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A. DOs are Doctors of Osteopathic Medicine and MDs are Doctors of Allopathic Medicine. DOs and MDs are alike in many ways in that both DOs and MDs complete four years of medical education followed by three to eight years post graduate training in internships, residencies and fellowships. Both DOs and MDs can choose to practice medicine in any specialty and must pass comparable examinations to obtain state licenses.

DOs are complete physicians, fully trained and licensed to prescribe medicine and to perform surgery. Osteopathic physicians also utilize Osteopathic Manipulative Treatment (OMT) by using their hands to diagnose and treat illness. By combining medical options with OMT, DOs offer their patients the most comprehensive care available in medicine.

A. An Osteopathic Physician and an Osteopath are two different entities.

An Osteopathic Physician is an American trained physician who graduates from an accredited College of Osteopathic Medicine recognized by the United States Department of Education. Osteopathic physicians have the title of DO and have all of the rights and privileges of their MD counterparts but with extra training in Osteopathic Manipulative Treatment.

An Osteopath is an internationally trained health care provider in musculoskeletal manipulation and does not possess the full scope of medical practice rights in the United States as do DOs and MDs.

A. No. A Chiropractor is a musculoskeletal health care provider who does not possess the full scope of medical practice rights as do DOs and MDs. DOs are physicians with full scope of practice rights, i.e. the ability to prescribe medicine and perform surgery.

A. In many ways, OMT can resemble chiropractic adjustments but there are many differences which distinguish OMT from any other manipulative treatments. There are a myriad of Osteopathic Techniques specific to the Osteopathic Philosophy which include: counterstrain, muscle energy, myofascial release and high velocity/low amplitude techniques along with facilitated positional release, Still’s technique, Johnson’s technique, balanced ligamentous tension techniques (BLT), articulatory techniques and craniosacral treatments.

A. The Osteopathic Philosophy is a “whole person” approach to patient healing and wellness. Osteopathic medicine was discovered by Andrew Taylor Still MD, DO., and the Osteopathic Profession was founded in 1892 with the attitude of not just treating symptoms but treating the whole patient.