A
doctor of osteopathic medicine (D.O.) is a physician
licensed to perform surgery and prescribe medication. Like
an M.D., an osteopathic physician completes 4 years of
medical school and can choose to practice in any specialty
of medicine. However, osteopathic physicians receive an
additional 300 to 500 hours in the study of hands-on manual
medicine and the body's musculoskeletal system.
Osteopathic medicine is dedicated to treating and healing
the entire patient as a whole, rather than focusing on one
system or body part. An osteopathic physician will often
use a treatment method called manipulation -- a hands-on
approach to assure that the body is moving freely. This
free motion ensures that all of your body's natural healing
systems are free to work unhindered.
Osteopathic physicians hold to the principle that a
patient's history of illness and physical trauma are
written into the body's structure. The osteopathic
physician's highly developed sense of touch allows the
physician to palpate (feel) the patient's "living anatomy"
(the flow of fluids, motion and texture of tissues, and
structural make-up).
The osteopathic physician's job is to "set" the body to
heal itself. To do so, the osteopathic physician gently
applies a precise amount of force to promote healthy
movement of tissues, eliminate abnormal movements, and
release compressed bones and joints. In addition, the areas
being treated require proper positioning to assist the
body's ability to regain normal tissue function. This
process is called osteopathic manual medicine (OMM) or
osteopathic manipulative treatment (OMT).
Osteopathic Manual Medicine includes a variety of
manipulative techniques, including the chiropractic-like
high velocity low amplitude, soft tissue techniques,
positional release techniques, organ manipulation,
lymphatic techniques, and the more subtle cranial
osteopathy and biodynamic osteopathy. While I practice all
forms of osteopathic manipulation, I am particularly
interested in cranial and biodynamic osteopathy, as I feel
these approaches provide the most profound healing effects.
Over the years, the gap between "conventional" allopathic
medicine and osteopathic medicine has narrowed, as M.D.s
have embraced many of the premises of osteopathic medicine
(such as recognizing the impact of stress on the immune
system or posture on various body systems). In addition,
D.O.s have incorporated the diagnostic and treatment
techniques common to conventional medicine. Unfortunately,
many D.O.s have turned their backs on their heritage, never
performing or even referring patients for OMM, and practice
as allopaths without the benefit of osteopathic holistic
philosophy.
I love osteopathy. In its pure form, it is the highest and
most grounded inquiry into healing and the union of body,
mind, and spirit. In its practice, it embodies
primum non
nocere (first, do
no harm). It explores the interrelationship of structure
and function, which has fascinated me since general
chemistry’s steric interactions, enzyme activity, and more
recently, anatomy and physiology. Osteopathic manipulation
is an application of this understanding, and a healing
modality that I enthusiastically learn and practice.
As the founder of osteopathy, A.T. Still once said,
“Osteopathy is to me a very sacred science. It is sacred
because it is a healing power through all nature.” I feel
honored and excited to be a part of the growing osteopathic
profession. I firmly believe in osteopathy’s potential to
bring healing to the planet.
To find other osteopathic physicians that practice OMT,
also known as neuromusculoskeletal medicine, click
here.
To learn about Biodynamic Osteopathy, click
here.
To learn about Andrew Taylor Still, M.D., the founder of
osteopathy, click
here.
