How do DO's incorporate OMM into their practice?

[Necr0sis713]

---

Members don't see this ad.

Do DO's offer it as a standalone treatment? Like just something else in the menu.

For example, let's say a DO has a primary care practice, can you call and schedule appointments for OMM like you would schedule adjustments at a chiro, or is it used part of routine checkups as a diagnostic tool like checking reflexes

 

[CCmetal94]

The hospital I shadow at has an OMT clinic. Patient schedule appointments specifically for OMT. An M.D. and a D.O. resident worked to open the OMT clinic, which I thought was pretty cool.

 

[MADD!!!]

Could be done both ways

 

[Goro]

>90% of them don't.

Do DO's offer it as a standalone treatment? Like just something else in the menu.

For example, let's say a DO has a primary care practice, can you call and schedule appointments for OMM like you would schedule adjustments at a chiro, or is it used part of routine checkups as a diagnostic tool like checking reflexes

 

[Mad Jack]

>90% of them don't.

Beat me to it. Statistically 98% of DOs don't use it.

 

[Goro]

Shhhhh! The AOA might hear!!

Beat me to it. Statistically 98% of DOs don't use it.

 

[Necr0sis713]

At least i'll be good with my hands 😉

 

[779663]

Shhhhh! The AOA might hear!!

If OMM isn't used to treat patients, can it at least be used to impress girls?

 

[Necr0sis713]

If OMM isn't used to treat patients, can it at least be used to impress girls?

My best childhood friend is a DO Internal med resident. I always ask him to do OMM on me. It's really impressive how much he can tell about my body with his hands.

 

[radian313]

I've seen it. Pretty cool actually.

Middle aged male presents with lower back pain on the left side with numbness and tingling radiating down towards the lower left extremity, specifically the calf muscles. Patient has difficulty in adducting/abducting/flexing entire lower extremity (hip/knee joint).

Dx: Piriformis syndrome/Sciatica

A few OMT sessions to counterstrain that specific muscle to release the tension impinging the sciatic nerve.

The problem? Our society wants a quick "walk in and out" fix with a "magic pill". While prednisone and opioids may treat the symptoms, it will NOT treat the nerve compression. So yes, OMT may be a viable option. Specific to this patient, was the need to ensure the patient knew that his obesity was a contributing factor in creating a mass "over hang" causing the strain in his posterior muscles including the piriformis muscles to maintain his posture.

 

[Goro]

I definitely can attest to its efficacy, both on myself and my wife. Any sort of joint paint pops up on me and I make a beeline for the office of my OMM colleague Dr CD. The man's a genius!

I've seen it. Pretty cool actually.

Middle aged male presents with lower back pain on the left side with numbness and tingling radiating down towards the lower left extremity, specifically the calf muscles. Patient has difficulty in adducting/abducting/flexing entire lower extremity (hip/knee joint).

Dx: Piriformis syndrome/Sciatica

A few OMT sessions to counterstrain that specific muscle to release the tension impinging the sciatic nerve.

The problem? Our society wants a quick "walk in and out" fix with a "magic pill". While prednisone and opioids may treat the symptoms, it will NOT treat the nerve compression. So yes, OMT may be a viable option. Specific to this patient, was the need to ensure the patient knew that his obesity was a contributing factor in creating a mass "over hang" causing the strain in his posterior muscles including the piriformis muscles to maintain his posture.

 

[Mad Jack]

If OMM isn't used to treat patients, can it at least be used to impress girls?

Show them the IT spread. Works every time.

 

[779663]

Show them the IT spread. Works every time.

I don't know what that is

 

[Mad Jack]

My best childhood friend is a DO Internal med resident. I always ask him to do OMM on me. It's really impressive how much he can tell about my body with his hands.

I do OMM on friends and my gf all the time. Works pretty well for them. But given my leanings toward psychiatry, I doubt I'll have much use for OMM.

 

[Mad Jack]

I don't know what that is

So just imagine you're on your stomach with your legs spread and some dude has his thumbs jammed into the crease where your thigh meets your butt, about two inches either way from your anus, that they put outward traction on every time you inhale.

