What are the main benefits of OMM?

[Nater44]

---

Members don't see this ad.

I'm new to this forum and think it's great. All the posts I've read have been positive and helpful. It's encouraging to know that if I get in to a DO school many of you will be my colleauges. I'm interested in what you all think is the benefit of OMM. Does the patient feel better because their doctor is touching them and actively trying to heal them? Is it physiological?

 

[Squat n Squeeze]

There is no benefit. It's just nonsense.

 

[paramed2premed]

Wow. That will get a response.

I think you will hear from a number of posters extolling the wonderful experiences they have had both delivering and receiving OMM. There will also be a few folks who view the issue more skeptically, and are waiting for better evidence.

How it works (if it does) is another prickly issue, but probably immaterial if OMM is found to really help.

Even allopathic doctors know that simple touch is therapeutic, even if it is less critical these days with respect to diagnosis. How does OMM compare to a good foot-rub?

Parethetically, I have noticed that "S&S" has yet to contribute any posts of substance. Fortunately, the pre-osteo board is not easy place to ignite flame wars.

 

[Dr JPH]

There are a great many number of treatment modalities incorporating OMM and just as many benefits to the therapies.

You will find a good bit of disagreement from the allopathic folks, mainly due to the fact that they never learn this stuff and are jealous of the fact that we as DOs can offer more to our patients.

For instance:

What would you do with a 75yo male with advanced cardiac disease (your grandfather, prehaps) who has terrible nasal congestion from a head cold? Sudafed? I don't think so...not with his heart. OMM? Absolutely.

How about a 7yo child with painful otitis media already into his 5th day of antibiotic therapy? Try another round of Amoxicillin? Maybe something more potent...why not? We love to give little kids diarrhea anyway. Well, how about some OMM to get some of that crud moving. Sounds good to me.

What about an 84yo female lying in the hospital bed after 3 days after being admitted to the hospital for CHF and dehydration from too much furosemide and refusal to turn on her air conditioner. She wants to go home but the house staff is reluctant to release her until her bowels get moving. Are you gonna load this poor old woman up with laxatives and stimulants? Nah...OMM baby.

How about this one...

Your 25yo girlfriend is lying in bed on a beautiful Saturday afternoon with terrible menstrual cramps. And you, her loving boyfriend, is too embarassed to go buy some Midol (she's a pharmacist, afterall, why can't SHE buy it!). Well, instead, you gently start rocking her sacrum for her, losen her pelvic floor, and do some soft tissue to her Q. lumborum, paraspinals, and lat. dorsi as well. She falls asleep for an hour, wakes up refreshed and feeling good, and you can finally go out and get loaded at the bar.

Or how about when she "has a headache"? Well, don't wait for the advil to kick in...start putting some traction on that OA! 5 minutes, she's feeling good and all out of excuses! 😉


Hey...if none of that floats your boat, just do some thoracic or cervical HVLA. It sounds impressive and feels good too. Or, try some counterstrain on non-believers...that will either change their mind about OMM quickly or shun you for being a witch doctor.

And, if all else fails, give the patients what they like. Soft tissue. That will keep them coming back.

Hey...right now I don't know what specialty I will be going into, but whatever it is, if there is room to use OMM, I am doing it.

So far it has done a great deal for my friends, family, and girlfriend (especially the latter 😉 ).

'Night

 

[Dr JPH]

Oh, by the way.

The benefits are that the patient IS being touched, but the therapies have a physiological base as well.

 

[Amy B]

Is OMM and OMT the same thing?

Do we have to let people do OMT OMM on us as students? Are you able to refuse?

 

[kristenE]

yep... and you have to get nekkid too!!! Sports bras just don't cover enough😳

 

[kristenE]

I forgot to mention that this week, we got to feel our partners pubic symphysis!!! I have a feeling I'll know my OMM/OMT partner better then my boyfriend! 😱

 

[exmike]

Originally posted by kristenE
I forgot to mention that this week, we got to feel our partners pubic symphysis!!! I have a feeling I'll know my OMM/OMT partner better then my boyfriend! 😱

you and your boyfriend need to be more intimate

 

[Megalofyia]

What about people who are totally neurotic and modest beyond belief?

