The Franco-British Osteopathy Association (AFBO), over time, integrated the American dimension of osteopathy. Thanks to the active involvement of its leadership members, the association has forged strong links with the osteopathic community in the United States. In 2023, AFBO officially adopted a new name: the Franco-American and British Osteopathy Association (AFABO).
AFABO now welcomes osteopaths from all backgrounds who share its values of excellence and conviviality. This membership process is carried out through cooptation after reviewing their application, thus allowing professionals from various horizons to join the association. This open policy of AFABO extends both nationally and internationally, demonstrating our commitment to a global community of osteopaths.
The Franco-British Osteopathy Association, which became the Franco-American and British Osteopathy Association in 2023, was founded by Jean-Pierre Hortoland, an osteopath and director of osteopathy training institutes in France (IFBO, ISOGM). He was a member of the GOsC (The General Osteopathic Council), the official regulatory body for osteopaths in the United Kingdom.
He understood the importance of collaboration with British osteopaths very early on, long before osteopathy was officially recognized in France. Jean-Pierre Hortoland served as the president of AFBO from its establishment in 1998 until 2022. After stopping his professional activity, he decided to retire from the osteopathic scene.
“At AFABO we have nothing to sell, but everything to share!
Since its inception in 1998, our mission has been to build bridges rather than walls. Today, as in the past, we aim to bring together osteopaths who share the Anglo-Saxon philosophy, concepts and standards of professional ethics, while promoting the exchange of knowledge on a national and international scales.
The development of osteopathy and its official recognition in the United States, the United Kingdom and France have strengthened the links between these three crucial nations in the field of osteopathy. Our aim at AFABO is to preserve these original links within a common house that is open to the world, and that does not forget its past.”
– Bernard Jurth, President of AFABO
“A folk that forgets its past has no future” – Winston Churchill. The future of osteopathy can neither break free from its past or sever its roots. However, it must also adapt to current scientific knowledge.
“Keep osteopathy pure, my children, keep it as it is” – Dr. Andrew Taylor Still, the “founder” of osteopathy. t’s about remaining loyal to the foundational principles of osteopathy while remaining open to questioning.
“Knowledge is the only thing that increases when shared” – Socrates. We encourage the sharing of knowledge, especially the technical expertise we have honed over the years within AFABO.
“You have to travel to learn” – Marc Twain, a fervent supporter of osteopathy. AFABO was born in France, so it naturally opened up in Europe and everywhere in the world where people heal others using their hands.
According to the Larousse definition, “conviviality is the ability of a society to promote tolerance and mutual exchanges among its members.” Conviviality is an essential value for our association.
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