Osteopaths

January 6, 2004 9:04 AM

Does anyone have an Osteopath as their Primary Physician?
(more inside...)

I'm in the position of having to choose a new primary physician (due to a change in insurance carriers by my employer) and I'm considering choosing a local osteopath who comes very highly recommended. However, I don't know much about osteopathy, and most of the web resources seem to indicate there are many more practicing osteopaths in the UK than here in the US.

Does anyone here (from any country) have an osteopath as their primary doctor? How does care and treatment by an osteopath differ from care and treatment by a 'traditional' MD?

posted by anastasiav to Health & Fitness (4 answers total)

I have one on the US because, like you, I changed insurance providers. The closest covered medical providers were DOs instead of MDs. I have been to my DO exactly once, and it was exactly like any other first-time patient check-up, except with maybe a little more talking and a little less poking and prodding, but I think that is getting more typical in US doctor's offices lately. He renwed my asthma meds prescription, asked me a bit about what I ate and how I was feeling and that was it. I used this page to give me some background on what a DO was before I decided to go with him.
posted by jessamyn at 9:29 AM on January 6, 2004

I have a DO as my primary physician, and I am quite happy with him. The main difference I see is that, where an MD might first try a prescription or procedure, my DO will suggest alternative ways of managing problems. For example, after a gall bladder attack, the ER physician was urging me to have my gall bladder removed immediately. My DO suggested following a low-fat diet and now, three years later, I haven't had any problems. For me, this is a benefit, as I'm not a big fan of a bunch of meds and definitely not a fan of surgery. But I know that for some people, they would prefer a doctor who used any available solutions.
posted by ferociouskitty at 9:47 AM on January 6, 2004 [1 favorite]

Personally if I was going to use some one as an osteopath on a regular basis then I'd want to form my own opinion before committing myself to having to see them. I've used a few over the years and you definitely want one you're comfortable with.
posted by biffa at 10:04 AM on January 6, 2004

My Primary Care Physician is a DO and he's also the head/founding doctor of a group of doctors including MDs and PAs which comprise a large thriving practice.

I've never found a difference in treatment between MDs and DOs and I'm very comfortable with my DO (except for the "now it'd time to bend over" part of my physical.)
posted by DBAPaul at 4:31 PM on January 6, 2004