There is little difference between medical and osteopathic education except that DO's learn manipulative therapy as part of their training. A lesson chiropractors can learn from the osteopathic experience is that once having the opportunity to choose between manipulative therapy and medical procedures, DOs have chosen the latter. The reason that DOs hold on to their different title, degree, and educational system seems to be because their unique identity became institutionalized prior to their rejection of sectarianism. Licensure standards and the scope of practice of MDs and DOs are essentially the same throughout the United States. A Residual of pseudomedicine.
DOs appear to be more likely than MDs to become involved in dubious health care practices.
Such systems are quasi-religious and develop a following of ideological true believers, and attracts sociopaths. The CO theory is that the human brain makes rhythmic movements at a rate of 10 to 14 cycles per minute, a periodicity unrelated to breathing or heart rate. CO practitioners claim to be able to feel small cranial pulsations with their finger tips. Restrictions are the sutures which interfere with normal pulsations are a common cause of disease. Critics believe that the rap on the skull done by CO practitioners may be a form of suggestive therapy.