I agree with the fact that OMM alone does not heal anything. What they teach us and also what i agree with, is that it can help in the healing process (not for everything). It helps with muscle pain, helps you check for joint alignment, etc... I don't think DOs should charge huge amounts for doing OMT, b/c well like you said its pointless. None the less they have learned that skill, like chiros, accupuncturist, etc... If people want to go to them so be it. As a future aspiring physician (who hopes to go into IM) i would like to use OMT as part of a synergistic treatment. I personally will like to keep the patients away from drugs as much as possible and use their own bodies ability to heal itself. A little quacky, maybe. But i think we have become way to dependent on drugs. None the less i advocate using it when it is due and changing lifestyle to support their health.
My knowledge of OMT is well very limited, so i can not truly argue with you on many parts. I can def tell you though that our second years who offer free OMT for us, really help us with many of our body pains (back, neck, etc...), which keep us away from many pain killers. There is something to it, it may not be a "cure" but rarely anything is, which i have seemed to learn in my breif introduction to the career of medicine. It is natural for our body to age and loose its integrity, if someone can "cure" my back pain (may it be temporarily) and also keep me away from analgesic, anti-inflammatory, etc... i'm for it. Now it's up to me to go pay $10 for ibuprofen or pay a $20 copay for a visit.
Using people as cash cows well that's pretty much un-ethical to the core (i know i sound a little pompous here). Like you said in your earlier post DOs don't have the market cornered on un-ethical behavior, it can and does come from all parts. So the best we can do as aspiring physicians is advocate the most proper form of medicine (very subjective) to our patients, and let them decide on their own.
I just had a question in regards to how much do you know about OMM and osteopathic philosophy? Because even being an osteopathic medical student, i have just seen the tip of the iceberg. Also FYI it seems a little BS to me so far, but like i said the second years and their help with our neck and back pains. So i'm just keeping my mind open.- A humble med student