why osteopathic?

Howdy,

Quote from KCOM's 'Greetings From Osteopathic Medicine':
"DO's receive specialized training in the musculoskeletal system - your body's interconnected systems of nerves, muscles, and bones that make up two-thirds of its body mass. This training provides osteopathic physicians with a better understanding of the ways that an injury or illness in one part of the body can affect another. It gives DOs a therapeutic and diagnostic advantage.
Osteopathic Manipulative Treatment (OMT) is incorporated in the training and practice of [SOME] osteopathic physicians. With OMT, osteopathic physicians use their hands to diagnose injury and illness and to encourage your body's natural tendency toward good health."
End Quote.

Other than the above differences the training is the same as allopathic, all else being equal, it is the promise of OMT that brought me to osteopathy.

 

I'm still looking at both MD and DO options, and I have been unable as yet to find very many evidence based articles on OMT, so pardon my ignorance, but 1)what exactly does it involve, 2)is it effective, and 3)what conditions are treated with it? Cites or links would be most appreciated, since it appears to be the primary practical difference between the two schools. Assuming it is an effective treatment, why do so few DO's report using it? (or am I just misinformed?) Thanks.