Myths and Facts About Osteopathic Medicine

“MDs” are not the only kind of physician. There are also osteopathic doctors (DOs). Both kinds go to medical school for 4 years, do internships and a residency, are licensed, and pass tests before they can treat people. DOs focus on your whole body, not just a particular symptom or illness.

DOs can work in any area of medicine. They can also write prescriptions. Some also do “osteopathic manipulative treatment.” During this, your doctor will stretch your muscles and move your joints using gentle pressure and resistance. It can help people with muscle pain, asthma, migraines, and other problems. It’s much more than a massage.

This medical field is more than a century old. Andrew Taylor Still, MD, who treated people during the Civil War, founded the first school of osteopathy in Missouri in 1892. It wasn’t until 1973, however, that DOs could practice in all 50 states.

If your insurance would cover the same visit to an MD, it will cover treatment from a DO. Remember, osteopathic doctors can be primary care providers -- most of them are -- or they can specialize. Not sure about your case? Call your insurance company to ask what they will pay for.

DOs don’t just specialize in bones, muscles, and nerves, but they do know a lot about them.
They get more training about your muscular and skeletal systems. This helps them understand how an injury or illness in one part of your body affects the rest of it.