OMM lab was interesting that day...

 

[779663]

So just imagine you're on your stomach with your legs spread and some dude has his thumbs jammed into the crease where your thigh meets your butt, about two inches either way from your anus, that they put outward traction on every time you inhale.

OMM lab was interesting that day...

Wait, you try this out on your fellow classmates?

 

[Mad Jack]

Wait, you try this out on your fellow classmates?

Yeah, you have to in lab. It's okay tho, you're only half naked.

 

[sharpstickie]

An Osteopathic ENT I shadowed said this about OMM "I sure never use it, but my wife loves it".
He has 8 kids. Apparently OMM is quite effective.

 

[779663]

Yeah, you have to in lab. It's okay tho, you're only half naked.

I've never been stronger in my conviction to become an osteopathic physician till this very moment

 

[cabinbuilder]

Wait, you try this out on your fellow classmates?

Yes, you have to learn the technique in class.

I use OMT all the time in urgent care. Especially on younger patients <35 who have had a fall, car accident, gymnastics strain, etc. Most of those are musculoskeletal/spasm issues that can be fixed easily. I do a lot on the staff too.

 

[AsianPersuasion]

So just imagine you're on your stomach with your legs spread and some dude has his thumbs jammed into the crease where your thigh meets your butt, about two inches either way from your anus, that they put outward traction on every time you inhale.

OMM lab was interesting that day...

I'd be so scared to fart or something...😳

Lol, back to OP, the DO I shadowed had a day out of the week where she dedicated it specifically for all her OMM procedures with mix of regular patients. I think it's really specific to the practice and how you want it. I plan on going into FM and I'd like to incorporate it into practice if I can.

 

[sharpstickie]

I'd be so scared to fart or something...😳

Lol, back to OP, the DO I shadowed had a day out of the week where she dedicated it specifically for all her OMM procedures with mix of regular patients. I think it's really specific to the practice and how you want it. I plan on going into FM and I'd like to incorporate it into practice if I can.

Bruh. I was an ultrasound model last week and had residents prodding my gut with the transducer for 7 hours.
They could see gas buildup in my bowels as I was holding it in.

 

[AsianPersuasion]

Bruh. I was an ultrasound model last week and had residents prodding my gut with the transducer for 7 hours.
They could see gas buildup in my bowels as I was holding it in.

I'm dead. lol

 

[TheFutureFatMan]

thats a really broad question/answer

 

[bones]

Do DO's offer it as a standalone treatment? Like just something else in the menu.

For example, let's say a DO has a primary care practice, can you call and schedule appointments for OMM like you would schedule adjustments at a chiro, or is it used part of routine checkups as a diagnostic tool like checking reflexes

If your hands are good and you know your medicine you can use a physical exam to do most of your diagnostic work in the office- followed by appropriate tests if warranted. OMM is a good treatment in many cases because if you are good at it- it is fast, safe, very effective for a number of conditions- and sometimes curative. There arent many other areas in medicine where we see this. If you fail you always have all of the rest of your medical training to fall back on, and you can treat their symptoms at the least.

I train a number of family medicine residents, and I try to help them integrate OMM into their clinic. I want them to make using their hands and osteopathic training a normal way of thinking and working up patients. They can then use it as a first line treatment where appropriate rather than just some special procedure they think about from time to time.

As some of the commenters mentioned, it is a minority of DOs that use OMM regularly. For a variety of reasons... mostly poor instruction at DO schools and problems with intellectual honesty about what we know and what we dont know at some schools. Example- teaching an untested hypothesis as if it is fact and expecting medical students to answer questions about it on a test as if it is factual. A lot of students are rightfully frustrated by this, and kind of tune out the rest of their first and second year. All of medicine has these problems actually- but w anything in alternative or complementary medicine or really anything out of standard practice- the bar is higher and should be. This doesnt reflect the potential of OMM to help people w the right instruction if you can find it... many lives are changed every week in our clinics and on the hospital service. If OMM is something that interests you, you will need to find skilled mentors early in your education process.

good luck!