Osteopathic medicine is a unique form of American medical care that
was developed in 1874 by Dr. Andrew Taylor Still. Dr. Still was dissatisfied
with the effectiveness of 19th Century medicine. He believed that
many of the medications of his day were useless or even harmful.
Dr. Still was one of the first in his time to study the attributes
of good health so that he could better understand the process of
disease.
In response, Dr. Still founded a philosophy
of medicine based on ideas that date back to Hippocrates, the father
of medicine.
The
philosophy focuses on the unity of all body parts. He identified
the musculoskeletal system as a key element of health. He recognized
the body’s ability to heal itself and stressed preventive
medicine, eating properly and keeping fit.
Dr. Still pioneered the concept of "wellness" more than
125 years ago. In today’s terms, personal health risks
-- such as smoking, high blood pressure, excessive cholesterol
levels, stress
and other lifestyle factors -- are evaluated for each individual.
In coordination with appropriate medical treatment, the osteopathic
physician acts as a teacher to help patients take more responsibility
for their own well-being and change unhealthy patterns.
Osteopathic medicine is emerging as one of the nation's fastest
growing healthcare professions. The commitment to primary care and
prevention, osteopathic physicians (D.O.s) are becoming the physicians
of choice for more and more people. Osteopathic medicine emphasizes
the inter-relationship of the body's nerves, muscles, bones and organs.
The osteopathic philosophy of treating the whole person is applied
to the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of illness, disease and
injury.
Since osteopathic medical education places such a strong emphasis
on primary medical care, more than 60 percent of D.O.s specialize
in the following areas including family practice, internal medicine,
pediatrics, and obstetrics/gynecology.
