Many people wonder about the difference between an MD (Medical Doctor) and a DO (Doctor of Osteopathy). Both are physicians, but to what extent are they different? When it comes down to it, the main difference is in the training. DOs learn osteopathic manipulative therapy (OMT), also known as osteopathic manipulative medicine (OMM), while MDs do not.
According to the American Osteopathic Association, OMT is “hands-on care. It involves using the hands to diagnose, treat, and prevent illness or injury. Using OMT… osteopathic physician[s] will move… muscles and joints using techniques including stretching, gentle pressure and resistance.” According to David Abend, DO, “The goal of the DO is to assist the body’s natural ability to heal itself with all of the accepted medical treatments, including the hands-on approach [OMT]”. However, not all DOs use OMT. It can be thought of more as an additional set of tools available to the healthcare provider—whether or not they use them is up to them. In terms of which conditions OMT is especially useful for treating, a 1999 study published in the New England Journal of Medicine reported that OMT is an “effective and low cost form of treatment for low back pain” that decreases the need for medications or surgery. Additionally, OMT can be used to treat “asthma, carpal tunnel syndrome, menstrual pain, sinus disorders, and migraines.”
Image Source: Jutta Klee
In my personal experience, a DO can be almost indistinguishable from an MD, as both can be found in hospitals and private practices. One DO I shadowed played meditative music while working with his patient, with decorative blankets hanging to separate patient areas. On the other end of the spectrum, my friend’s primary care physician is a DO, and she says that she sees no difference in the DO’s care versus a typical MD’s care.
For more information on what it means to be a DO or what osteopathic medicine is, visit the American Osteopathic Association’s website.
