What is Osteopathy?
Osteopathy is a form of holistic medicine that focuses on restoring and maintaining physical well being. Through the use of non-invasive, manual techniques that manipulate the body’s musculoskeletal framework, osteopathic treatments aim to support the nervous, circulatory and lymphatic systems in order to correct imbalances that are believed to diminish the body’s ability to heal itself are at the root cause of discomfort, disease and illness.

Despite its name, which essentially means sick bones, osteopathy doesn’t focus solely on bone health. Based on the belief that a healthy body is capable of healing and defending itself against infections and toxins, osteopathy seeks to correct any misalignment of bones, muscles, ligaments or tissues that compromise this self-healing ability.

The theory is simple: in for the body to remain in good health, all parts of your body must function together properly and harmoniously. If one part of your body is restricted, the remainder of body compensates for that restriction and that compensation may lead to stiffness, inflammation, discomfort, headaches or infection. Doctors of osteopathy (DOs) focus their attention on the musculoskeletal system and its influence on how other bodily systems function.

How It Differs from Chiropractic Care
Osteopathy and chiropractic care are similar in that both forms of holistic medicine focus on the role of the spine and musculoskeletal imbalances play in the body. How they differ mostly comes down to the actual treatment method.

Chiropractors tend to rely primarily on high velocity thrust, which is a short, sharp motion that releases areas of the body with limited range of motion. It’s this technique that results in the popping or cracking noise. Osteopaths may use high velocity thrust as well, but instead of applying the motion directly to the spine as in chiropractic, the DO may rely on the patient’s limbs to achieve the same effect.

More often, osteopathic doctors manipulate your body’s tissues using less force, employing techniques like stretching, massage and applied pressure in addition to occasional use of high velocity thrust. The gentler techniques deliver the added benefit of improved circulation in the area being treated.

Principles of Osteopathy
The principles of osteopathy are similar the principles of naturopathy, where first and foremost, one should do no harm. This means relying on non-invasive healing methods first, to aid the body in healing itself versus surgery, which seeks to eliminate the symptom without addressing the underlying cause. However, some osteopaths are also medical doctors and can prescribe and/or perform surgery as a last line of defense.

Secondly, osteopathy looks beyond the disease or illness for the root cause and seeks to treat that cause rather than the symptoms alone. For that reason, it may seem like a DO isn’t addressing your complaint when they begin to work with you—their assessment of your body may lead them to a block elsewhere in the body that’s causing your symptoms.

Lastly, DOs base their assessments and treatments according to the idea the nothing is more effective in healing the body than the body’s fully functioning nervous, circulatory, lymphatic and immune systems. DOs often work to educate patients on how to maintain their well being through changes in diet and exercise, lifestyle and stress management.

Why Visit an Osteopath?
You might consider visiting a DO if you suffer from lower back pain, chronic headaches, TMJ, sciatica, arthritis, repetitive strain injury or other chronic conditions like asthma, respiratory and/or ear infections. You may also choose to seek osteopathic treatments if you’ve been injured or are dealing with long-term repercussions from old injuries.

What to Expect from an Osteopathic Treatment
When you first visit an osteopath, expect to spend an hour or more with the DO. Be prepared to discuss your symptoms and complaints and answer questions about your overall lifestyle. Depending upon your specific complaint, you may be asked to remove one or more items of clothing and perform a series of prescribed movements for the DO to determine the best course of treatment.

Osteopathic treatments are usually done with the clothes on and you can expect a range of hands-on techniques, like gentle, soft tissue stretching, deep tactile pressure, and manipulation of your joints using hand-on pressure or pressure applied to your limbs. After your treatment, you may experience immediate relief of your symptoms and increased mobility in your body. Some conditions may take longer to respond to treatment.

Osteopathic Doctor Credentials
Like medical doctors, doctors of osteopathy must complete four years of medical school and pursue the same kinds of internships and residencies that allow them to choose and practice a specialty.

In the US, doctors of osteopathy are required to pass a state examination in order to practice and can write prescriptions as well as perform surgery. A DO’s education differs from an MD’s in that it typically includes an additional 300 to 500 hours focused on the musculoskeletal system.