OMT: Hands-On Care

Osteopathic physicians (DOs) provide you with all the best that medicine has to offer. They can specialize in any area of medicine. Their knowledge and use of the latest medical technology is complemented by their application of a hands-on treatment tool known as osteopathic manipulative treatment, or OMT. 

Using OMT, DOs bring an added dimension to healthcare. DOs use OMT to diagnose, treat and even prevent illness or injury. When appropriate it can be used in conjunction with, or in place of, medication or surgery.

Patient, Heal Thyself
DOs recognize that the body is inherently capable of healing itself, though it must constantly fight physical, emotional and nutritional "stressors" to maintain a state of wellness. DOs believe in educating you about good health and prevention of disease.

Diagnosis
Your structural exam will begin with an assessment of your posture, spine and balance. Your DO will then use his fingers to palpate your back and extremities. Your DO 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, DOs can detect changes in tissue, however small, that signal injury or impairment.
Once the structural exam is complete, your DO 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 DO 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.  People of all ages and backgrounds have found relief from pain and dysfunction as well as improved mobility through OMT. DOs incorporate this modality into their treatment plans for top athletes and performance artists, workers with on-the-job injuries and people, just like you.