There are two types of physicians who practice osteopathy, the allopathic physician, M.D., and the osteopathic physician or doctor of osteopathic medicine, D.O. Both types are licensed to prescribe medicine and perform surgery in the United States. These medical physicians believe a proper working musculoskeletal system is at the core of a person's well-being. They regard the body as a unit, not a collection of separate parts. ("Osteo" means bone, "path" means to suffer.)

The osteopath emphasizes the body's inherent capacity to defend and repair itself. When disruption of normal body function occurs, or environmental changes prevent the body from functioning regularly, disease ensues. These professionals believe somatic symptoms are not only the manifestations of disease but are factors that contribute to disease itself.

Most osteopaths practice medicine just like medical doctors. But osteopaths are distinguished by their holistic philosophy. They assess the whole person, not just their bodies or their symptoms, and also place an emphasis on preventive care. Osteopaths use techniques like osteopathic manipulative treatment, which help diagnose illness and injury and encourage healing.

Common Types of Osteopathy

Visceral Osteopathy
Used to treat maladies from digestive problems to back pain to carpal tunnel, visceral osteopathy holds that many health problems originate from visceral restrictions, or the inability of organs to move freely and function properly.

Cranial Osteopathy
To relieve problems such as sinusitis, jaw pain or severe migraines, osteopaths use cranial osteopathy or craniosacral therapy. An osteopath lays her hands on a patient's head and feels for the cranial rhythmic pulse from spinal fluid. Osteopaths relieve pain and tension by manipulating soft tissue; this clears blockages and frees the flow of cerebrospinal fluid.

Common Treatment Techniques

Articulation
If a patient has arthritis or trouble moving his or her wrist, for example, an osteopath will apply gentle force to the joint by moving the hand back and forth several times. This increases the joint's range and improves its quality of motion.

Balanced Ligamentous Tension (BLT)
When deploying BLT, osteopaths use their hands to evaluate soft tissue. If the ligaments show tension, the osteopath will massage the tissue until it slowly returns to its normal position.

Counterstrain
Counterstrain, the opposite of stretching, is a very gentle technique especially useful for arthritics with tender points. The osteopath arranges a patient's body in a position of comfort for 90 seconds and then returns it to a neutral pose. This will eliminate tenderness.

High Velocity (Low Amplitude) Thrust (HVT)
The high velocity thrust is designed to treat motion loss and correct misalignment, especially in the spine. The osteopath slowly moves a patient's restricted joint in the direction of resistance, then quickly thrusts it beyond its range of motion. This often results in a "popping" sound. The patient should feel an immediate increase in range and freedom of motion.

Myofascial Release
Every organ in the body is covered by connective tissue, called fascia. Poor posture, injury, illness or emotional stress can restrict the fascia and cause pain and discomfort. Osteopaths use myofascial release—stretching fascia with their hands—to relieve discomfort.

Muscle Energy Technique (MET)
Muscle energy technique is soft tissue manipulation; it encourages muscles to relax more quickly. The therapist uses massage to manually manipulate muscles and free mobility or relieve trauma.

Osteopathic Manual Medicine (OMM)
OMM is used to restore normal connection within the joints and other structures, eliminating muscular spasms and tensions in ligaments. OMM is especially effective for those experiencing muscle and joint pain and can be applied throughout the musculoskeletal system.

Soft Tissue Technique
Osteopaths most often use soft tissue technique to diagnose conditions such as cancer, acute injury and wounds. The osteopath may use deep pressure to work on connective tissues, massaging the muscle into relaxation.

Credentials

There are the two types of degrees related to the practice of osteopathy, the M.D., which identifies the allopathic physician, and the D.O., which represents the doctor of osteopathic medicine. Upon completion of required studies, both candidates are licensed and able to prescribe medicine and perform surgery in the United States. The D.O. is a primary care physician, just like the M.D., but she practices a more holistic philosophy. The D.O. is a fully trained and licensed medical physician. Like an M.D., the D.O. must complete a four-year undergraduate degree with an emphasis on science, take the MCATs and complete four years of basic education at an osteopathic medical school. This involves classroom-based studies for the first two years, followed by rotations through the different areas of medicine for the following two years. After graduation, D.O.s undergo a residency-training program. And, depending on where in the country, D.O.s may also be required to complete a one-year rotating internship. D.O.s also receive extra training in the musculoskeletal system and also specialize in areas that add to their holistic expertise.

Last Reviewed: May 17, 2006
Last Reviewed By: Josephine Yatar