You should wear clothes that you are comfortable in. It is not necessary to wear very loose fitting gym clothes. I do spend time holding feet, having socks are a good idea.

Osteopathic physicians are trained to look at the whole person, body, mind and spirit. We don’t look at one organ system as separate from all the others. All parts are interdependent and each part needs to be considered in its relationship to the whole person.

Generally, it’s fine to do anything that you are used to doing after you have had an osteopathic treatment. In the first day or two, it’s best not to overdo even the things you’re used to doing. In other words, if you work out in the gym every day keep doing that. It’s a good idea not to start going to the gym everyday right after you begin treatment, just because you feel like, now you could manage it. Let your body heal and begin doing these kinds of activities gradually. Frequently patients will return to a follow-up visit stating that they felt so good that they went out and completed all the chores that have been piling up and now they feel worse than they did before. The body needs four or five days to integrate the changes that take place in osteopathic treatment. Give yourself time to heal. Be mindful.

My understanding of chiropractic is that their main concern is reducing “subluxations” in an effort to “align” the axial skeleton.

In osteopathic medicine, we’re not so concerned about alignment. We are looking at the relationship between structure and function. Our aim is to restore normal physiologic function so that the body is free to express its health at its highest level. The body will naturally align itself to the degree required for normal physiologic function.

Osteopathic manipulative medicine is always helpful. For many conditions it is the first line of therapy. Sometimes it is an adjunct to other forms of therapy. Please refer to the WHO BENEFITS page elsewhere on this website.

My approach to osteopathic treatment is gentle and relaxing. Occasionally I will touch a tender point. This may induce a momentary experience of pain. In the 24 hours following treatment, if there has been a significant postural shift, your muscles may ache as if you had worked out for the first time. This is usually gone by the next day.

A new patient with an acute problem may only require two or three appointments. The first appointment is often about getting to know one another and to get comfortable with the treatment. It’s generally beneficial to follow up once or twice after a problem has resolved. It may be possible to restore health in ways you no longer thought possible.

Chronic conditions are much harder to predict. There are many variables including whether or not we can identify an underlying cause, are there any environmental elements that can or cannot be changed, and changing bad habits that formed around the problem can sometimes be hard to break. For example, sitting with your legs crossed because it was the only way you could be comfortable. Habits like these can push people back into compensatory pain patterns. Restoring a healthy diet and adequate levels of exercise can also take time.