Osteopathy
Osteopathy is a form of medicine that treats the whole person, with a special focus on the bones and muscles. Doctors of osteopathy (DOs) believe the well-being of the bones and muscles is important to all of the body's systems. Osteopathy is used to treat and prevent illness and injury.
DOs and medical doctors (MDs) are the only two kinds of doctors who practice in the U.S. They must pass similar state licensing exams. Like MDs, DOs prescribe drugs, do surgery, and practice in all branches of medicine. DOs represent 6% of the total U.S. doctors, and 8% of all military doctors.
How DOs are trained
DOs go to an accredited osteopathic medical school for 4 years. They focus on preventive medicine, and then do a 1-year internship to gain hands-on practice in internal medicine, obstetrics/gynecology, family practice, pediatrics, and surgery. Most go on to complete a 2 to 6 year residency. All doctors (DOs and MD) must pass a state medical board exam to get a license to practice. To learn more about osteopathy, visit the American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine.
History of Osteopathy
Andrew Taylor Still, the founder of osteopathy, was the son of a pioneer doctor. In the mid-1800s, he learned medicine by apprenticing with other doctors and going to lectures. Without medical school, he was put to the test treating American Indians and settlers during serious epidemics—cholera, malaria, pneumonia, small pox, diphtheria, and tuberculosis. Sadly, he lost three of his children to spinal meningitis.
Still was unhappy with the healing methods of the day, especially with the use of drugs. He wanted to support wellness rather than just treat illness, and believed the body would be healthier if it was "mechanically" sound—like a machine. He began to work with the bones and muscles, manipulating the body to improve blood flow and fix imbalances. While his new ideas didn't catch on right away, his patients got better, his practice grew, and he was able to use fewer drugs.
In 1892, Still opened the American School of Osteopathy (ASO) in Kirksville, MO. The school could have given out the doctor of medicine (MD) degree, but chose to offer the DO degree instead. In 1894, 18 physicians graduated. There are now 27 osteopathic medical schools in the U.S.—and one in five medical students attends one of them. The American Medical Association predicts that by 2020 there will be 95,400 DOs.
