United Brachial Plexus Network, Inc.

I was reading comments below on the chiro and noticed someone mentioned an osteopath? Can anyone share with me what an osteopath does? I go to an osteopath for a condition but he does the exact same thing any medical dr would do but I read that they (I suppose if its applicable) manipulate the body physically to produce certain results? Is that accurate? How do they do it? What do you think of it? just curious-m

Osteopath( i dont know if i spelled it right...im french speaking)is very popular in France and getting very popular in Québec also. They look at the body as a whole. They do adjustments to the spine but also on some organs after an accident for example. Over here a lot of PTs get that degree for their practice. My friens is a PT and does only ostéopathic adjustments. The technique uses the body weight as a lever. All the neck area adjustments are a lot less traumatic and i dont even talk about middle and back pains. Chiropractors dont like the osteopaths and say that they do not have a university degree but if you find a PT or OT or Doctor that uses that technique, that takes 5 years of study to get, you are a winner !!! If i am not mistaking, in the Chiropractors study, they do a lot of marketing and learn a lot of ways to do succesfull($$$) follow ups. Never again a Chiro for me...

Well I love my chiro but I dont need for you to love her
Osteopath sounds like such a common sense way to work with BPIs- are there osteopaths that specialize in BPI? Is the osteopath that you deal with seem to be making orogress with your child's BPI recovery? How often do you go?
Do parents in France use osteopaths to treat BPIs?

A DO (Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine) is very similar to an MD in that they are liscensed by the state and can write prescriptions. They differ in their treatment approach. A DO will offer a more holistic approach to medicine. Some, but not all, DOs specialize in spinal manipulation.

I visited a DO for back problems when I lived in Philadelphia. I believe the treatment was much like a chiropractor (never having been to a chiropractor). He also taught me relaxation techniques and prescribed muscle relaxants

My primary care physician (pcp) is an osteopath (D.O.). He has been my pcp for the past 15 years and before him I had another osteopath in his office as my pcp. My insurance (Aetna) allow for a D.O. to be one's pcp.

I am very comfortable with his philosophy of medicine. It is a much more holistic approach. He will exhaust all natural means before any other kind of intervention, be it surgery or prescription medication. Because of the osteopathic philosophy, he treats any injury as part of a whole. He refers when necessary and follows my bpi carefully.

Nancy

Over here in Quebec they are not allowed to fill prescriptions

my ob/gyn was an osteopath (D.O.) she manipulated my baby's spine alright! as with anything, there are good and bad in all professions.

THE DOCTOR THAT INJURED MY SWEET BABY WAS A DO, AND NEVER EVER AGAIN WILL I SEE A DO!! I, being an RN, have researched the differences in education and I will forever be guilty of having a DO deliver my daughter. I wish I had done my homework before Logan was born. 4 of my very good friends are physicians (a general surgeon, 2 pediatricians and an orthorpedic surgeon), and they have said I should have never gone to see him. He told the jury, "ANYONE can deliver a baby, my education is not directed to the technicalities of delivery...". Helloooooooo, at the moment Logan was being injured, do you think I gave a damn about his holistic approach, I wanted someone that was educated enough to deliver my daughter with two moving arms. My point, no matter what initials the doctor has behind his name, RESEARCH him, his education, pending and past lawsuits, etc. Sorry, nothing to anyone here is directed personally, just venting about my own personal experience (it never ends! HA!).
Natalie

I just had a question, if an osteopath is trained by manipulating the body, they should REALLY be educated in obstetrical manuevers!!!!!??? That would be manipulating the body to achieve delivery. What do you all think???
Nat

Well you see the differences in health systems. In the US the college of doctors took over the osteopathic teachings so doctors are ostéopath and do all kinds of stuff the maybe should not. NEVER an Ostheopath can do a delivery over here except if he is OBS. But OBS dont take that course!!! In Quebec, Ostéopath's work is more like a chiro. Will you trust your chiro to deliver a baby? certainly not mine because all deliveries would last 5 minutes !!!lol lol lol They have their field of expertise. Never i would beleive a chiro can cure autism, trisomia and other...some beleive they can change things($$$) they cant...like some doctors...!!! I phoned my friend osteo to tell him the discussion going around here and he was quite amazed by the DO delivery nightmare story...wow!!! Most osteopath over here are PT's. My PT did not deliver his baby !!!