What’s the difference between OMM and Chiropractic care?

First of all, D.O.’s are fully licensed physicians giving them much broader expertise when evaluating you and making recommendations for your medical care. Furthermore, OMM has a much more diverse set of techniques which even includes the high-velocity manipulations that chiropractors are known for. However, you don’t see osteopaths using those techniques nearly as often or even at all.

Imagine your skeleton being suspended in the balanced tension of your connective tissues. When the strain is released, the bones articulate fairly easily and often just from getting up and moving around or a gentle nudge with the right leverage. If that strain is not released, then moving the bones into the right places may feel good only temporarily. Fairly quickly the underlying strain in the fascia will start to pull the bones back out of alignment again. You may be told by a chiropractor that you require an adjustment once a week or more but in actuality, the underlying dysfunction is not being addressed. OMM addresses the dysfunction in ALL of the tissues, not just alignment of the bones, giving you longer lasting relief that gets to the root cause.

With OMM, the goal is to get you better so you don’t need me anymore! I will never lock you in with a subscription or make you feel pressured to see me more often to get your money’s worth. Healing Hands is a concierge practice which means you only pay for the treatments you get.

Is this a form of Alternative Medicine?

Yes and no. The short answer is yes, as you do not see this being incorporated very much by D.O.’s today. However, I like to avoid the word “alternative”, as this suggests that it should be done instead of something else. You should still see your primary care physician or other appropriate doctors for whatever conditions you have. I can communicate with other physicians involved in your care if need be, to work out an integrative treatment plan. I support holistic healing which means using all the tools at your disposal to help you reach a place of balance and harmony. If my contribution leads to lowering your need for medication, then we can consider it a victory. But it should not be considered outright as a replacement for whatever treatment plan you already have. As always, I would be more than happy to discuss the details at your visit.

What can I expect at my first appointment?

Your first visit will be a bit longer (about 1h 15min - 1h 30min). We will spend some time reviewing your past medical history and discussing how OMM can be helpful for you. For the majority of the assessment and treatment, you can expect to be lying on your back with your face up. For most techniques you will not need to do anything actively; just relax and let me do the work! Patients sometimes will even fall asleep during treatments.

The treatment will involve pressing on certain points that may be tender. Don’t hesitate to let me know if something is too uncomfortable. There are always other approaches if any technique is uncomfortable. I will twist and turn the fascia (connective tissue) at certain points to stack the layers until a point of “balanced tension” is achieved. This point will feel like you are ‘floating’ in the region of your body that was tight, and from this quiet floating place, you will start to feel the tissues unwind and relax.

What can I expect after my first treatment and for follow-ups?

Immediately after a treatment you should expect to feel calm and relaxed with a reduction in your pain. You should feel more mobile in areas that were previously tight.

Within the first couple of days after treatment some people may experience mild soreness. This happens because muscles in an area that was tight can get weaker. After a treatment, when things get moving again, these muscles may need to do more work after not being used for a while. This discomfort happens to less than half of people and you can take Tylenol to help.

Your first follow-up is recommended between 2-4 weeks. They are generally 45min - 1 hour. Based on how your body responds we will find the most appropriate follow-up time-frame to suit your needs. For more acute problems, the goal is to gradually spread out treatments until you recover or are pain-free. For certain chronic conditions, you may benefit from regular followups, which may be anywhere between 1-4 months apart depending on the individual.