Doctors of Osteopathy in the US:

  • Are licensed physicians.
  • Have a degree in osteopathic medicine.
  • Are graduates of an osteopathic college.
  • Can be a family physician or a specialist.
  • Are physicians who utilize the scientific method to diagnose and treat patients.
  • Offer a balanced system of health care to cure as well as prevent disease.
  • Place emphasis on caring for the whole person reflected by the large percentage of D.O.’s currently serving as family physicians nationwide.
  • Can provide an added dimension to their patient’s healthcare through osteopathic manipulative medicine (OMM).

What is Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine (OMM)?

  • A healing art where the physician uses his or her hands to help bring the body systems into structural balance.
  • Body systems include bones, muscles, organs, fluids, connective tissues, ligaments, tendons, and nerves.
  • The use of manual medicine by physicians is documented from as far back as ancient Greece.
  • There are many different types of OMM, from gentle to rigorous. The type of OMM used by the physicians at the Portland OCC is more gentle, and does NOT involve sharp twisting or cracking.
  • An estimated 20 percent of all DO’s in the US use OMM occasionally in their practice; only 2 percent use OMM primarily in their practice.
  • The physicians at the Portland OCC fall into the 2 percent category, primarily using their hands to gently evaluate and treat each child, to help improve the functioning of all of the body’s systems.
  • The goal is for each child to feel better in his or her body with improved health. A child who is more comfortable in his or her body is more comfortable within the family and the community.