What is Osteopathy?
Osteopathy is a system of natural medicine that views the individual as a whole unit. The principles of Osteopathic Medicine emphasize the interrelationship between the structure and function of the body and recognize the body’s ability to heal itself.
What does a Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine do?
As an Osteopathic physician, Dr. Starkman helps facilitate your body’s natural healing process. He assesses and treats restrictions in your body tissues that prevent your body from optimal function. Osteopathy is unique because it focuses on finding and treating the causes of your pain and dysfunction rather than just focusing on symptoms.
Osteopathic Evaluation
An initial evaluation is usually 45-60 minutes and consists of a thorough discussion of patient history, including a review of traumas sustained during one’s lifetime, along with an Osteopathic examination and treatment. Treatments are performed with the patient fully clothed. Most treatments are conducted while a patient lies on their back with their head resting on a pillow and a bolster underneath their knees. It is recommended to wear loose, comfortable clothing, but not required. The treatment may consist of a light application of pressure to areas beneath the pelvis, spine, and head. Also, there may be use of vibratory therapy in the form of a Percussion Massager, deeper tissue work of the muscles, ligaments or fascia, and certain exercises and stretches.
Osteopathic Therapy
If a course of Osteopathic therapy is recommended, follow-up visits are usually 30-45 minutes each and may continue once per week for several weeks; continuation of therapy is based on response to treatment. Factors affecting treatment response can include a patient’s age, length of time with the current medical condition, other medical issues, as well as the patient’s nutritional status, and stress levels.
Future visits with Dr. Starkman may address these and other underlying factors preventing an optimal treatment response and prolonging symptoms of disease. Continuing treatment may involve the use of various forms of Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) modalities including Acupuncture, Food Sensitivity Testing, Nutrition Counseling, Hormone Testing/Balancing, Herbal Medicine, Nutritional Supplementation, Homeopathy, weight loss programs or a referral to other providers for co-management.
Who can benefit from traditional Osteopathy?
At Osteopathic Healing Arts, we welcome patients from newborns to seniors. For pediatric patients, osteopathic treatment is excellent for general health care and well-being, newborn evaluation, treatment of birth trauma, infant sleep irregularities, colic, reflux, difficulty feeding, acute and chronic ear/sinus infections, asthma, developmental delays, cerebral palsy & ADHD.
How do I know if Osteopathic Treatment is right for me?
At Osteopathic Healing Arts, we welcome patients from newborns to seniors. For pediatric patients, osteopathic treatment is excellent for general health care and well-being, newborn evaluation, treatment of birth trauma, infant sleep irregularities, colic, reflux, difficulty feeding, acute and chronic ear/sinus infections, asthma, developmental delays, cerebral palsy & ADHD.
In adults, osteopathic treatment is helpful for not only general health care and well-being, but also for post-surgical care, pregnancy and post-partum care, infections, symptoms secondary to injuries, neurological problems, various types of pain, migraines, dizziness, nerve palsy, digestive disorders, fatigue, stress-related illnesses and more.