Geschichte und Entwicklung der ÖÄGMM in Österreich

In the 1960s, the scope of orthopedic treatment ("teaching to be straight") was still limited (physical therapy). The development of anesthesiology led to modernization of surgery but not of conservative orthopedics. For this reason, the so-called fringes of medicine were searched and "chirotherapy" and its training opportunities were found by H.-D. Wolff and K. Lewit in P & ouml;rtschach in 1967, which opened up the world of thinking in terms of function. The courses run by the FAC seemed to offer the opportunity to apply the acquired knowledge to work at the Orthopedic Hospital in Vienna (which was, however, immediately banned at the time). While prevention is an important medical task, it presupposes knowledge of what must be prevented. Similar situations continued to arise many times-also directed by scientific greats, which might imply that the reasons were not always scientific. Patients were treated at a "secret" outpatient pain clinic initiated by the author, and the presentation of prominent persons there helped to reduce the threat of sanctions somewhat. At the same time, a neuro-orthopedic outpatient clinic was founded together with F. Gerstenbrand, the later head of the Clinical Department of Neurology in Innsbruck, and was managed by the author for 12 years. The orthopedic hospital underwent a process of rethinking, and the Department of Conservative Orthopedics was opened, where over 29,500 patients were treated in 32 years. Manual medicine was continuously developed through an intensive course system, the organization of numerous events, and participation in conferences and congresses. Together with the Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for Conservative Orthopedics and Rehabilitation, intensive scientific research was carried out in the field of conservative orthopedics and manual medicine, resulting in numerous publications in specialist journals and many books. The knowledge of manual medicine, conservative orthopedics, and rehabilitative and preventive measures is an expansive and important area that deserves to be taught, learned, and practiced intensively for the treatment of relevant illnesses.