In the United States, osteopathic medicine is a system of medical care with a philosophy that combines the needs of the patient with the current practice of medicine and surgery. There is an emphasis on internal relationships of structure and function, and an appreciation of the body's ability to heal itself contained within the osteopathic philosophy.
Osteopathic physicians (D.O.s) attend unique medical schools. The training includes a four year comprehensive medical education. This education is complimented by an additional emphasis on disease prevention and treatment of the total person. going beyond the disease alone. Driven by a total-person philosophy, most osteopathic physicians specialize in Family Practice.
Osteopathic physicians are also specially trained in manual medicine for treatment of musculoskeletal disorders. From this training many osteopathic physicians specialize in rehabilitation and sports-medicine.
Why Choose a Doctor of Osteopathy?
Millions of patients today are turning to Osteopaths as their physicians of choice. They recognize that, in addition to drugs and surgery, doctors of osteopathy offer a variety of non-invasive healing treatments usually not available from allopathic (conventional) doctors.
D.O.s have long advised their patients that the body’s immune system produces the "best drugs." Osteopaths believe in the body's innate healing ability to the extent that many have devoted years of additional training, after medical school, to specialize in Osteopathic Manual Medicine (OMM).
By its very design Osteopathic Manual Medicine "sets" the body up to heal itself. In this way restoring normal function of the bodily fluids, eliminating dysfunction in the motion of the tissues, and releasing compressed bones and joints.
Osteopathic treatment is aimed at the structural problems present, not just the disease entity. Integral to the philosophy of osteopathic medicine is the notion that the body is a system of wholly related parts. Consequently, a dysfunction in one area will necessarily cause problems in another. By removing the obstructions to health, Osteopathic Physicians are able to treat virtually any illness or trauma.
What Type of Doctor is a D.O.?
Physicians licensed as Doctors of Osteopathic Medicine (D.O.s), like their medical counterparts (M.D.s), must pass a national or state medical board examination in order to obtain a license to practice medicine. D.O.s provide comprehensive medical care to patients in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.
There are more than 42,000 D.O.s currently practicing in the United States. A majority of these serve in the primary care areas of family medicine, general internal medicine, and general pediatrics. Many often establish their practices in medically underserved areas. Some 40 percent are found in a wide range of medical specialties including surgery, anesthesiology, obstetrics, gynecology, ENT, opthamology, internal medicine, sports medicine, geriatrics, and emergency medicine. The balance serve as health care policy leaders at the local, state, and national levels. In addition, increasing emphasis on biomedical research at several of the osteopathic colleges has expanded opportunities for D.O.s interested in pursuing careers in medical research.
