Osteopathic Medicine

A Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine or D.O., is a fully licensed physician who practices in all areas of medicine.  A D.O. receives the same vigorous conventional medical training as an MD as well as extensive training in the musculoskeletal system and hands-on treatment of many illnesses.

Osteopathy was developed by Andrew Taylor Still, MD in the late 1890’s.  He was a devout physician who recognized through his medical experience a need to bring a new perspective to medical diagnosis and treatment. He undertook an intensive study of anatomy and physiology leading to the development of osteopathic medicine and eventually opened the first osteopathic medical school.

At the foundation of osteopathic medicine is the understanding of the body as a unity (body, soul, spirit) in which structure and function are interrelated and inherently carry the capacity to self regulate, heal and maintain health.

William Garner Sutherland, D.O.  (1873 – 1954)  a student of Dr. Still’s,  furthered osteopathy with the discovery and development of cranial osteopathy.  He applied the osteopathic concepts to the anatomy of the skull and central nervous system and found new levels of interrelationship in the body.  He saw his work as a continuation of Dr. Still’s work.

Here at Collaborative Medical Arts,  gentle osteopathic treatments are implemented for many health concerns. These include but are not limited to: asthma, anxiety, fatigue, depression, muscle/joint pain, reflux, irritable bowel syndrome and sleep disturbance. Generally, a treatment lasts thirty minutes with a rest period following.

Anthroposophic Medicine

Anthroposophic medicine was developed by Dr. Ita Wegman and Rudolf Steiner in the 1920’s.  It is practiced by fully licensed physicians (D.O’s, M.D’s, N.D’s) throughout the world who have completed an anthroposophic post-medical training.

Anthroposophic medicine recognizes the human being as more than a physical entity and therefore we use an in-depth approach in our practice which includes exploring the emotional and creative life as well as the physical.   The physician and patient work closely together to develop an individualized therapeutic plan which may include a combination of remedies, therapies, and lifestyle or dietary changes.  Anthroposophic doctors also prescribe conventional medications if the situation warrants it. 

Anthroposophic medications are created uniquely from nature; they are designed to stimulate the patient’s self-healing forces.  Choice of a remedy is not based purely on protocol but at looking at each patient as an individual. These medications come in the form of oral pellets, liquid, injections, oils, and creams, each stimulating healing from a different perspective.