What is Osteopathic Medicine?

Osteopathic physicians find themselves uniquely equipped to meet the needs of a nation on the threshold of a new era in health care, one that challenges us to focus on preventive care, to find alternatives to expensive tests and surgeries.

Osteopathic medicine is the fastest growing health profession in America. The number of D.O.s has increased almost 60 percent in the last decade, and more than 50 million people turn to osteopathic physicians for their health care. According to a 1993 study by Consumer Health Reports, osteopathic medical training is one of the top five requested qualities in selecting a family physician.

Osteopathic physicians, or D.O.s, take the same licensing exams and boards, and practice side-by-side with M.D.s in every discipline of medicine.

How are D.O.s different? Osteopathic physicians differ in the philosophy of medicine learned during their training — a holistic approach that focuses on "finding health" rather than only treating illness. Their education also includes extensive additional training on the role of the neuromusculoskeletal system (bones, muscles and nerves) as the foundation upon which the body's overall health depends. That training includes learning the art of Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine, used alone or in conjunction with traditional treatment methods to prevent and treat illnesses.