Osteopathic Medicine Washington DC

1. Although osteopathic medicine started out as a drug-free approach to the practice of medicine, the vast majority of doctors of osteopathic medicine will prescribe medication as needed.

2. By combining all other medical and surgical therapies with osteopathic manipulative treatment (OMT), doctors of osteopathic medicine (DOs) offer their patients more—a comprehensive approach to health care—because they are taught to treat the whole person, rather than just a single condition.

3. Most DOs select careers in primary care—such as family practice, internal medicine, or pediatrics, while others practice specialties such as obstetrics and gynecology, surgery, and emergency medicine. Many practice in rural and low-income areas.

4. Andrew Taylor Still, DO, MD, the father of osteopathic medicine, developed the specialty in 1874 after becoming disillusioned with the practices of medicine. He wanted to reform the practice of medicine but ended up developing a new branch of it altogether.

5. Your DO will address various lifestyle factors during diagnosis and/or treatment, such as stress, diet, exercise and posture.

6. OMT is considered extremely safe but is unadvisable for certain conditions, including bone cancer, bone or joint infection, a protruding disk or osteoporosis. OMT is not advisable if you've had spinal-fusion surgery.

7. One form of OMT is cranial sacral osteopathic manipulation; this approach involves OMT applied to your head using gentle, rhythmic pressure. If this is something that interests you, ask for the specialist in this area.

For the rest of this article, questions to ask your health care professional, information on diagnosis, treatment, prevention and more, click here.

Author: Editorial Staff of the National Women's Health Resource Center