Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine (OMM)

What is it and how can it help you & your health?

What is Osteopathy?

Osteopathic Medicine aka Osteopathy was founded by Andrew Taylor Still, MD, DO, in 1874, after he realized the conventional medical practices of his time were ineffective and even harmful. His research and clinical experience led him to discover that the musculoskeletal system played a key role in health & disease. He was ahead of his time as he emphasized the importance of "wellness" and preventive medicine by treating "the whole body," not the disease process. 

The body has the innate ability to heal itself if given the optimal environment. Osteopathic Medicine is founded on the philosophy that everything in our bodies is interconnected. When one area is dysfunctional, it can affect the rest of the body. 

By correcting the problems, which we call "dysfunctions," through the use of manual medicine aka Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine (OMM) or Osteopathic Manipulative Treatment (OMT), we are able to provide the optimal environment for the body to adapt and heal itself.

4 Tenets of Osteopathy:

  1. The body is a unit; the person is a unit of body, mind, and spirit.

  2. The body is capable of self-regulation, self-healing, and health maintenance.

  3. Structure and function are reciprocally interrelated.

  4. Rational treatment is based upon an understanding of the basic principles of body unity, self-regulation, and the interrelationship of structure and function.

Click HERE to learn more about the history.

What is a Doctor of Osteopathy (DO)?

A T Still.jpg
  • In the US (& many other countries), we are fully-licensed physicians who prescribe medications and specialize in any branch of medicine, including Surgery. Just like our MD colleagues, we undergo the same medical training (and even attend the same residencies! For reference, Dr. Iris graduated from an allopathic (MD) PM&R residency program with MD and DO colleagues)

  • What makes us unique is we learn an extra 200+ hours of in-depth anatomy and techniques, which allows us to diagnose, treat, and prevent pain & injuries, especially in the musculoskeletal system, purely with our hands.

  • Our medical training takes a different approach, compared to our MD colleagues, as it is founded on the philosophy that the mind, body, & spirit are interconnected.

  • We treat structural and tissue abnormalities, relieve joint restriction and misalignment, restore muscle and tissue balance, and promote the overall movement of blood flow and lymph drainage throughout the body.


Why did I choose to become a DO?

Here’s a quick video for you…

 
 

OSTEOPATHIC MANIPULATIVE MEDICINE (OMM)

A drug-free, holistic, hands-on approach to pain and injury prevention that treats the whole person


WHO PRACTICES IT?

In the US, only DOs (physicians who graduate from Osteopathic Medical Schools) are qualified to perform OMM. Other healthcare professionals, including physical therapists and MDs, can learn specific techniques, such as Craniosacral Therapy (CST), but this is only a piece taken from the teachings of Cranial Osteopathy, which is under the umbrella of OMM.

The Osteopathic philosophy and techniques that we use to treat our patients are distinct from that of chiropractors, massage therapists, and those providing manual therapy, particularly because we are trained as physicians first.

Dr. Iris likes to say we practice with the true blend of Medicine where “East meets West.” We use our knowledge and expertise from conventional training as medical doctors along with an emphasis on the holistic approach in treating the mind, body, & spirit to get the best, long-term results for our patients. Although all DOs learn Osteopathy in medical school, only a very small percentage of DOs (~6%) currently practice OMM on a daily basis and are experts in this field.

WHO IS IT FOR?

We treat people of all ages, from newborns to pregnant women to athletes to the elderly.

We offer a drug-free way to alleviate & prevent pain, promote healing, and increase overall function.

We typically treat musculoskeletal complaints, such as low back pain or SIJ pain, but we also treat other health problems which commonly occur in pregnancy and extend into the post-partum period, such as pubic symphysis and pelvic floor dysfunctions, carpal tunnel syndrome, migraines, menstrual pain, heartburn, indigestion, leg swelling (with increased blood volume in pregnancy), sinus disorders, and many other causes of acute to chronic pain. 

