Osteopathic medicine is a branch of medicine in the United States that takes a “whole person” approach to treatment. In osteopathic medicine, practitioners are taught to consider a patient’s body, environment, and emotions during treatment. This differs somewhat from conventional allopathic medicine which focuses primarily on the treatment of symptoms and disease.
Physicians with a Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (DO) degree have much the same education and expertise as those with a Doctor of Medicine (MD) degree. However, DOs are taught additional treatments such as physical manipulations that are used to diagnose and treat patients.
This article explains what osteopathic medicine is, the specialized treatments it involves, and the conditions it may uniquely treat. It also describes the career path to becoming a licensed osteopathic physician in the United States.
What Is Osteopathic Medicine?
Osteopathic medicine is one of the fastest-growing healthcare professions in the United States. It is a distinct medical practice that incorporates all of the facets of allopathic medicine (such as prescription drugs, surgery, and radiation) but takes a philosophical approach to wellness and healing.
Osteopathic medicine is based on the principle that the mind, body, and environment influence every aspect of one's health, and that the body can heal itself when those systems are brought into balance.
Osteopathic medicine is said to treat the whole patient and uses hands-on therapies—called osteopathic manipulative treatment (OMT)—that are thought to promote health and healing.
Osteopathic medicine is based on tenets issued by the American Osteopathic Association:
- The body is a unit; the person is a unit of body, mind, and spirit.
- The body is capable of self-regulation, self-healing, and health maintenance.
- Structure and function are reciprocally interrelated.
- Rational treatment is based upon an understanding of the basic principles of body unity, self-regulation, and the interrelationship of structure and function.
Osteopathic medicine may not be as familiar as allopathic medicine, but it is considered a type of conventional Western medicine.
What Is Osteopathic Manipulative Treatment (OMT)?
A philosophy that makes osteopathic medicine unique is its focus on the connection between health and the musculoskeletal system (the system of muscles, bones, ligaments, tendons, and cartilage).
Key to this philosophy is a hands-on practice known as osteopathic manipulative treatment (OMT). Also referred to as osteopathic manipulative medicine (OMM), OMT involves gentle manipulations of the bones, joints, tissues, and muscles to correct "structural and functional imbalances."
OMT can be used for diagnostic, therapeutic, and preventive purposes.
OMT is not the same thing as a chiropractic adjustment used to address structural problems of the spine. Instead, it involves gentle pressure, stretching, and resistance to align bones and muscles to achieve balance and encourage self-healing.
Among the OMT techniques used is craniosacral manipulation (CSM). The physician uses gentle, rhythmic touch to manipulate non-movable bones in the skull.
While not all osteopathic physicians use OMT regularly, it is a core facet of osteopathic medicine.
What Conditions Does Osteopathic Medicine Treat?
Osteopathic physicians can treat the full spectrum of medical conditions. However, the practice of OMT is thought to be especially useful in treating problems involving the musculoskeletal system, such as:
- Arthritis
- Muscle strains
- Whiplash
- Sciatica
- Tension headaches
- Migraines
- Menstrual pain
- Lower back pain
- Carpal tunnel syndrome
- Sports injuries
- Plantar fasciitis
Training and Certification
Doctors of Osteopathic Medicine (DOs) make up roughly 11% of all physicians in the United States. DOs are licensed to practice in all 50 states and can be found in every field of medicine. With that said, more than half serve in primary care specialties, such as internal medicine, family medicine, and pediatrics.
To become a DO, you must graduate from an osteopathic medical school, complete residency training in a specialty field, and pass the same medical licensing exam required of MDs.
There are currently 37 accredited colleges of osteopathic medicine across the country.
While osteopathic medical school covers the same curriculum as an allopathic medical school, students are required to undergo an additional 300 to 500 hours of specialized training in the musculoskeletal system and OMT.
History
Osteopathic medicine was developed by a physician named Andrew Taylor Still in 1874. Still’s observations as a medical doctor led him to shift focus to the musculoskeletal system, wellness, and treating the "whole patient" as key parts of overall health and well-being.
The term “osteopathy” was coined shortly after, and the first osteopathic medical school was opened in 1892.
In modern times, osteopathic medicine plays a broader role in healthcare. Until recently, osteopathic physicians were limited in their residency options, which led many to pursue specialties in family medicine or internal medicine.
This changed in 2014 when the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME), the American Osteopathic Association (AOA), and the American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine (AACOM) agreed to a single accreditation system for graduate medical education programs in the United States for both DOs and MDs.
Despite its acceptance in the larger medical profession, some critics question the validity of OMT, especially the practice of craniosacral manipulations which many regard as "pseudoscience" with no proven benefits or effects.
Osteopaths vs. DOs
The DO degree is specific to the United States. Osteopathic physicians are unlike practitioners in Europe called "osteopaths" who use osteopathic manipulations but do not practice allopathic medicine. As such, a DO is not referred to as an osteopath, a term more associated with alternative medicine.
Summary
Osteopathic medicineis a recognized branch of themedicalprofession in theUnited Statesthat combines science-based medicine with philosophies and practices of osteopathy (including osteopathic manipulative treatment).
Doctors of Osteopathic Medicine (DOs) are graduates of osteopathic medical colleges and are licensed to practice the full scope ofmedicineandsurgeryin all 50 U.S. states.
