Doctors of osteopathy view the body as a biomechanism, an organic machine, which, as long as the cells, tissues, organs, muscles, ligaments and bones are normal in themselves and in their reciprocal relationships, will function normally.  They maintain that structural integrity and physiological adjustment of the tissues and fluid-tensions of the organism form the most important factors in maintaining health.  Life essentials—food, air, water, light, heat, exercise, protection and rest—are necessary, also environmental and psychological harmony; and in an organism structurally perfect these constitute the requirements for maintaining health.

The principles of osteopathy follow the logic of an applied knowledge of anatomy—the science of structure, physiology—the science of function, and pathology—the science of disease.  Each articulation has a normal range of motion; each ligament has a tension limit; each muscle has a normal tone and capacity for contraction; each gland has capacity limits for its activity; each nerve has its course and normal responsiveness to stimuli; each blood vessel has a range of carrying ability; each lymph channel has physiological limits of function; each lymph space has normal capacity and limitations; each individual fluid and tissue cell has functional capacity limits.  When any of these natural limits are exceeded, restricted or altered by interference, disorder and disease result. 

The principle in diagnosis is to find the structural or other causative factor that is interfering with function.  The principle in treatment is to adjust and correct the same. 

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Reference:

Still, A. T., and George Van O'Linda Webster. Sage Sayings of Still, Selected from the Writings of A.T. Still. Los Angeles: Wetzel, 1935.

Here is a concise summary of some of the research that has been conducted on the efficacy of OMT.  The information below was taken from Wikipedia, please visit the webpage as indicated below for further information and supporting reference material.

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In 2014, a systematic review and meta-analysis of 15 randomized controlled trials found moderate-quality evidence that OMT reduces pain and improves functional status in acute and chronic nonspecific low back pain. The same analysis also found moderate-quality evidence for pain reduction for nonspecific low back pain in postpartum women and low-quality evidence for pain reduction in nonspecific low back pain in pregnant women. A 2013 systematic review found insufficient evidence to rate osteopathic manipulation for chronic nonspecific low back pain. In 2011, a systematic review found no compelling evidence that osteopathic manipulation was effective for the treatment of musculoskeletal pain.

In 2013, a Cochrane Review reviewed six randomized controlled trials which investigated the effect of four types of chest physiotherapy (including OMT) as adjunctive treatments for pneumonia in adults and concluded that "based on current limited evidence, chest physiotherapy might not be recommended as routine additional treatment for pneumonia in adults." Techniques investigated in the study included paraspinal inhibition, rib raising, and myofascial release. The review found that OMT did not reduce mortality and did not increase cure rate, but that OMT slightly reduced the duration of hospital stay and antibiotic use. A 2013 systematic review of the use of OMT for treating pediatric conditions concluded that its effectiveness was unproven.

With respect to irritable bowel syndrome, a 2014 review found that there had been a limited number of studies done and that all these studies had small sample sizes; with that caveat, it found preliminary evidence that osteopathic manipulation may be beneficial in this condition.

A 2005 Cochrane Review of OMT in asthma treatment concluded that there was insufficient evidence that OMT can be used to treat asthma.

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For Additional information regarding treatment and previous research in this field, please visit:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Osteopathic_manipulative_medicine