Find out how osteopathic medicine can benefit your overall health and quality of life.
Nothing is more important than protecting your health; fortunately, a healthy lifestyle that includes proper nutrition, regular exercise, adequate sleep, and stress management can go a long way to promoting optimal health. Of course, turning to an osteopath can also benefit your health, as they offer a whole-body approach to care.
How Do Osteopaths Differ From Traditional Doctors?
An osteopath (DO) is a medical doctor like a primary care physician. The only difference is that an osteopath doesn’t just treat symptoms but rather determines the root cause of your symptoms and provides you with a full-body treatment plan that treats the cause.
An osteopath focuses on the health and function of the musculoskeletal system and how one system can impact other systems in the body when something is thrown out of whack; however, a DO also emphasizes the importance of preventive care to protect against injury or illness.
What Is Osteopathic Manipulative Treatment?
An osteopath focuses on treating and improving how the musculoskeletal system functions as a whole. Of course, an osteopath also believes that when one bodily system isn’t working correctly, other systems are also impacted. This means that those with musculoskeletal problems may also experience digestive problems, sinus issues, etc.
The good news is that by realigning the bones, muscles, and ligaments in the body to achieve balance, an osteopath stimulates the body’s natural healing processes. Osteopathic manipulative treatment involves stretching areas of the body while applying pressure and resistance.
What Conditions and Problems Can Be Addressed With Osteopathic Medicine?
You may be surprised to discover that osteopathic medicine is incredibly effective for treating various conditions, disorders, and injuries (both acute and chronic). Osteopathic treatment can be used to treat,
- Migraines and headaches
- Menstrual pain
- Arthritis
- Back and neck pain
- Tennis elbow
- Degenerative disc disease
- Fibromyalgia
- Stress injuries
- Sports injuries
- Sciatica
- Whiplash
- Joint pain
If you are interested in what osteopathic medicine can offer you, it’s time to schedule a consultation with a DO to learn more about their practice, services, and how they will provide you with preventive care to see if you are the right fit.