The ABC’s of OMT and How It Can Work for You

Source: www.healthynj.org/health-wellness/omt/main.htm

OMT is predicated upon your D.O.’s knowledge of medicine. Once your D.O. has ruled out mechanical causes for your illness or injury (through blood and urine testing, X-rays, etc.), and based upon physical and mechanical findings, your D.O. may decide to utilize OMT. While it is commonly associated with physical ailments such as low back pain, this modality can also be used to relieve the discomfort or musculoskeletal abnormality associated with a number of disorders, including: asthma, sinus disorder, carpal tunnel, migraines and menstrual pain.
The osteopathic approach to treating many diseases includes medication and/or surgical intervention, plus OMT. OMT can relieve muscle pain associated with a disease and can hasten your recovery from illness by promoting blood flow through tissues.

Your Structural Exam
Diagnosis
Your structural exam will begin with an assessment of your posture, spine and balance. Your D.O. will then use his fingers to palpate your back and extremities. Your D.O. will then use his fingers to palpate your back and extremities. He will also check your joints for restriction and/or pain during motion as well as check your muscles, tendons and ligaments where tenderness can signal a problem. Through extensive osteopathic training in manipulative medicine, D.O.s can detect changes in tissue, however small, that signal injury or impairment.
Once the structural exam is complete, your D.O. will integrate this information with your medical history and a complete physical exam. After that point, a treatment plan can be established.

Treatment
Using a variety of OMT techniques, your D.O. will apply manual forces to your body’s affected areas to treat structural abnormalities and will then apply specific corrective forces to relieve joint restrictions and misalignments. Based upon the severity of your problem, you may require more than one treatment.

A History of Hands-On Healing
The earliest medical writings from centuries past describe the efficacy of manual medicine. In 1874, osteopathic medicine’s founder, Dr. A.T. Still, recognized the power of hands-on care and incorporated it into his philosophy of medicine. Dr. Still identified the musculoskeletal system as a key element of health; he recognized the body’s self-healing capacity; he emphasized prevention, exercise and keeping fit; and he identified palpation and human touch as vital and less intrusive elements of diagnosis and treatment. As the impressive growth of osteopathic medicine demonstrates, Dr. Still’s founding tenets have withstood the test of time and scientific scrutiny.

Osteopathic Medical Education
D.O.s complete four years of medical training at one of the nation’s fully accredited colleges of osteopathic medicine. The osteopathic curriculum is intensive and broad-based. It includes comprehensive training in the musculoskeletal system and the use of OMT. Manipulation combined with the osteopathic principles of holistic care, prevention and primary care makes osteopathic medicine unique. Upon graduation from medical school, D.O.s complete a one-year rotating internship through all the areas of primary care. Afterwards, they may complete a residency in any of more than 120 specialty and subspecialty areas of medicine. However, sixty-four percent of all D.O.s remain in primary care practices.