 

[DD214_DOC]

They don't get far in life.

 

[Amy B]

Originally posted by kristenE
yep... and you have to get nekkid too!!! Sports bras just don't cover enough😳

Sports bra... HA. For us well endowed chesty broads sports bras are a mere piece of elastic tied around our chests.

Ok, this sucks. Now I want to be a MD.

 

[DOtobe]

Actually, at LECOM we only got "nekkid" in our first semester 😉

As for the benefits of OMM, I agree with JP that the benefits of OMM are due to both the physical touching of the patient and psychological factors. Anybody who has even gotten a massage can attest to the fact that physical contact can make one's aches and pains go away. And I think the psychology kicks in with things like cervical HVLA - as soon as the patient hears their neck crack they feel that their pain will soon be going away.

And as for Squat n Squeeze, you crack me up. You are the troll that will never go away, and you are just so entertaining. I can't find any of your posts offensive or take them seriously because they are so amusing BTW, how's that health care program you started?

 

[DODODO]

if anybody who has gone through OMM could answer exactly how "naked" we need to get in labs. Also, for those of us who don't like people touching us is it going to be a problem. I mean, are the dudes in their jockeys during lab?? Do people practice on their partners w/ clothes on? Just curious. Specifically looking for answers from students from CCOM or DMU

thx

 

[stomper627]

dododo,
you really need to get over your insecurities. Touching is part of medicine, not just OMM. Even a routine physical involves a lot of touching of "private" areas. If your not comfortable with someone touching you, then youll never be comfortable touching someone else. Realize this is medicine and OMM lab, not grope class...
stomper

 

[Claymore]

DODODO-
You won't have to worry about any problems with getting too bare at CCOM. You just have to wear comfortable clothes (shorts, t-shirts, etc). No strict rules about attire, except thick clothes like jeans probably would be frowned upon.

That being said, despite the fact that you are wearing clothes, you will be palpating just about all areas of your partners' bodies. Pubic symphysis and sacrum included. Enjoy!

MS-2
Midwestern University-CCOM

 

[Megalofyia]

Originally posted by stomper627
If your not comfortable with someone touching you, then youll never be comfortable touching someone else.

Not true. I was a very tactile defensive kid and I am still not a toucy person. But I have no problems palpating other people or even doing caths on other people. You don' t have to be comfortable with being touched to feel comfortable touching somebody else. I realize most people don't have such issues with touch but I don' t understand why it's such a difficult concept to understand that being touched and touching are two different things.

 

[Amy B]

Originally posted by Megalofyia
Not true. I was a very tactile defensive kid and I am still not a toucy person. But I have no problems palpating other people or even doing caths on other people. You don' t have to be comfortable with being touched to feel comfortable touching somebody else. I realize most people don't have such issues with touch but I don' t understand why it's such a difficult concept to understand that being touched and touching are two different things.

I agree with this poster. I hate to be massaged. I just can't stand it and never have. I hate backrubs and such. But I am a very caring person who has no problem with touching others. I guess each to his/her own.

 

[stomper627]

with the same reply to readers and DODODO as the OP in a similar thread in Osteo.....Sorry if Ive offended some....we all have some physical insecurities....yes even those of us who have "sculpted bodies" and are in the gym 6days a week, one of the reasons Im there so often, 🙂 but that is how I deal with it. My reference was in the way it was implied with "dudes in their jockeys"....it sounded as a sexual overtone. If that is the case, then you really need to grow up. If I was mistaken, I apologize. Most of medicine has touching, and you better get comfortable with it, or I would hate to see you on your rotations when you have to deliver your first baby...which could easily happen on your 1st or 2nd day of rotations.
stomper

 

[DODODO]

Thanks to everybody for their replies. Stomper, I apologize if my OP sounded sophomoric w/ the reference to jockey shorts. I was just trying to get my point across. No need to take everything so seriously. And I also do agree, no matter how "in shape" someone is there are always insecurities. But there is a HUGE difference between having someone touch you and touching someone else, ie. surgeons are very comfortable and confident when performing procedures. But when the surgeon has to have a procedure done on them it's not necessary that they will have the same confidence. We're still human beings.

 

[wholehealth]

I