Article Medically Reviewed By:
Teresa A. Hubka, DO, FACOOG Dist., FACOG
Medical Director, Comprehensive Women's Care Chair, American Osteopathic Association (AOA) Women's Health Advisory Committee Trustee, American College of Osteopathic Obstetricians & Gynecologists (ACOOG) Chicago, IL
Overview
What Is It?
Osteopathic medicine emphasizes the relationship between all organ systems of the body, including the musculoskeletal system (your bones and muscles) and the function of your entire body.
Osteopathic medicine is one of two fully licensed comprehensive systems of medical care in the United States . Practitioners of osteopathic medicine are identified by the letters "DO" while allopathic physicians are identified by the initials "MD." Osteopathic medicine emphasizes the relationship between all organ systems of the body, including the musculoskeletal system (your bones and muscles) and the function of your entire body. Osteopathic physicians are licensed to prescribe medication and perform surgery. Although more than 60 percent are primary care physicians, DOs practice in all branches and specialties of medicine and have the same rights and responsibilities as MDs.
The popularity of osteopathic medicine has grown in recent years. According to the American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine, the number of graduates of colleges of osteopathic medicine rose 38 percent between 1999 and 2007. And the American Osteopathic Association reports that there are currently more than 61,000 DOs in this country, making up about six percent of all physicians . By the year 2020, this number is expected to rise to 100,000.
You'll find DOs in local hospitals, private practices, community health clinics, academic medical centers and military hospitals—anywhere you expect to find a physician.
So, if DOs are fully licensed physicians, what sets them apart from MDs? It is mostly in their approach to a medical or surgical problem. The approach is rooted in their philosophy. DOs take a holistic approach to medicine; this means they focus on the total person, not just the particular symptom, illness or disease. DOs believe that all the systems in your body—including the musculoskeletal system—operate in an integrated way. Problems with one system can affect the others. Perhaps the most significant difference between DOs and MDs is that DOs consider the role of the musculoskeletal system in relationship to symptoms and illness. They have special training in recognizing and correcting structural problems through various manual techniques called osteopathic manipulative treatment (OMT). Given this concern with muscle and bone, it's not surprising that you will find many DOs in sports medicine and physical medicine and rehabilitation.
How It Got Started
Andrew Taylor Still, an MD, considered to be the father of osteopathic medicine, developed the discipline in 1874 after becoming disillusioned with how medicine was being practice...
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