FAQ

What is Osteopathic Medicine?

Pioneered in the late 1800s by a frontier surgeon named Andrew Taylor Still, osteopathic medicine is dedicated to the treatment of the entire person. Dr. Still philosophized, "There is a unity of the bodys' systems with the mind and spirit, so that a disease in one area can affect all areas. Also, the body has an inherent ability to heal itself, and it has all it needs contained within it." Perhaps the most recognizable osteopathic treatment is manipulation, where the physician uses a hands-on approach to assure the body is moving freely. Osteopathic Manipulative Treatment (OMT) is an excellent solution for pain. It is an art-form, rooted in science, where D.O.s use their hands to examine your body for pain and restricted motion -- signs that could reveal injury or poor function. The treatment (manipulation) uses gentle force to improve the motion of dysfunctional or injured areas. Free body motion aids circulation, which improves tissue nourishment, and enables repair. This translates into getting back your active lifestyle as soon as possible.

What is a Doctor of Osteopathy?

A physician who has the knowledge, training, experience, and compassion to deliver lasting solutions to pain and injury. To become an osteopathic physician is a long and rewarding endeavor. A person completes college, and then attends an American osteopathic medical school, where they study the vast field of medicine and the scientific art of osteopathy. Osteopathic medical students spend over 1000 hours more than their MD counterparts studying functional anatomy and biomechanics -- how the body is built and how it works. After four years of diligent study, they earn the degree, "Doctor of Osteopathy." After graduation and completing their licencing examinations, the doctor can specialize in any medical field by completing three or more years of residency training. So, a doctor of Osteopathy is a fully licenced physician who can prescribe medicine, work in a hospital, and perform osteopathic treatments. They are fully qualified to offer you complete care.

Who can benefit from OMT?

Through using OMT, people of all ages have found relief from injury and illness. Many D.O.s incorporate OMT into their treatment plans for top athletes, workers with on-the-job injuries, and people with illness (asthma, sinus, etc.).

What types of injuries or illnesses can OMT be used for?

A study in the New England Journal of Medicine (11/4/99) showed OMT to be an effective form of medical treatment for low back pain with lower costs & fewer side effects as compared to medication alone.

Not only can OMT can be helpful in treating low back pain, it can help to relieve the structural abnormalities & discomfort associated with a number of disorders. Here is a partial list: Asthma, Allergies, Sinusitis, Neck & Back pain, Shoulder & hand pain, Leg, Knee & foot pain, Tendon & Muscle injuries, Pinched nerves & tingling, Bursitis & Arthritis, Pregnancy pain, & Sports injuries.

How do Osteopathic and Chiropractic treatments differ?

Osteopaths are fully licensed physicians, and they can include prescription medicine in your treatment regimen when it is necessary. Also, Osteopathic treatments can be geared to treating disease if it is present. While both OMT and chiropractic use passive thrusting techniques, OMT includes a variety of non-thrusting techniques to effect the muscles and soft tissues of the body. One potent non-thrusting technique is Cranial Osteopathy, which is used to improve the flow of fluid and charge in the body (via the vessels & nerves respectively). Thus, OMT can be more gentle, and the effects more profound.

What is Cranial Osteopathy?

It's not just in the head, as the name, "Cranial Osteopathy" would lead you to believe. Osteopathic physicians do not separate the body into unrelated parts, but instead treat the body as a whole.

It is one of the most subtle and profound treatments available today for treating illness or injuries. It is a sub-specialty of Osteopathy that originally focused on the cranium (skull) and sacrum (tail-bone). It was developed by William Garner Sutherland, DO, in the early to mid-1900s. Dr. Sutherland observed a palpable movement within the body that occurs in conjunction with the motion of the skull bones (there are many bones). The movement is a rhythmic expansion and contraction that he termed the Primary Respiratory Mechanism. This motion effects the entire body, and so, it can be worked with from any part of the body. The goal of Cranial Manipulation is to diagnose and improve the subtle motions in the skull, and entire body. These treatments are used when there are deviations in bony motion or fluid flow, as a way to treat disease or enhance health.

What takes place during a treatment?

At the end of your office consultation, after your concerns have been answered and investigated, an osteopathic treatment may be prescribed. An Osteopathic treatment involves gentle manipulation (manual forces) to free restricted areas in your body. They are performed fully clothed, in a seated or lying position, and last and average of twenty minutes. A variety of techniques may be used during treatment, depending upon what you need. Some are overt -- thrusting or stretching, while others are subtle -- fascial release or cranial osteopathy. All of the modalities are very gentle; they are so gentle that people often fall asleep during treatment. After your treatment you must pamper yourself. It takes 3 days for the body to finish responding to a treatment. You must be gentle with yourself during this 3 day window and treat yourself as if you had a flu - it takes about as much energy repair from each circumstance. So, drink an increased amount of fluid, perform only light exercise, and have restful activities. It is true that not everyone will require this type of pampering after a treatment, but it is best to give yourself the opportunity until you're certain what your body needs.

Remember, no simple outline can fully address a complex subject. For further information regarding your concerns, or those of your child, please consult your licensed physician or our office.