-CAN ANYONE OF ANY AGE BE TREATED WITH OMT?
People of all ages, from newborns to senior adults, can benefit from osteopathic manipulative treatment (OMT).
-WHAT DOES OSTEOPATHY TREAT?
OMT can be helpful in a wide range of ailments and medical conditions. Applying OMT to muscles, joints and other tissues allows the body to achieve a state of health more quickly and easily.
Examples include:
-WHAT SHOULD I EXPECT?
Overall, an OMT treatment should be relaxing and healing. Dr Anthony individualizes her treatment based on her patient, and each treatment is different, just like each person is different. Usually, we treat the patient while they are lying on their back. The goal is to promote the body’s natural health and function.
It is recommended to be hydrated and drink plenty of water after a treatment. It’s possible that that result of a treatment can be a little delayed. Some people can have soreness or feel achy right after or the evening of a treatment but usually feel relief the next day.
-HOW SHOULD I PREPARE FOR MY INITIAL VISIT?
Please complete the new patient forms on the patient portal, or arrive 15 minutes prior to visit to complete them in-person. It is also very helpful if you are able to bring relevant imaging/studies (x-rays, MRIs, nerve conduction studies, etc).
-WHAT SHOULD I WEAR?
It is best to wear comfortable and flexible clothing, but there are no specific requirements. Patients remain dressed during appointments. Please avoid strong perfumes, lotions, etc which other people could be sensitive to.
-HOW LONG ARE THE VISITS?
An initial appointment is expected to last over an hour and includes discussing your medical history and reviewing any relevant imaging/studies. After learning more about you, this appointment will also include an individualized Osteopathic Manipulative Treatment (OMT).
Follow-up appointments are shorter with a more brief check-in on how you are doing, and the majority of the time will be dedicated to hands-on OMT.
-HOW OFTEN DO YOU SEE PATIENTS?
Sometimes a patient will need just one treatment, but often patients need at least a few treatments. Longstanding issues and chronic diseases may need to be seen on a regular basis, though there should be progressive changes as physiologic function and health improve – “like peeling an onion”. Dr Anthony does not treat patients more frequently than once a week, but it is common that treatments can be spaced out a couple weeks or even months apart.
-IS THE OFFICE ADA ACCESSIBLE?
Yes! We are on the second floor but there is an elevator and the office is fully ADA accessible, including a hallway bathroom.
-WHAT IS THE LATE POLICY?
Late arrivals will end at the expected time, so the treatment will be shorter for that visit. We recommend rescheduling if you are over 10 minutes late for your appointment.
-CAN YOU BE MY PRIMARY CARE DOCTOR?
No. Though Dr Anthony is a fully licensed family medicine physician, The Osteopathic Clinic of Northern Colorado specializes in and provides only Osteopathic Manipulative Treatment (OMT) at this time.
-DO YOU DO FUNCTIONAL MEDICINE OR WORK WITH SUPPLEMENTS?
No. That is out of Dr Anthony’s scope of practice since she has not had any specific training in functional medicine or supplements.
-DO YOU PRESCRIBE MEDICATIONS OR ORDER LABS/IMAGING?
Rarely. Dr Anthony does not manage regular medications but may recommend a short-course of a medication if appropriate. There are very few situations when Dr Anthony would need to order labwork or further imaging. Ideally, patients see their primary care provider for these. Cost/payment can get tricky as well.
Narcotics and medical marijuana are NOT prescribed.
-DO YOU EVER HAVE STUDENTS?
We do indeed support education and training of future DOs, and sometimes there will be a medical student or resident physician in the office. Please let Dr Anthony know if you wish to not have a student involved at your appointment. Ultimately, it is always the patient’s decision and most importantly The Osteopathic Clinic of Norther Colorado wants you to feel comfortable in the office.
-WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN OSTEOPATHIC DOCTORS (DOs) AND CHIROPRACTORS?
Though both have similar philosophies of treating the whole patient and using manual manipulation to treat, the biggest differences are training and scope of practice.
Osteopathic doctors (DOs) are licensed to practice medicine and are required to complete an undergraduate degree, 4yrs of medical school, and at least 3yrs of residency training in clinics and hospitals – at least 11yrs of education/training. Separate from Allopathic doctors (MDs), Osteopathic doctors additionally learn more in-depth anatomy and how to treat patients with our hands during medical school. For instance, Dr Anthony did an extra year of medical school doing an Osteopathic Principles and Practices fellowship at Rocky Vista University and passed both the DO and MD licensing exams.
The requirement to become a chiropractor is at least 3yrs of undergraduate education and a minimum of 4,200 instructional hours at a Doctor of Chiropractic degree program. They are not licensed to practice medicine and have a more limited scope of practice.
This gives Osteopathic doctors a wider knowledge base and more exposure to treating the whole person. We learn and use many modalities, and each visit is unique and individualized to the patient at that moment in time.
Here at The Northern Colorado Clinic of Osteopathic Medicine we promote health and wellbeing with hands-on medicine. We care for the whole person, mind/body/spirit, so that healing can be set into motion.
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