Common reasons for seeking Osteopathic Manipulative Treatment:

• Athletic Improvement
• Back Pain
• Neck Pain
• Headaches/Migraines
• Jaw Issues
• Arm and Leg Pain
• Joint Pain
• Muscle Aches
• Muscle Imbalance/Tightness
• Poor Posture

For more information about D.O.’s, or OMT, please visit these websites:

http://doctorsthatdo.org/difference/osteopathic-manipulative-treatment

https://www.academyofosteopathy.org/home

Osteopathic Medicine was founded by Andrew Taylor Still, MD in the 1890’s on the principle that all aspects of a person contribute to, and are reflected by their state of health. Dr. Still did not like how medical care was being delivered at that time. He felt that a patient should be treated as a person and not as a disease – similar to the shift in philosophy currently being employed by the Integrative Medicine community. This led to the birth of Osteopathy and Osteopathic Manipulative Treatments (OMT) – commonly known as Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine (OMM). He believed that in order to allow the body to function at peak performance it must be free from any musculoskeletal restrictions. Since Dr. Still’s time, treatments have been refined and perfected. Any Doctor of Osteopathy (D.O.) had received at least 200 hours of training in OMT throughout their education. The practice of Osteopathy is based on the following 4 principles:

1. The body is a unit; the person is a unit of body, mind, and spirit. The fundamental difference between osteopathic education and conventional training is this focus on unity of the organism, instead of breaking the body down into separate silos.
2. The body is capable of self-regulation, self-healing, and health maintenance. This is the backbone of the manual practice of Osteopathic Medicine. Osteopathic Manual Treatment (OMT) is a type of hands-on medical treatment modality to help improve the structure of the body in order to facilitate restoring the mechanisms of self-regulation.
3. Structure and function are reciprocally interrelated. Osteopathy is based upon a deep understanding of the inter-relation of anatomy (structure) and physiology (function). This knowledge is the basis upon which the evaluation of tissue function and the treatment of any tissue dysfunction is considered practicing OMT.
4. Rational treatment is based upon an understanding of above three principles. Hands on treatment should enhance the patient’s inherent vitality and health, which, by definition, is the practice of osteopathic medicine. Which in turn should lead to increased health and decreased suffering when these principles are applied directly.

The goal of OMT is to help patients live their best lives by improving any restrictions in the muscles, joints or tissues that may be limiting daily activities or causing discomfort. Since this is a Medical Office, your first visit is a full history and physical evaluation to see if OMT is indicated or whether a different plan of action should be pursued.

Difference between DOs, Chiropractors and Physical Therapists

While there are many similarities between the three professions and often all three fields of healthcare work together, a DO is a fully licensed Osteopathic Medical Physician that has completed four years of medical school followed by a at least a year of post-graduate or residency training. Our clinic does not utilize any forced movements of the neck that lead to “cracking and popping” due to a number of serious complications that may occur. One important one is the possibility of a stroke associated with that kind of technique when applied to the neck region. We also have a very rehabilitative approach with our goal being that you need to see us as little as possible. The treatment most DOs used is geared more towards muscles and fascia and include:

• Muscle Energy Technique
• Articulatory Technique
• Myofascial Release Technique
• Balanced Ligamentous Tension Technique

There are certain occasions when high-velocity low-amplitude (HVLA, cracking/popping) techniques may be used. In those rare cases they will always be discussed with the patient before being applying. This clinic does not utilize HVLA to the cervical region

A closer explanation for how DOs practice OMT would be a combination of a physician and a physical therapist. Our goal is to look more at the deeper structural issues to get areas that have been restricted moving again. Home exercises are crucial for re-aggravation of previously treated areas. Often times Physical Therapy may be prescribed in order to keep any recurrent problem areas from relapsing. Quite often Physical Therapists and DOs or Chiropractors and DOs will work collaboratively on patient care, often times to get a new perspective on a complex issue.

What to expect

The initial clinic visit will have an assessment of the mechanics of the Spine, Arms, Legs, Ribs and Head. We will also test for any fascial related issues or restrictions (Tenderpoints, Triggerbands, etc.). Subsequent visits will include reassessment of treated areas and any new symptomatic areas.

Generally, if OMT is warranted and there are structural issues that need addressing patients generally improve, on average, after 3-4 visits over 2-3 weeks. Every patient, however, is different and treated as an individual and treatment plan will be adjusted based on symptoms and functional status changes.

Everyone responds differently to OMT. Treatments are very gentle and mainly well tolerated; there may be some post-treatment soreness by getting regions of the body moving that may have not been moving well for a long time prior. Soreness shouldn’t last more than a day or two and we recommend staying well hydrated and using ice in areas of discomfort to help limit those effects.

For each appointment, please come prepared with loose fitting, gym-type clothing to help facilitate exam and treatment if indicated.

Visit Structure and Fees

New Patient Visit – $220.00*
• Appointment will begin at scheduled start time
• ~60 minutes of time with physician to review history, any imaging (if indicated) and perform physical evaluation
• Osteopathic examination of the head, spine and extremities for somatic dysfunction
• Osteopathic Manual Treatment (OMT) when indicated
• Home exercises to supplement treatment between appointments

Follow Up Patient Visit – $110.00*
• Appointment will begin at scheduled start time
• ~30 minutes of time with physician to follow up on symptoms, review any new imaging (if indicated) and repeat Osteopathic examination of symptomatic regions (new and old)
• Osteopathic Manual Treatment (OMT) when indicated
• Home exercises to supplement treatment between appointments

Osteopathic treatments are eligible for reimbursement through your Flexible and Healthcare Spending Accounts (FSA & HSA).

In order to keep price for services low, personal checks and Venmo/PayPal/Cash Apps are preferred methods of payments.  Credit cards are accepted however but have an associated convenience charge.

*This fee represents discounted cash price

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