HEALTH & MEDICINE :: FEBRUARY/MARCH 2007
What Is Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine?
Osteopathic manipulative medicine is a form of hands-on, or manual, medicine practiced by doctors of osteopathy, or DO’s. In the United States, DO’s are fully trained and licensed physicians, and can prescribe drugs and perform surgery. Similar to medical doctors, DOs attend four years of medical school followed by internship and residency in a specialty of their choice. In practice, most DOs are indistinguishable from their MD counterparts. Many people who get admitted to the hospital or go to see their family physician don’t know whether their doctor is an MD or a DO.
The difference between the two lies in the philosophy of osteopathic medicine, and the training DOs receive in osteopathic manipulative medicine (OMM).
The osteopathic philosophy was developed towards the end of the 19th century by Andrew Taylor Still, MD, a Missouri frontier doctor who became disillusioned by the medicine of his day. At the heart of osteopathic medicine is the belief that the structure of the body profoundly affects its function, and that the body has an innate capacity for self-healing that is largely unappreciated by conventional medicine.
By utilizing hands-on OMM, osteopathic physicians can correct structural or anatomic imbalances in the body that can improve function and foster healing. Rather than just suppressing symptoms, OMM allows the osteopathic physician to correct many of the anatomical sources of illness, resulting in decreased pain, improved mobility and a feeling of wellbeing.
All DOs are trained in OMM, but most choose not practice it, concentrating instead on their specialty. A select few, however, concentrate their practice on OMM, and achieve excellent results for their patients.
OMM consists of several different types of techniques, such as muscle energy, myofascial release and craniosacral therapy. These are gentle techniques that work with the soft tissues, joints and bones of the body and do not involve the use of x-rays in the diagnosis of structural dysfunction.
An osteopathic approach to a sinus or upper respiratory infection, for example, might utilize a technique to promote lymphatic drainage from the head and neck, and then remove bony or muscular restrictions from the rib cage and diaphragm, to promote the body’s natural defenses and improve respiratory mechanics.
To correct pregnancy-associated low back pain, as another example, an osteopathic physician, utilizing OMM, may address imbalances in the ligaments of the pelvis and the sacroiliac joints that can become lax and cause pain as a pregnancy progresses.
OMM can benefit almost any condition to some extent, and is especially helpful for people with musculoskeletal complaints. Additionally, it can be beneficial in the treatment of chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, migraine and other types of headache, TMJ disorders, vertigo and injuries from sports or motor vehicle accidents.
It is also very effective in children, and has been used as adjunctive treatment for otitis media, birth trauma, colic, cerebral palsy, ADHD, Down syndrome, plagiocephaly, torticollis and other disorders.
For more information, you can visit www.dr-seth.com or the American Academy of Osteopathy website at www.academyofosteopathy.org.
Dr. Seth Torregiani completed his residency in Internal Medicine and Pediatrics at Christiana Care Health System in Newark, DE. He recently opened his integrative medicine practice, focusing on osteopathic manipulative medicine and acupuncture, treating both children and adults, at the Omega Professional Center in Newark, DE. He can be reached at 302-266-9010 or www.dr-seth.com.