In newborns, we commonly treat plagiocephaly ("flat head"), suckling/latching issues when breastfeeding, oro-motor restrictions from tongue/lip ties, indigestion, colic (a fussy but otherwise healthy baby who cries 3+ hrs/day for 3+ days/wk for 3+ wks), and recurrent ear infections (otitis media).

WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS?

DOs/Osteopathic physicians utilize a variety of techniques, including myofascial release and cranial osteopathy, to mobilize muscles, joints, and the lymphatic system with gentle pressure and variable resistance.

It can help alleviate and prevent pain and injuries. The best part is it is a drug-free treatment option that complements traditional Western Medicine. As you can imagine, this comes in quite handy in the prenatal and postpartum population! In certain cases, it can even replace drugs or surgery.

Unfortunately, many patients do not see us until they have already suffered from pain and injuries for years, have seen multiple doctors, tried all of the therapies & treatments under the sun (acupuncture, chiropractic, massage, cupping, reiki, etc), and still cannot find relief.


Patients typically improve in only 1-2 treatments and notice:

  • Decreased or complete resolution of pain

  • Decreased need for medications

  • Increased function and quality of life

  • Improved sleep quality and overall wellness

Here are just some of the conditions we treat:

  • OB/GYN (General Gynecology/Prenatal/Postpartum): painful periods (with associated back pain or migraines), pelvic, pubic, or back pain in pregnancy, swelling in the legs in pregnancy, nausea, indigestion, or reflux in pregnancy, pelvic pain and dysfunctions (leading to urinary incontinence) postpartum, and much more

  • Infants/Pediatric: plagiocephaly or brachycephaly ("flat head"), breastfeeding issues due to poor suckling/latching, tongue/lip ties, reflux, colic, recurrent ear infections (otitis media)

  • Performance-related: acute or chronic pain resulting from injuries from sports or performing arts (dancers, musicians, actors), laryngeal/vocal cord restrictions

  • Orthopedic/Musculoskeletal: acute or chronic neck/back pain, joint pain (hip, knee, ankle, foot, shoulder, elbow, hand/wrist, finger), acute or chronic muscle strains, sports injuries, motor vehicle collision injuries, temporomandibular joint (TMJ) pain, arthritis/degenerative joint disease (DJD)

  • Neurologic: low back pain and symptoms from herniated discs, "sciatica," head injuries (concussions/whiplash), headaches and migraines, tinnitus, vertigo, fibromyalgia, carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS)

  • ENT/Immunologic: sinusitis symptoms and drainage issues, recurrent sinus infections

Please visit FAQs for answers to more questions.


OMM/Lifestyle Medicine Packages

Comprehensive packages focused on diagnosis and treatment of the whole body, including functional assessments, pain & injury prevention, and home-exercise programs

Adult Packages

  • Standard — 5 Visits

  • Deluxe — 10 Visits

  • All packages include a comprehensive 60-90 min initial evaluation as the first visit:

    • Complete history & physical, including detailed trauma/injury history

    • Whole-body osteopathic exam

    • OMM diagnosis and treatment

    • Focused treatment on 1-2 major areas of dysfunction

  • Follow-up visits* (30 min or 60 min) include:

    • OMM diagnosis* and treatment

    • Lifestyle Medicine prescriptions

    • Home-exercise prescription (as needed) 

Pediatric Packages

  • Standard — 5 Visits

  • Deluxe — 10 Visits

  • All packages include a comprehensive 60 min initial evaluation as the first visit:

    • Complete birth history & physical, including detailed trauma/injury history

    • Whole-body osteopathic exam

    • OMM diagnosis and treatment

    • Focused treatment on 1-2 major areas of dysfunction

  • Follow-up visits* (usually 30 min) include:

    • OMM diagnosis* and treatment

    • Lifestyle Medicine prescriptions

    • Home-exercise prescription (as needed) 

*Treatment duration based on the previous (or current) diagnostic exam and current reason(s) for visit

 

Ready to see how OMM can benefit you & your health?

Still not sure? Book a FREE 1:1 Consult HERE or simply contact us.