Information for Patients

 

 

 

To find health should be the object of the doctor. Anyone can find disease.           
– A.T. Still MD, DO 

 

 

Health is our natural state, to uncover our indwelling health and reveal our inner divinity is the objective of osteopathy.

Frequently Asked Questions:

What kinds of conditions can be treated with osteopathy?

Traditional osteopathy can treat many conditions; improvement has been seen in conditions such as; asthma, hypertension, hypothyroid, migraine headaches, ulcers, seizure disorders, ADD, insomnia, anxiety, depression, chronic fatigue, eczema, and skin conditions, back pain, and neck pain are just a few of the conditions osteopathic physicians see and treat on a daily basis.

Do osteopaths ever use prescription medications to treat illness?

 A core premise of osteopathy is to use our hands to diagnose and treat disease when ever possible.  However there are certain diseases and circumstances that may require medications such as a bad pneumonia or bacterial infection.  In such cases the physician will prescribe the appropriate medication in addition to his osteopathic treatment.  We generally find that patients treated with osteopathy need fewer medications and recover from illness more quickly.  One study performed on hospitalized patients with pneumonia found that patients treated with osteopathy in addition to antibiotics recovered more quickly and stayed on average 1.5 days less in the hospital than those who were treated with antibiotics alone.  An osteopathic physician will use as little medication as possible and will seek to find the greatest balance and health in the patient through hands on osteopathic treatments.

How long does an osteopathic treatment take?

 Generally most treatments last between 20 and 30 minuets.  Sometimes much quicker, it is not uncommon for young children and infants to receive a complete treatment in 10 minuets.  The effects and benefits of the treatment can last weeks to months.

How quickly will I recover from my illness with osteopathic treatment?

 This is difficult to predict, it depends on the illness, how long you have been sick, how many and what kind of medications you have been taking.  Many people begin to notice some change or benefit after one or two treatments.  Each individual’s journey to healing and wellness is unique; some patients notice great benefit and recovery after two treatments others take longer.  Many physicians like to begin with three treatments and then re-evaluate.  If we are seeing benefit and change then we continue with treatment, if we are not seeing some change or benefit after three treatments then we look for other options or modalities to help the patient get well and recover.

How frequently do I need to be treated?

This again is very individual, depending upon the illness, the age of the patient and the depth of the treatment.  It is not uncommon to see a patient every one to two weeks for a couple of visits and then every four to six weeks as they are improving.  In some pediatric cases we might see them only once every three months, the interval between treatments is determined on an individual basis with a range from once a week to once every few months.

What does an osteopathic treatment feel like?

 It depends on the type and style of treatment provided; generally people feel a light, gentle pressure that does not create any pain.  Most people feel great relaxation and a sense of peace.  Some report feeling heat, and various sensations such as tingling, or movement of subtle energy.  Many people report feeling relaxed and peaceful for several days after a treatment.  As long as you are not experiencing pain during the treatment we are less concerned with what you feel during the treatment and more concerned with the results and how you feel for days and weeks after the treatment.

Do osteopaths do cranio-sacral therapy?

 What many people do not realize is that cranio-sacral therapy comes from a branch of osteopathy known as osteopathy in the cranial field.  Dr. William Sutherland D.O. was one of Dr. Still’s early students.  After graduating from osteopathic medical school Dr. Sutherland spent the rest of his life and career studying and applying the principles of osteopathy to the head, neck, sacrum and movement of the cerebral spinal fluid.   Dr. Sutherland made many amazing and powerful discoveries about the cerebral spinal fluid, the human body, and healing.  Dr. Sutherland’s work has made a tremendous contribution to osteopathy and to humanity.  We owe a great deal of gratitude to Dr. Sutherland, for his insights and contributions have helped to ease the suffering of mankind and have allowed us to treat some injuries and diseases that were previously untreatable.  Before his death Dr. Sutherland began to expand his knowledge of working with the cranium, and cerebral spinal fluid to the entire body, this became known as osteopathy in the cranial field which is a specialized branch of osteopathy that uses very skilled and precise palpation and sensing to treat the entire body, and to effect the deeper rhythms and movements with in the fluids, tissues and more subtle energy fields, this can often create very deep and long lasting healing and therapeutic effects.

Cranio-sacral therapy on the other hand is a very simplified and watered down version of a few of Dr. Sutherland’s ideas.  It is taught to non- physicians to provide a relaxing therapy, it is not a complete osteopathic medical practice.  The application and scope of cranio-sacral therapy is very limited in comparison to osteopathy.

My aunt has been diagnosed with terminal cancer can osteopathy help?

 We have found osteopathic treatments to be very beneficial as part of hospice and palliative care.  Generally the hospice patient who is treated with osteopathy experiences less pain and requires less medication.  The patient will often die with a greater sense of peace and dignity.

Is osteopathy covered by insurance?   If your physician accepts insurance then in most cases yes osteopathy is covered by insurance.

How do I locate an osteopathic physician?

While there are approximately 4,000 graduates from osteopathic medical schools in the United States annually only about 10% of them will practice traditional hands on osteopathy.  This can make it difficult to locate a good well- trained traditional osteopath in some parts of the country.  There are a few websites that can help; The Osteopathic Cranial Academy at www.cranialacademy.com, another good site is www.biodo.com.  Both websites have a physician directory listing many traditional hands on osteopaths world wide.  If you are having difficulty locating a traditional osteopath you may contact Dr. Adams through this website and we will try to assist you.

How does a person learn traditional osteopathy?

 The training to become a well- rounded traditional osteopathic physician is long and arduous, it takes many years and a lot of dedication.  After completing four years of college and studying the basic sciences a person can take the graduate medical entrance exam and apply to osteopathic medical school.  Medical school is four years long where the student learns anatomy, physiology, histology, pharmacology, pathology and numerous other “ologies.”  He or she is also learning osteopathic philosophy and principles and beginning to develop his hands on osteopathic skills for diagnosis and treatment.  After medical school the new physician enters into a one year internship in a hospital where he will work under attending  physicians or senior physicians further learning the art and science of medicine.  Then he will enter residency for 2 to 5 years for further training in his chosen specialty.   The most important part of his osteopathic training is working with a good mentor all the way through the training.  Traditional osteopathy has always been largely an oral tradition.  You can find some books on osteopathy but most of the skill and knowledge comes through and oral lineage and working with a good mentor.  It would be nearly impossible to learn the hands on skills of palpation, sensing, diagnosing and treating from a book.  This comes from working closely with mentors and teachers in their offices and in the hospital with live patients.   The core training of an osteopath after college is about seven years, but it is really a life long study and commitment.