What is Osteopathic Medicine?

Osteopathic medicine is a distinct branch of medicine in the U.S. that emphasizes interrelated unity of all systems in the body, each working with the other to heal in times of illness.

While Doctors of Osteopathic Medicine (DOs) practice the most up-to-date evidence-based medicine approaches to medical care, they maintain that the patient-centered interview and the hands-on examination (palpation) is an essential part of making a diagnosis. Osteopathic medicine offers all of the well-recognized pharmacologic and surgical treatments along with a strong commitment to prevention and health maintenance as the first priority. Additionally, it offers a treatment of Osteopathic Manipulative Treatment (OMT) as an important therapeutic tool that can utilized by osteopathic physicians in alleviating pain, treating illness or injury, and in many cases avoiding invasive surgeries to alleviate pain.

Learn more about the DO ​Difference.

Growth of Osteopathic Medicine

Osteopathic medicine is one of the fastest-growing health care professions in the country, with one out of every four medical students enrolled in an osteopathic medical school. Over the past decade, the profession has experienced a 68% increase in the total number of DOs. If this trend continues, DOs are projected to represent more than 20% of all practicing physicians by the year 2030.