Osteopathic Manipulative Therapy (OMT)
OMT are hands-on techniques in which our physicians diagnose and treat somatic dysfunction or restriction in the musculoskeletal system to treat and prevent illness or injury. Osteopathic manipulation is an effective evidence-based, non-pharmaceutical treatment for pain and other medical conditions. The most common reasons patients seek OMT include acute and chronic back or neck pain, asthma, sinus congestion, headaches, menstrual pain, stress and tension related problems, myofascial pain syndrome and fibromyalgia, central nervous system disorders, osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, scoliosis, and TMJ disorder, among others. Some of our techniques include treating the lymphatic system, treating the soft tissues through counter strain points or somatic points, and myofascial release by incorporating various methods like stretching, gentle pressure, and resistance. Our patient’s individual tolerance and comfort levels for these techniques as well as the patient’s overall health when selecting appropriate treatments is of utmost importance to us. Our physicians receive additional medical training in OMT to provide the most comprehensive and state-of-the-art treatment options available. The goal of OMT is to treat conditions where restriction can be alleviated in the musculoskeletal system and improve a patient’s symptoms.
History of Osteopathic Medicine
Osteopathic medicine was introduced during the 1800s by founder Dr. Andrew Taylor Still (1828-1917), widely considered the “father of Osteopathy.” He experienced the loss of a child to Pneumonia and was a physician during the civil war where he saw more people die from disease and the available treatments than from combat. Dr. Still began to question whether available treatments actually helped or harmed patients. His exploration of other therapies led him to use osteopathic manipulation and to build a philosophy around this treatment. Dr. Still’s founding tenets of osteopathic medicine outlined below and illustrate the basis of integrative health practice today.
- The body is a unit; the person is a unit of body, mind, and spirit
- The body is capable of self-regulation, self-healing, and health maintenance.
- Structure and function are reciprocally interrelated.
- Rational treatment is based upon an understanding of the basic principles of body, unity, self-regulation, and the interrelationship of structure and function.