WHAT IS A D.O.? 

D.O. stands for Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine. If you are like most people, you may be unaware that there are two different types of physicians in the United States.  Both D.O.s (Osteopathic Physicians) and M.D.s (Allopathic Physicians) are fully qualified and licensed doctors that can perform surgery and prescribe medicine. 

Is there any difference between D.O.s and M.D.s?

Yes and no.  Both D.O.s and M.D.s are fully qualified and licensed doctors, but D.O.s bring something extra to medicine: 

• Osteopathic physicians focus on preventive health care. They bring the patient into the health care process as a partner.

• D.O.s receive extra training in the musculoskeletal system—your body’s interconnected system of nerves, muscles and bones that make up two-thirds of your body mass.  This training provides osteopathic physicians with a better understanding of the ways that an injury or illness in one part of your body can affect another part.

• Osteopathic manipulative treatment (OMT) is incorporated in the training and practice of D.O.s.  With OMT, osteopathic physicians use their hands to diagnose injury and illness, help alleviate pain, restore motion and to encourage your body’s natural tendency toward good health.  By combining other available medical procedures with OMT, D.O.s can offer their patients the most comprehensive care available in medicine.