What Is Osteopathic Medicine?

Osteopathic medicine is a complete system of medical care with a philosophy that combines the needs of the patient with the current practice of medicine, surgery, and obstetrics, that emphasizes the interrelationship between structure and function and that has an appreciation of the body's ability to heal itself (http://www.aacom.org/om.html).

A Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (D.O.) is a fully licensed physician who can perform surgery and prescribe medication.  Doctors of Osteopathic Medicine receive extra medical training so they can use their hands to help diagnose & treat their patients.  There is a focus on understanding the patients' home and work life in order to treat the whole person.