Restorative
Health Center, llcWhat is an Osteopathic Physician?
In the US there are two types of physicians who are licensed to provide full medical and surgical care, DO and MD. Both are required to complete rigorous undergraduate, medical school and post-graduate (internship and residency) training. Both are required to pass testing to be licensed to practice medicine and Board Certification. Both can either practice as primary care physicians or focus on a specialty such as Cardiology or Neurosurgery.
With all these similarities there are differences. DOs are required to take hundreds of hours of training in Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine in addition to the standard training obtained by MDs. This training prepares them to approach people in a more holistic manner as well as teaches specific manual skills, Osteopathic Manipulative Treatment (OMT).
The basic principles DOs learn are:
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Structure and function are interrelated
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The body is a single dynamic unit
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The body is self-regulatory and self-healing
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Rational treatment is based on applying these principles
Therefore DOs utilize all that modern medicine has to offer, but focuses on the whole person. By using their hands they can better understand underlying effects of trauma and disease. After evaluation using OMT they can remove restriction and encourage the natural tendency of the body toward good health.Some DOs, such as those at Restorative Health Center, have chosen to specialize in working with patients to utilize OMT and related approaches as their primary tools. They do this in collaboration with a patient, integrating this approach with the care they receive from other health care providers.