Leon Chaitow
Osteopath, naturopath, author, educator in integrative health.
The Leon Chaitow Library
Leon Chaitow’s revised texts for hands-on, whole-person clinical practice.
E-book Downloads
Full e-books by Leon Chaitow available for purchase directly from this website.
Courses
The only existing online courses by Leon Chaitow, supported and updated by selected approved colleagues.
Journal editorials and story
Editorials by Leon Chaitow for the Journal of Bodywork & Movement Therapies.
News & updates
Leon Chaitow’s blog, now maintained and updated by Dr Sasha Chaitow.
Welcome & Intro
Leon Chaitow, ND, DO (1937-2018) was a pioneering osteopath, author, and educator whose work guided clinicians for decades.
Across more than seventy books, he bridged emerging evidence and hands-on clinical practice, translating complex material into clear clinical reasoning and usable techniques, with a consistent emphasis on whole-person healthcare.
Most of his books are still in print, and his textbooks with Elsevier are being integrated into the flagship Leon Chaitow Library of Bodywork and Movement Therapies Series, edited by Sasha Chaitow PhD. The Library brings together manual therapy, bodywork, movement, breathing, rehabilitation, and pain management in a clinically practical, evidence-informed series designed for whole-person healthcare in real-world practice.
Interview with Leon Chaitow and a roundup of his most important work in his own words.
E-Books & Videos
Some of Leon Chaitow’s bestselling textbooks are available for purchase directly from this website. Click here to view all titles.
Cranial Manipulation: Theory and Practice
Leon Chaitow
Full E-book & Demonstration Videos
£ 14.99
Clinical Application of Neuromuscular Techniques Vols 1 & 2
Leon Chaitow & Judith Delany
2 Full E-books
£ 50.00
A Massage Therapist's Guide to Understanding, Locating, and treating myofascial trigger points
Leon Chaitow & Sandy Fritz
Full E-book
£ 14.99
Fibromyalgia Syndrome: A Practitioner's Guide to Treatment
Leon Chaitow
Full E-book
£ 14.99
Naturopathic Physical Medicine
Leon Chaitow
Full E-book
£ 14.99
A Massage Therapist's Guide to treating Headache and Neck Pain
Leon Chaitow & Sandy Fritz
Full E-book
£ 14.99
Key themes
A pioneer in the integration of manual therapy approaches and whole-person health care, Leon Chaitow worked tirelessly for the development of scientific evidence to support the techniques and modalities he taught and incorporated into his writing and teaching. His key areas of focus are summarised below, with links to further resources.
Integrative medicine
Leon Chaitow was the first osteopath to be appointed to an NHS practice (British National Health Service) in the 1990s. Yet, as he once wrote, “I am old enough to remember when naturopathic and osteopathic medicine were dubbed quackery…” This article tells part of the story of the journey from “fringe” to “mainstream,” highlighting the challenges still faced by many integrative health professions.
Translational research
Leon Chaitow founded and edited three major journals to support the development of the evidence base for the related bodywork professions he served. He focused on the clinical relevance of that research, making it relevant and usable by busy clinicians across the bodywork professions. Dr Sasha Chaitow is continuing this aspect of his work by producing courses on research literacy for students and therapists, and ensuring the continuity of his major textbooks.
Self-care
A strong advocate of patient empowerment and the biopsychosocial model of healthcare, Leon Chaitow produced many books for the general public and self-care articles to assist the layperson in taking their health into their own hands. He was a firm believer in the empowerment of the individual, as reflected in his teaching and writing. Explore his books for the general reader here, and find rich resources and articles on this page.
Chaitow’s Chat
Discover over a decade of posts, some educational, some informative, most with a dose of Leon Chaitow’s unique humour, and follow for updates on Dr Sasha Chaitow’s continuation of her father’s work.
Fascial Dysfunction 2e: Excerpt and Feature
A full chapter excerpted from Leon Chaitow’s latest, and last book, Fascial Dysfunction 2e completed in his final weeks, accompanied by a commentary by Sasha Chaitow. Learn More
Video Interviews with Leon Chaitow
Interviews and lecture recordings with Leon Chaitow, from Candida to Pelvic Pain Learn More
An Osteopathic Family: From Stanley Lief to Leon Chaitow
Four generations of osteopaths took the profession forward. In Leon’s own words… Learn More
The Value of Breathing Retraining for Better Posture, Balance, & Less Pain and Dyskinesis
A concise look at the evidence Learn More
The Trigger Point Debate, continued
Discussion and links to the debate, viewpoints, & rebuttals hosted and moderated by Leon Chaitow in JBMT Learn More
Is Posture Relevant to Symptoms, or is that outdated?
An honest exploration of the question from a clinical perspective, using the evidence. Learn More
Stretching and Flexibility: What is really happening?
There are 4 ‘mechanical theories’ as to why tissues are easier to stretch after isometric contractions… Learn More
