Pre-Student Osteopathic Medical Association
at the University of Maryland
DOCTORS OF TOMORROW
WHAT IS A D.O.?
Doctors of Osteopathic Medicine (D.O.s) are fully licensed physicians. They provide a full range of services, from prescribing drugs to performing surgery, and they use the latest medical tools. Like allopathic physicians (or M.D.s), osteopathic physicians complete 4 years of medical school and can choose to practice in any specialty of medicine. Osteopathic physicians receive an additional 300 – 500 hours in the study of hands-on manual medicine (OMM) and the body’s musculoskeletal system.
Osteopathic medicine is dedicated to treating and healing the patient as a whole, rather than focusing on one system or body part. An osteopathic physician will often use a treatment method called osteopathic manipulative treatment (also called OMT or manipulation) — a hands-on approach to making sure that the body is moving freely. This free motion ensures that all of your body’s natural healing systems are able to work unhindered. D.O.s help patients develop attitudes and lifestyles that don’t just fight illness but also help prevent disease. D.O.s know that the body’s structure plays a critical role in its ability to function. They use their eyes and hands to identify structural problems and support the body’s natural tendency toward health and self-healing. D.O.s offer something special—their unique approach to patient care.
OSTEOPATHIC PHYSICIANS ARE TRAINED TO:
TEACH patients how to prevent illness and injury by maintaining a healthy lifestyle.
LOOK at the whole person to reach a diagnosis without focusing just on symptoms.
HELP the body to heal itself.
BELIEVE that all parts of the body work together and influence one another. D.O.s are specially trained in the nervous system and the musculoskeletal system (muscles and bones).
PERFORM osteopathic manipulative treatment (OMT), a hands-on approach to diagnosing, treating, and preventing illness or injury.
OSTEOPATHIC MANIPULATIVE TREATMENT (OMT)
Osteopathic manipulative treatment, or OMT, is a type of “hands-on” treatment. It involves using the hands to diagnose, treat, and prevent illness or injury. Using OMT, your osteopathic physician will move your muscles and joints using techniques including stretching, gentle pressure and resistance.
D.O.s receive extra training in manipulating the musculoskeletal system – your body’s interconnected system of
muscles and bones that make up two-thirds of your body mass. This training in osteopathic manipulative medicine (OMM) provides osteopathic physicians with a better understanding of how an injury or illness in one part of the body can affect another. nerves,
OMT can help people of all ages and backgrounds. The treatment can be used to ease pain, promote healing and increase overall mobility. OMT is often used to treat muscle pain. But it can also help patients with a number of other health problems such as:
Asthma
Sinus disorders
Carpal tunnel syndrome
Migraines
When appropriate, OMT can complement, and even replace, drugs or surgery. In this way, OMT brings an important dimension to standard medical care.