Frequently Asked
Questions
What is a D.O.?
Are you like a Chiropractor?
How does osteopathy work?
What happens during a treatment?
How long before I'm better?
Are all the D.O.s the same?
"What is a D.O.?"
D.O.s or osteopaths are licensed physicians
with all of the education and privileges of allopathic physicians (M.D.),
authorized to perform surgery and prescribe medication. Both D.O.s and
M.D.s complete 4-years of medical school, and, both can choose to practice
in any specialty of medicine. Unlike M.D.s, osteopaths also receive extensive
training in body structure, function, and hands on manipulation. D.O.s
approach the body as a whole, looking for the cause of symptoms, not just
masking them with medications. Osteopaths treat these symptoms by isolating
the source of the problem, by tapping into the body’s own healing
power, and removing the source (a dysfunction) by hands on manipulation.
Are you like a Chiropractor?
Osteopaths are very different from chiropractors.
Chiropractors are not physicians, and thus cannot prescribed medications,
order labs, or properly order imaging studies and interpret them. They
do not receive the same amount of medical education as D.O.s. Their schooling
involves a 3-4 year chiropractic school, while that of an Osteopath is
4 year of medical school, and a required 1 year of internship at a AOA
(American Osteopathic Association) or AMA (American Medical Association)
approved residency program. Hence, chiropractors may not necessary have
the proper medical knowledge in dealing with certain medical illnesses.
Chiropractors believe that the center of the body
is the spine. This belief has led the chiropractors to mainly manipulate
the spine. An Osteopath believes that all parts of the body are interrelated.
It may be true that some problems arise from the spine, however, the majority
of the time it doesn’t. The spine usually compensates for the other
body part’s dysfunction.
How does osteopathy work?
Osteopaths hold to the principle that a patient's
history of illness and physical trauma are written into the body's structure.
It is the Osteopath's highly developed sense of touch that allows the
physician to palpate (feel) the patient's "living anatomy" (i.e.
flow of fluids, motion and texture of tissues, and structural make-up).
The osteopath's job is to "set" the
body to heal itself. To restore this normal function, the Osteopath gently
applies a precise amount of force to promote healthy movements of the
living anatomy, eliminate dysfunction in the motion of the tissues, 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 treatment modality is called Osteopathic Manual
Medicine (OMM) or Osteopathic Manipulative Treatment (OMT).
What happens during a treatment?
Most patients are treated lying down, however,
treatments can also be conducted in any position to accommodated for patient
comfort. There are many types of Osteopathic treatment technique and modalities.
While most manipulation techniques are very gentle and require very little
cooperation from patients, some techniques are more forceful. All techniques
used are specific to the patient’s diagnosis and condition. During
a treatment, patients will often experience a deep sense of relaxation,
warmth, or coldness. Sometimes they will feel nothing at all.
How long before I'm better?
Much is dependent on a patient's level of health
(i.e. immune system), and the duration of the illness. A patient who is
generally healthy will respond more quickly to treatment than a patient
who is in poorer health.
A chronic condition often takes years to develop.
With this in mind, it stands to reason that it will also require time
to resolve: the ratio is often one month of treatment for every year of
illness. (Although every body has its own time-table, this is the average
course of treatment).
For a patient with an acute problem (flu, muscle
strain, etc.), the course of treatment is shorter because the condition
is not as deep as a chronic illness.
Are all the
D.O.s the same?
Unfortunately not all D.O.'s are the same. Only
approximately 5% or less of Osteopaths will practice traditional osteopathy
(incorporation of Osteopathic manipulative medicine (OMM) in their practice).
Those who do practice traditional osteopathy will spend extra hours taking
courses, seminars, and working with other osteopaths to improve their
skills. The remaining Osteopaths usually practice like any other traditional
M.D.s.
|