Over the past year, I’ve made some huge changes in my life. Friends that haven’t seen me in a while are surprised when they see me and realize how different I am now.
I’ve gone from being sick almost all of the time to feeling better than I have in years. From having almost constant joint pain and back pain, periodic episodes of fainting and chest pain, and horrible digestive problems, to feeling like a completely different person.
I’ve lost a lot of weight, don’t have any stomach issues any more, don’t have knees that pop when I walk up stairs, and feel better than I have in such a long time.
All thanks to a doctor who practices a type of medicine that I’d never heard of a few years ago.
That doctor is a Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine. A fully licensed medical physician who focuses on whole-person health instead of treating individual symptoms. Doctors of Osteopathic Medicine, or DOs, practice in all types of settings and in every medical specialty. Osteopathic Medicine is one of the fastest growing segments in medicine today, with one out of every four medical students enrolled in an osteopathic medical school.
I went to my DO on the recommendation of my general practitioner after having a lot of health problems that we were having a hard time diagnosing. I’d seen cardiologists about the chest pains, had tests run in the ER for the fainting, seen an Orthopedic doctor about my back pain, and on and on and on. My family doctor wondered if I could benefit from seeing a Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine who could look at all of my problems together and see if they were related.
I was unsure about seeing yet another doctor, but wanted to feel better, so I went. And now, about a year later, I’m feeling great and wishing I’d known about DOs a long time ago. I’ve changed my lifestyle completely – everything from what I’m eating to how I sit on the couch and in my car to how I exercise to how I sleep and more. Some things that I knew I needed to change, but others that I’d never thought of and had no idea could be related to my different problems.
I’m a huge fan of Osteopathic Medicine now and am always telling my friends and family to consider a DO when they’re having health problems. After years of different doctors and different health problems, my DO was honestly the first one to really, truly be successful at getting me healthier and feeling better.
Here are a few interesting facts about Osteopathic Medicine:
• 55% of all DOs practice in a primary care field (such as pediatrics or family medicine)
• Osteopathic medicine is a distinct branch of medical practice in the U.S.
• Doctors of Osteopathic Medicine are trained to listen and partner with their patients to help them get healthy. DOs believe there’s more to good health than the absence of pain or disease and emphasize a whole-person approach to treatment and care.
• The number of women DOs under the age of 45 rose 62% between 2010 and 2015, and 48% of DOs in active practice less than 10 years are female.
Before you talk to a doctor, choose one who is trained to listen and consider the person within the patient. Doctors of Osteopathic Medicine are medical doctors who practice their distinct philosophy in every medical specialty.
Learn more about the American Osteopathic Association (AOA) / Doctors of Osteopathic Medicine and find a DO in your area at DoctorsThatDO.org.
Disclaimer: Compensation was provided for this blog via Momtrends The opinions expressed herein are those of the author and are not indicative of the opinions of American Osteopathic Association or Momtrends.
