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There is really no difference in the quality of education. I like to think of osteopathic schools of medicine as traditional medical school + additional osteopathic training in manipulation and other skills, but many DOs do not end up doing manipulative techniques in their practice at all. As a DO, all sorts of residencies are open to graduates, but I would say that there is a higher proportion entering into primary care than you see with MDs. Other popular fields include anesthesiology (which often includes pain management) and orthopedics.
I have a DO as my primary care doctor right now and she is knowledgeable about both medicines and supplements. My last primary care doctor was an MD and was the same. There are some who still do manipulation, but in many cases that is through the residency programs or through a few physicians who do them as part of their practice in pain management or something similar. I would say that is outside of the norm, however.
Here in the Northeast and Mid-Atantic, DOs and MDs are nearly indistinguishable in the way that they practice. No herbs, no homeopathy, etc. I actually think DOs are missing out when they stop doing osteopathic manipulation, because it is the one thing that sets them apart from MDs. I see a physiatrist who is a DO and his osteopathic manipulation technique is amazing. He can ease my chronic sacroiliac joint pain like no one else.
DO and MD schools are equally hard to get into, and I've known plenty of people who applied to both kinds of medical schools.
Can someone tell me a little bit about "osteopathic manipulations"? Is this something like chiropractic medicine and what would these "manipulations" be used to treat?
Here in the Northeast and Mid-Atantic, DOs and MDs are nearly indistinguishable in the way that they practice. No herbs, no homeopathy, etc. I actually think DOs are missing out when they stop doing osteopathic manipulation, because it is the one thing that sets them apart from MDs. I see a physiatrist who is a DO and his osteopathic manipulation technique is amazing. He can ease my chronic sacroiliac joint pain like no one else.
DO and MD schools are equally hard to get into, and I've known plenty of people who applied to both kinds of medical schools.
Since Most DO's coming out of medical schools these days, don't do the manipulation work, it's because it takes more advanced training and work and they probably don't want to go there....In my town there is a chiro on almost every corner.
I was seeing a D.O. in 2016, young man, and he did body work and also Prolotherapy injections. Actually the 5th injection he did on my knee somehow I believe is the cause of the staph infection that has been a major set back in my life. I was doing fine but urged him to do a 5th and POW... I liked him a lot but now see no doctors. Just where I am right now.
Can someone tell me a little bit about "osteopathic manipulations"? Is this something like chiropractic medicine and what would these "manipulations" be used to treat?
Yes and no...it can be a mixture of many modalities and cranial work. Deep tissue work and whatever the D.O. has learned in their schooling.
There is really no difference in the quality of education. I like to think of osteopathic schools of medicine as traditional medical school + additional osteopathic training in manipulation and other skills, but many DOs do not end up doing manipulative techniques in their practice at all. As a DO, all sorts of residencies are open to graduates, but I would say that there is a higher proportion entering into primary care than you see with MDs. Other popular fields include anesthesiology (which often includes pain management) and orthopedics.
I have a DO as my primary care doctor right now and she is knowledgeable about both medicines and supplements. My last primary care doctor was an MD and was the same. There are some who still do manipulation, but in many cases that is through the residency programs or through a few physicians who do them as part of their practice in pain management or something similar. I would say that is outside of the norm, however.
I've been told my PCP, who's a DO, does manipulations (as DO's were trained to do) for pain manipulation, but I have not seen her do it. I don't know how many she does.
I just got an appointment with a new doctor whose specialty is Family Practice. I noticed the absence of an MD after his name and the presence of a DO instead. I did a little bit of googling on the subject, but would really like some input from people who have used doctors with a DO degree. Is this considered "alternative medicine"? Is it homeopathic in nature? Are these doctors really a good as doctors with a traditional MD? I've always liked the idea of going to a doctor who looks at me as a whole person and not just as a collection of body parts, so the idea of a DO is appealing in that regard. On the other hand, I'm a little bit suspicious of "Eastern Medicine," even though I can't really say why -- unfounded prejudices maybe. Anyway, all input would be very much appreciated.
You've gotten good answers from other posters, but here are a couple links describing the differences and similarities in MD vs. DOs as far as philosophy, training, and so on:
I've seen both MDs and DOs and would be hard pressed to tell any difference in the quality of the care I received. My primary doc, opthalmologist, and a general surgeon to whom I was recently referred are all DO's. I like them all.
Many of the multi-doctor practices around this neck of the woods are populated by both MDs and DOs- including the specialties such as cardiology, orthopedic surgeons, opthalmology, GI, General Surgery.
No, my old D.O. got me on Armour but I learned about iodine from thyroid group and iodine yahoo groups I've been a member way back. Iodine is important for all body tissues and includes breast tissues and I believe it keeps me comfortable about breast cancer issue and I've not done mamms in decades.
I'm not at the age yet where I've had to get a mammogram, but it seems like an easy thing to do (aside from the discomfort) to make sure you don't have a potentially deadly disease...
I'm not at the age yet where I've had to get a mammogram, but it seems like an easy thing to do (aside from the discomfort) to make sure you don't have a potentially deadly disease...
I had two in my early 50's and don't "buy" them, so much fearing and false negatives and the pain...so I choose my way for what I believe is prevention. I'm 80 and am fine. Thanks. Oh BTW: my mother lived to 91 and never had one nor her sisters and I have a friend who is 74 and she's never had one. We are out there who choose our ways. You can read about the negatives on them too.
I had two in my early 50's and don't "buy" them, so much fearing and false negatives and the pain...so I choose my way for what I believe is prevention. I'm 80 and am fine. Thanks. Oh BTW: my mother lived to 91 and never had one nor her sisters and I have a friend who is 74 and she's never had one. We are out there who choose our ways. You can read about the negatives on them too.
Good for you, your mother, and her sisters. People are free to take their chances with their own health but I'll be getting one when the time comes even though I don't have a family hx of breast cancer, and those that do would be wise to get them as often as recommended by their physicians. BTW, the new-ish prostate cancer screening guidelines have led to an increase of men being diagnosed when they had already progressed to stage 4 prostate cancer -- if those men had been screened earlier, their cancer would likely have been stage 1 and gone into remission with treatment. Stage 1 breast cancer is also much easier to treat than stage 4 with bone and brain mets.
Last edited by nja2016; 11-20-2018 at 12:14 AM..
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