Osteopathic manipulative medicine, or OMM, may be used by your doctor to treat a variety of conditions affecting your musculoskeletal system. In medicine, the term “manipulation” refers to the therapeutic use of pressure or guided movement of parts of your body. OMM may involve:
- Stretching your muscles
- Moving your joints
- Applying heat therapy
- Placing gentle pressure on areas of your body to relieve pain and discomfort
Only doctors of osteopathic medicine, or DOs, are licensed to perform OMM. DOs receive all of the same education, training, licensing, and board certification as a traditional doctor of medicine, or MD, and can practice any medical specialty. Unlike MDs, however, DOs receive an education that places a greater emphasis on preventative medicine and comprehensive care that accounts for your lifestyle, environmental factors, and interrelated functions of your body’s systems.
OMM factors into this approach by recognizing and treating neuromusculoskeletal factors that may be negatively impacting your ability to heal or physically function correctly. Some of the conditions and injuries that OMM is commonly used to treat include:
- Headaches
- Sports injuries
- Arthritis
- Back, neck, and shoulder pain
OMM is a core element of the medical services offered at Jamaica Hospital Medical Center’s Integrative Health program. To learn more about OMM and specific treatments provided by our Queens, NYC osteopathic doctors, please call (718) 206-6914.