WILLIAM NEWTON SURGERY & SPECIALTIES

Osteopaths or Doctors of Osteopathy (DO) are fully licensed physicians. Like MDs who are authorized to prescribe medication, perform surgery, and order all diagnostic tests. While attending their medical schools, DOs are responsible for the same academic courses as MDs but receive additional training in the study of the body’s musculoskeletal system.

Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine (OMM) is a specialty of osteopathy that emphasizes a hands-on approach to diagnosing, treating, and preventing illness or injury. Osteopaths work with their hands to identify areas where body structure is abnormally impaired or restricted. Using gentle and precise osteopathic manipulation treatment (OMT) techniques, restrictions are removed, pain is relieved and the body is able to heal itself.  

People of all ages and backgrounds, including infants, children, athletes, workers, and the elderly have all experienced pain relief and improved mobility from OMT.
Osteopathic Manipulation promotes deep relaxation and well-being, OMT also helps to maintain health and prevent disease or injury.

Pain Relief:

• Neck, back, and shoulder pain
• Headaches and migraines
• Sprains and strains
• Muscle aches
• Joint pain
• Sciatica
• Overuse syndromes
• Sports injuries and accident-related injuries

Illness/ Medical Conditions

• Asthma
• Sinusitis
• Bronchitis
• Frequent colds and sore throats
• Anxiety
• Depression
• ADD/ADDHD

Pregnancy:

• Back pain
• Groin pain
• Leg swelling

Infants and Children:

• Colic
• Spitting up
• Suckling difficulty
• Birth trauma
• Delayed development
• Recurrent ear infections

For the body to maintain health, it must have normal nerve function and be able to circulate all of its fluids (ex. blood, lymph, digestive fluids, cerebral spinal fluids etc). These fluids carry hormones, enzymes, nutrition, and oxygen required to regulate the body and sustain health. Any blockage of the fluids or nerves results in pain or disease. These blockages may be structural or non-structural.

Structural (physical) blocks may be in the bones, tissues, or organs. Osteopathic manipulation uses gentle hands-on techniques to remove physical blocks – this restores normal structure and function, which promotes innate healing and pain relief.

Non-structural impediments may include emotional patterns or memories that create physical stress on the body. This can result in pain or disease. These are often responses to stressful incidents of the past or present or are repetitive. Non-structural impediments may be helped with OMT or with spiritual-medical healing.

Depending on your condition, different osteopathic treatment techniques are used. Some examples include: soft tissue, myofascial release, cranial-sacral, visceral manipulation, muscle energy, lymphatic, Jones strain-counter strain, facilitated positional release, and cranial biodynamics.

Most patients are treated sitting or lying down. All treatments are specific to the patient and their particular condition. A variety of techniques are used: some resemble stretching while others are very light in touch. During the treatment, some patients feel a sense of relaxation, warmth, or tingling. Others report no sensation at all.

For those who have never experienced it, osteopathic manipulation is difficult to describe. It is unlike any other form of manual therapy. It is not massage, reiki, or chiropractic. Many patients cannot even feel most of the Osteopath’s most effective techniques.

Most patients experience deep relaxation and improvement of symptoms. Adverse effects may include but are not limited to muscle aches and the possible aggravation of symptoms existing prior to treatment, which usually resolve in 1-2 days.

Many factors are involved in healing. A patient in general good health responds more quickly than someone with a chronic problem. A chronic condition takes years to develop and takes longer to heal. Depending on the problem, an individual may be helped within a few treatments, while others with chromic problems might require a much longer period. Once pain is resolved, maintenance care is offered to help prevent the recurrence of pain or disease.