Osteopathy

There is scientific evidence that osteopathy is beneficial for low back pain and other neuromusculoskeletal problems. Learn more about osteopathy.

Before engaging in any complementary medical technique, you should be aware that many of these techniques have not been evaluated in scientific studies. Often, only limited information is available about their safety and effectiveness. Each state and each discipline has its own rules about whether practitioners are required to be professionally licensed. If you plan to visit a practitioner, it is recommended that you choose one who is licensed by a recognized national organization and who abides by the organization's standards. It is always best to speak with your primary health care provider before starting any new therapeutic technique.

• Background
• Theory
• Evidence
• Unproven Uses

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• Potential Dangers
• Summary
• Resources

Background

Andrew Taylor Still, who was originally trained as a doctor of medicine, founded the discipline of osteopathy in 1874. Dr. Still started the first college of osteopathy in 1892 in Kirksville, Missouri. He sought an holistic approach to treating illness and promoting health by enhancing the body's natural healing powers. His approach emphasized the relationship between body structure and function, and it aimed to focus on the whole patient (mind, body and soul), rather than on symptoms.

Today, osteopathy in the United States combines conventional medical practices with osteopathic manipulation, physical therapy and education about healthful posture and body positioning. With osteopathic manipulation, osteopaths, or doctors of osteopathy (D.O.s), use their hands to diagnose injury and illness and to administer manual treatments. Osteopaths receive similar training as medical doctors (M.D.s), with additional training in osteopathic and holistic medicine. Osteopathic doctors perform all aspects of medicine, surgery and emergency medicine, and they can prescribe drugs. Many osteopaths belong to the American Medical Association, as well as to the American Osteopathic Association. Osteopathy is sometimes confused with chiropractic, as both use spinal manipulation to treat patients.

Osteopaths often focus on the neuromusculoskeletal system and perform manipulations to treat a wide range of problems. Doctors of osteopathy are trained to evaluate the body by taking a patient's health history, focusing not only on health problems but on lifestyle issues as well. The practice of osteopathic medicine may involve massage, mobilization and spinal manipulation. Osteopaths traditionally believe that the primary role of the health care provider is to facilitate the body's inherent ability to heal itself, that the structure and function of the body are closely related and that problems in one organ affect other parts of the body. The traditional osteopathic view is that perfect alignment of the musculoskeletal system eliminates obstructions in blood and lymphatic flow, which in turn maximizes health. To ensure perfect alignment, a range of manipulative techniques have been developed. Examples include high-velocity thrusts, myofascial (muscle tissue) release, muscle energy techniques, counter strain, craniosacral therapies and lymphatic drainage stimulation.

Theory

Dr. Still believed that the continuum between health and illness was primarily influenced by the soundness and mechanical functioning of the body's structures. In contrast to conventional medicine, which historically focused on the individual systems of the body, osteopathic medicine emphasized the interactive relationships between all body systems, with a continually shifting balance to maintain a state of health.

Outside of the United States, osteopaths mainly use spinal manipulation and mobilization and often are considered to be complementary or alternative medicine practitioners. They typically treat musculoskeletal problems, primarily of the back and neck. Their techniques involve long-lever manipulation using the legs and arms as fulcrums or pivot points, twisting and bending the patient. Osteopathic maneuvers tend to be more rhythmic and less dramatic than chiropractic manipulation.