Bonesetting

Bonesetting literally means to “set” a bone in place. It is also known in Korean as jeopgol. It involved using the hands to return sprained or dislocated joints and small bones thought to be out of alignment to their original positions. Bonesetters also sometimes set broken bones.

The Integrated Manual Therapy (IMT) book includes bonesetting in its account of the history of manual therapy. It describes bonesetters who popularized the technique in Britain in the 1600s, most of whom were called quacks by physicians of the time because they had little formal education. Even so, their manual skills did not disappear. Bonesetting remained widespread into the mid-1800s, and some physicians who had observed its results over time began to study it seriously.

British bonesetters generally inherited their skills through their families. In the 19th century, physician Wharton Hood learned the techniques by observing bonesetter Richard Hutton caring for patients. In 1871, he introduced them to the medical community in his book *On Bone-Setting*. Some people crossed from this tradition into formal medicine, such as Hugh Owen Thomas, who came from a bonesetting family and became a surgeon. Bonesetting families were also active in the United States, particularly in New England.

Bonesetting rests on the idea that a joint that is out of alignment or stuck can itself cause pain and restricted movement. When bonesetters felt that a bone was out of place, they guided it with their hands and used a short, quick movement to return it to position. Explanations varied by era and practitioner, but they shared the view that correcting structure would restore the body's function.

This perspective later carried over into manual medicine. The Integrated Manual Therapy book commonly links present-day bonesetting with Osteopathy. This is because osteopathy, whose foundations were laid by Andrew Taylor Still in 1874, regarded structural balance as the foundation of health and placed particular importance on vertebral misalignment. Osteopathy, however, developed into a distinct system of medicine encompassing the whole body, grounded in anatomy and physiology.

Traditional bonesetters' methods varied by region and practitioner. A common approach was to feel the affected joint directly to assess its shape and movement, then use traction or rotation by hand to return it to position. The joint sometimes makes a “pop” during this process.

Today, these manual skills have been incorporated into several professional fields. Osteopathic manipulation, Chiropractic adjustments, and Joint mobilization and Spinal manipulation performed by physical therapists are representative forms that carry on this tradition. If you are looking for a practitioner who follows traditional bonesetting methods, it is a good idea to check their training and experience first.

• People whose joint still feels stuck after a sprain or strain
• People whose lower back or neck feels locked and will not move in a particular direction
• People who still feel that something is out of place after spraining an ankle or wrist

• If you have just sustained a serious injury, get checked at a hospital first. If a fracture or Joint dislocation is suspected, it is safer to have the condition assessed with imaging before considering hands-on treatment.
• More force is not necessarily better. Many approaches use a light touch to achieve the same aim, so ask about alternatives if the treatment feels too intense.
• Monitor how your body feels afterward. Tell the practitioner and medical staff if your pain worsens or you develop numbness, tingling, or altered sensation.
• Check the practitioner's training and experience. The main reason physicians historically viewed bonesetters with caution was that they practiced without systematic training.

Bonesetting centers on experience and manual skills passed down over a long period. Osteopathy and Chiropractic developed into independent disciplines with explanations based on anatomy and the nervous system, along with established training programs. Joint mobilization uses repeated small movements to increase range of motion, whereas bonesetting carries a stronger impression of putting something out of place back into position in a single maneuver.