Dr. Rikke Mark Schultz

DVM, IVAS EVSO, IAVH

Rikke Schultz graduated in veterinary medicine from the University of Copenhagen in 1992. Along with the study she started to be interested in holistic medicine.

This made it possible to integrate holistic approaches to regular practice right from the beginning. For 5 years she had a mixed practice in Iceland followed by work in an equine clinic in Denmark for 8 years. She holds
international exams in veterinary acupuncture, osteopathy and homeopathy. Since 2005 she has her own mainly equine holistic practice and since 2011 she has attended anatomical research, teaching and censorship at the University of Copenhagen. She lectures and teaches internationally.

Janek Vluggen

DO, MRO-D, EDO®

Born and raised in the Netherlands and since more than thirty years reciding and practicing in Germany, Janek Vluggen D.O. MRO-D, EDO®, started his Equine Osteopathy journey together with friend and fellow osteopathy student the late Pascal Evrard D.O.

The two innovators made a pact, and where Pascal Evrard developed the structural techniques applied to the horse as documented in his book “osteopathy structurel appliqué au chéval”, Janek Vluggen developed the visceral techniques in relation to the autonomic nervous system of the horse as a methodological protocol for visceral osteopathic assessment according the latest insights of the modern osteopathy.

As Pascal Evrard tragically died in a car accident in 2004, Janek Vluggen continued his work and teaching and founded “The Vluggen Institute for Equine Osteopathy and Education” and started teaching canine and equine courses simultaneous in Europe and the United States.

As today the Vluggen Institute has educated and trained according to the standards of the Can-Med model for medical educational institutions, more than 600 veterinarians, equine and human chiropractors, human osteopaths, physical therapists and bodyworkers in the applied principles of equine osteopathy in all continents of the world as registered within the International Register for Equine Osteopaths (the IREO) as Equine Diplomat Osteopath EDO® a title registered and copyrighted worldwide as a quality wordmark standardized and controlled by the IREO, for the horse community
and the veterinarians to recognize the truly educated and registered equine osteopath.

The Vluggen Institute is very proud to be one of the leading forces onto global recognition for animal and in particular equine osteopathy, where the interest and recognition by the veterinary community worldwide is obviously increasing as shown by the latest scientific researches and studies started at various universities around the world.

Paolo Tozzi

MSc Ost, DO, PT

Doctorat en Osteopathie and Posturologie at the International Association Jean Monnet, amongst the European University Foundation of Bruxelles (Belgium); Master Science in Osteopathy at the Dresda University (Germany); Bachelor Science Honours Degree in Osteopathy, D.O. at the European School of Osteopathy, Maidstone (UK); Degree in Physiotherapy at the Catholic University of Sacred Heart, Rome (Italy); I, II, Master Level Reiki Diplome at the Sri Papaji Centre, Rome (Italy); Participation to various post-graduate courses on osteopathic care of small animals and horses (UK).

Head of Academics of the ASOMI College of Sciences in Malta; Honorary Tutor in College of Human and Health Sciences for the Swansea University (UK); Former Viceprincipal of the Italian Association of Posturologists (A.I.R.O.P.); Former Treasurer of the Osteopathic European Academic Network (Os.E.A.N.); Former Viceprincipal of the School of Osteopathy CROMON of Rome; Founder of the First Italian School of Veterinary Osteopathy, Rome; Executive director of the first Italian congress of osteopathy in animal practice, www.congressodiosteopatia.it

Since 2008, working experience as osteopath at different veterinary rehabilitation centres in Rome, including the veterinary clinic of the Zoological Park of Rome, for the preventive care and treatment of domesticated and wild animals; In 2009, participation to the¬¬¬ 1st Osteopathic wildlife workshop, held at the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust, Tsavo Park, Kenya, organized by Zoo Ost Ltd; In 2008, organizer and lecturer of the First Italian course in osteopathy applied to animals, accredited by the Italian Ministry of Education (ECM 8015305).

Member of the S.O.A.P. - Society for Osteopaths in Animal Practice; Member of the Fascia Science and Clinical Applications Advisory Board of the Journal of Bodywork and Movement Therapies; Reviewer for Handspring Publishing (UK); Former reviewer for the International Journal of Osteopathic Medicine.

Lecturer of biomechanics and manual therapy in different universities in Rome; Lecturer of various post-graduate courses on osteopathic subjects in Italy, Europe and overseas; Speaker in various national and international congresses of osteopathic medicine and manual therapy (included the International Fascia Research Congress); Author of various articles on fascia and fascia research; co-editor and co-author of the book Animal Osteopathy: a comprehensive guide to the osteopathic treatment of animals and birds, published by Handspring Publishing, UK; Animal Osteopathy | Singing Dragon - UK

John Lewis

D.O

The author of the most comprehensible biography of Andrew Taylor Still “From the dry bone to the living man”. In John’s own words: I was born in Carmarthen, Wales. Our family owned a woollen business, Derw Mills, Pentrecwrt, manufacturing woven cloth, blankets and Welsh tapestry bedspreads. I was the eldest son, the fourth generation in the family business and, although I would really have preferred to study medicine, studied Textile Process Engineering at Leeds University and received a postgraduate diploma in Textile Design from the Scottish College of Textiles, Galashiels. When the business went into liquidation in the mid-1980s I was forced to change tack. I had been competing in track and field athletics for Carmarthen Harriers and then Edinburgh Southern Harriers, and represented Wales in both long and triple jumps. In Edinburgh, when I suffered injuries, I received massage and other treatments from John Gladwin in Morningside. He sensed my interest in his work and encouraged me to take a course in massage from the Northern Institute of Massage, Blackpool.

 Once qualified I worked as a masseur at Enton Hall, an old-fashioned ‘health farm’ in Surrey. There I met osteopath David Cook, who practised in nearby Godalming and came to treat the guests one day a week. I took a few treatments, experienced my first session of cranial osteopathy, and decided I wanted to become an osteopath myself. I entered the British School of Osteopathy in 1991. During my first year I read Dr Still’s Autobiography and was struck both by the wisdom contained in his words and by the fact that what we were being taught differed so much from what he intended. In 1997, two years after graduating, I traveled to the United States to begin the research that eventually culminated, fifteen years later, in my book.

When I arrived in Kirksville I was extremely fortunate to meet Dr James J. McGovern, who had just been appointed president of Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine. Dr. McGovern took an interest in my project and, through his patronage, KCOM funded and supported my research from 1999 to 2002. Once employed by the college I was placed under the charge of the Still National Osteopathic Museum (now the Museum of Osteopathic Medicine) and given unlimited access to the archive collections.
My research into Still’s writings led to one insight after another, the most profound of which was that osteopathy is primarily – even before a system of manual medicine – a philosophy. This further led me to realize that osteopathy as currently taught is not only guided by a different philosophy but is also a pale shadow of what Still intended.
In writing my book I strove to bring out Still’s pure teachings, without compromise, and to show that when you understand those teachings you learn why they do not date, for osteopathy is another word for nature, and nature’s laws are unchanging. Why this is important for finding health is a long argument, one I have interwoven into Still’s story. A. T. Still: From the Dry Bone to the Living Man is a biography of osteopathy’s founder. It explains how his science grew from a biological explanation for the origin of disease, based on the cutting edge medical science of the day, and how from it grew a system of treatment. The book is perfused by Still’s philosophy and written is a style that aims to inspire a revival of his teachings. Those teachings are timeless and they should form the basis of every osteopathic curriculum.