Its science includes the behavior, chemical, physical, spiritual and biology knowledge related to the establishment and maintenance of health as well as the prevention and alleviation of disease. The osteopathic profession is a group of over 36,000 physicians and surgeons throughout the United States that are involved in unlimited medical practice providing diagnosis and treatment in all standard medical specialties including family practice, internal medicine, neural surgery, cardiovascular surgery, obstetrics and gynecology, general surgery, cardiology, neurology, internal medicine, etc. Somatic dysfunction involves the skeletal system, joints, muscle structures and their related vascular, lymphatic and neural elements. Osteopathic manipulation is a manual medical procedure that the physician applies to a patient. This manual hands on technique involves putting joints and tissues through a range of motion, releasing membranous articular strain, muscle spasm and tight joint capsules and ligaments.
Osteopathic manipulation alleviates somatic dysfunction.
It is a primary care specialty emphasizing an in depth application of the osteopathic philosophy and special proficiency in osteopathic diagnosis and treatment. A diagnosis followed by therapeutic application of manually guided forces by an osteopathic physician to alleviate somatic dysfunction. This is accomplished by a variety of techniques. An examination of the patient by an osteopathic physician with emphasis upon the neuromuscular skeletal system including palpatory diagnosis of somatic dysfunction of visceral somatic change in context with total patient care. The examination is concerned with the range of motion of all parts of the body performed with the patient in multiple positions to provide static and dynamic evaluation.