Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine (OMM) is a form of manual medicine that is taught to Doctors of Osteopathic Medicine (D.O.’s), in the United States. A D.O. will use their hands to diagnose and treat injuries or mechanical dysfunctions. This field incorporates a wide range of techniques, from direct fascial unwinding to extremely gentle fluid techniques on the cranium and tailbone. I personally do a lot of work on the fascial system, which is the web of connective tissue that interconnects all parts of the body. The goal of the treatment is to restore function and remove barriers to movement, facilitating the body’s natural tendency towards health and healing.

OMM can help individuals of all ages and backgrounds. It has been proven to help people with:

• Back/ Neck Pain

• Headaches (e.g. migraines, tension)

• Pregnancy/ Menstrual Pain

• Sports & Other Injuries

• Rehab from Stroke or Car Accident

• Constipation & Other Gastrointestinal Issues

• Sinus Congestion & Asthma

This field of manual medicine was founded in the United States by Dr. Andrew Taylor Still, in the 19th century. He was an M.D. who saw most of the medicines in his time doing more harm than good, and therefore, went back to nature for the basics. The first thing that he noticed is that when things aren’t moving right in the body, they don’t work as well. This applies not only to the muscles and bones, but all of the organs as well. The second thing that he noticed is that living things have the capacity to heal themselves, they just get stuck sometimes in certain places. You will notice that when things are allowed to rest in the right place, the body will take over and start to fix itself.

The main reason people tend to seek out OMM is for pain but it also helps with many other things. These are simply a result of getting your tissues moving efficiently again:

• Improved lymphatic drainage and reduced swelling/edema

• Improved blood flow throughout the body

• Reduced sympathetic nervous system activity (“fight or flight” or hyper-aroused response)

• Improved airflow in lungs (can help with asthma and COPD)

You may be familiar with D.O.’s as physicians. We are fully licensed to practice medicine and work in all medical specialties from primary care to neurosurgery. The only additional specialty in which D.O.’s are also trained, but our M.D. counterparts are not, is Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine. However, very few D.O.’s practice this skillset, which is why you may not have heard of it before.