Osteopathy practitioners treat and prevent illness through evidence-based science, using the latest techniques and technologies but with a special eye on how lifestyle and environmental factors affect your health.
Osteopathic doctors (DOs) account for about 11% of physicians in the United States.They work in primary care, pediatrics, emergency medicine, and more. Specialized training in bones, joints, and muscles serves as a foundation for osteopath knowledge of the body’s nervous, circulatory, and lymphatic systems.
This article explains what a DO is and how they are trained. It also details osteopathic treatment and the difference between osteopathy, naturopathy, and chiropractice.
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What Is Osteopathy?
Osteopathic medical schoolstend to emphasize primary care training, so many of the 142,000 practicing DOs work as primary care providers. Some 57% specialize in pediatrics, internal medicine, obstetrics/gynecology (OB/GYN), and other family medicine or adjacent fields.
Some osteopathic physicians offer traditional diagnosis and treatment. Both traditional (allopathic) medicine and osteopathy focus on treating symptoms and diseases with medication and surgery. But DOs also may integrate their training in osteopathic manipulative treatment.
Osteopathic Manipulation
Osteopathic manipulation treatment (OMT) is a hands-on therapy that applies gentle pressure to manipulate the muscles, soft tissues, and joints. OMT is often used to treat lower back pain, but it has a wide array of other benefits.
Manipulation and massage helps to restore balance and relieve neurological, respiratory, digestive, and other symptoms, either replacing or alongside of medications or surgical intervention.
Osteopathic manipulation therapy is used to treat disorders including:
- Asthma
- Sinus problems
- Carpal tunnel syndrome
- Migraine headaches
- Menstrual pain
- Fibromyalgia
- Constipation
- Pregnancy discomfort
People with chronic pain (arthritis, neck pain) or sports injuries often see a DO for treatment. A 2023 review of five research studies suggests benefits for people with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), too.
Osteopathic manipulations are done standing, seated, or lying down. You may hear a popping or cracking sound during a manipulation. The sound is not your bones cracking or popping into place. It is caused by the release of gas bubbles in the synovial fluid between the joints.
What Is That Popping Sound?
Benefits of Seeing an Osteopath
The benefits of seeing an osteopathic physician depend on your health condition, the type of approach that is most effective for you, and the provider's level of expertise.
Osteopathic medicine can be especially helpful for patients with lower back pain (especially with pregnancy or obesity), sciatica pain, neck pain, and other muscle and joint strains.
Because DOs are trained in a "whole body" approach, they consider factors like immune health and hormone imbalances—not just a particular disease or condition. This may offer benefits for people seeking care for conditions that involve complex hormone and immune system imbalances.
Training for Doctors of Osteopathy
An osteopathic physician is a licensed medical practitioner who was trained in the field of osteopathic medicine.A “Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine” has the initials “DO” after their name.
Osteopathic Doctor vs. MD
Like an MD, an osteopathic physician is a fully trained and licensed physician. DOs and MDs are considered equal, legally, and in terms of their authority to diagnose and treat various health conditions, prescribe medications, and perform surgery. Both DOs and MDs need an undergraduate degree, plus at least four years of medical school.
DOs and MDs then need to typically complete a two- to six-year internship/residency program, pass state licensing exams, and obtain continuing education to remain certified. Like MDs, DOs can specialize in particular areas of medicine. The osteopathic medical school emphasizes the whole person and the connection between the musculoskeletal system and disease and symptoms.
Osteopathic physicians cover the same curriculum as MDs at osteopathic medical schools. They also receive an additional 300 to 500 hours of specialized osteopathic training, studying osteopathic manipulation therapy.
What Is Medical Board Certification?
Osteopathic Doctor vs. Naturopath
Some people get confused between osteopathic providers and naturopathic providers. Osteopathic physicians are physicians and, like MDs, can be licensed to practice medicine and perform surgery in all 50 states of the U.S.
With attendance at a reputable naturopathic medical school and licensing and certifications, naturopathic physicians can be licensed to practice medicine—including the writing of most prescriptions—in some (but not all) states in the U.S. Even in states that license naturopaths as full physicians, naturopaths are typically not licensed to perform surgery.
Osteopathic Doctor vs. Chiropractor
Chiropractic care relies on manual manipulation of the neck, back, and other parts of the body to relieve symptoms and support overall health. Unlike DOs, however, chiropractors are considered complementary medicine providers. Some may offer services like acupuncture.
Doctors of Chiropractic (D.C.) graduate from four-year doctoral programs. Thecurriculum includes at least 4,200 hours of classroom, lab, and clinical internship. These requirements are comparable to DO and MD programs.
Chiropractors need to successfully pass certification exams before they receive a license. They also need to demonstrate proficiency in acupuncture or other subspecialties.
Summary
Doctors of osteopathy (DOs) practice medicine alongside their MD counterparts after completing comparably rigorous training, certification, and licensing requirements. The DO, however, is trained with more of a holistic emphasis on health that includes additional training in osteopathic manipulation treatment (OMT).
The DO often specializes in primary care or related disciplines, like pediatrics, but about 43% work in emergency medicine or other specialties. They prescribe medication and perform many procedures but people diagnosed with certain conditions, like chronic pain, may benefit from added OMT care.
If you're considering seeing a DO, check with the American Osteopathic Association to find one near you. Keep in mind that it's important to research carefully when choosing any healthcare provider.
