NIMM – The Nordic Institute for Manual Medicine will be the world's first educational institution to establish naprapathy, chiropractic, and osteopathy within a unified education and research environment. Starting in the autumn semester of 2026, a new four-year osteopathy program will be introduced alongside the existing programs in naprapathy and chiropractic. The program is designed to meet national quality requirements and European standards in osteopathy, building on NIMM's extensive experience in evidence-based manual medicine education.
NIMM trains the healthcare providers of the future in manual medicine. Today, the institution is the oldest and largest educational environment in the field in the Nordic region, through the School of Naprapathy (established 1970) and the School of Chiropractic (established 2025). Through education, research, and clinical practice, the institution aims to promote better public health and position Sweden as a leading knowledge nation in evidence-based manual medicine.
The investment in a four-year osteopathy program addresses a clear need for university-educated practitioners and aligns with the development currently taking place in the Nordic region and Europe, where an increasing number of countries have clarified educational pathways and introduced professional licensure for more musculoskeletal health professions.
– Our ambition is that the joint development of naprapathy, chiropractic, and osteopathy at NIMM will raise the quality level across the entire field, from education to clinical application, and thereby drive the development of manual medicine in Sweden forward.
Osteopaths currently lack professional licensure in Sweden. The Swedish Government Official Reports “Strengthened patient safety through the right competence” (SOU 2025:63), however, states that licensure for osteopaths should be introduced once a university-level and scientifically grounded education is available, which NIMM is now establishing. NIMM therefore supports the introduction of licensure for osteopaths and shares the report's focus on patient safety. The proposal also aligns with international conditions, where the osteopathic profession is already regulated in several EEA countries, including all Nordic countries except Sweden.
The societal benefit of having more qualified healthcare providers who can contribute to the diagnosis and treatment of one of our time's most common public health issues, back and neck pain, is indisputable. In this context, regulation of the professions and professional licensure serve as a crucial quality guarantee. Unregulated professions in healthcare risk attracting both unscrupulous practitioners and education providers, which can jeopardize patient safety. Professional licensure for manual medicine professions strengthens trust among patients, employers, and clients, and provides a more cohesive image of the professions. NIMM’s position is that equivalent regulation of the three largest professions in the field – naprapathy, chiropractic, and osteopathy – raises the quality and credibility of the entire manual medicine field, something NIMM as an educational institution aims to contribute to.
The osteopathy program will be conducted in a cohesive educational environment where naprapathy, chiropractic, and osteopathy collaborate in shared basic science subjects, clinical learning environments, and peer learning, while maintaining their respective professional identities. This interprofessional foundation strengthens collaboration in a healthcare landscape where interprofessional cooperation is essential for evidence-based care.
In doing so, NIMM positions itself as the world's first educational institution to establish naprapathy, chiropractic, and osteopathy within a cohesive educational and research environment. With integration, collaboration, and renewal as guiding principles, this initiative strengthens NIMM’s quality development and our academic foundation. This development represents another important step for the institution toward obtaining degree-awarding powers.
– Our vision is for NIMM to be a unique hub for evidence-based manual medicine. By uniting naprapathy, chiropractic, and osteopathy in a cohesive environment, we allow knowledge, research, and clinical expertise to grow together – for the benefit of patients and to strengthen Sweden's role as a knowledge nation in manual medicine.
NIMM is very much looking forward to welcoming the first class of osteopathy students in August 2026!
Join us for a digital information meeting and Q&A session on Wednesday, November 5th at 12:00 PM, via Google Meet→
