Osteopathic Medicine

with Dr. Michael Plotkin, Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine and Family Physician, Columbia St. Mary’s

Posted: June 1, 2004

It’s common knowledge that the letters MD stand for doctor of medicine, but many people are not aware of what DO stands for, which is doctor of osteopathic medicine.

“The easiest way to summarize it is to say that a DO is kind of like an MD and a chiropractor in one,” said Dr. Michael Plotkin, doctor of osteopathic medicine and family physician with Columbia St. Mary’s. “In osteopathic medical schools, we are taught everything that MDs are, along with extra training in the musculoskeletal system, learning how to diagnose and treat in a way that’s more hands-on.”

Dr. Michael Plotkin, Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine and Family Physician, Columbia St. Mary's "In osteopathic medical schools, we are taught everything that MDs are, along with extra training in the musculoskeletal system, learning how to diagnose and treat in a way that's more hands-on."

Osteopaths are fully licensed physicians, able to practice medicine and surgery. Like MDs, they are required to complete four years of post-college education followed by an internship and residency. Like MDs, they may also choose to complete additional residencies and fellowships.

Osteopathic medicine was founded in 1874 by Dr. Andrew Still, MD. After three of his children died of spinal meningitis, he began to work on developing a new system of medicine. When he died in 1917, there were more than 5,000 osteopathic physicians. Today, there are 20 osteopathic medical schools in the U.S. and more than 100,000 osteopathic doctors.

Graduates of osteopathic medical schools can do residencies in osteopathic (DO) or allopathic (MD) programs, and must, like their allopathic counterparts, apply for and get accepted to a residency program.

After graduation from the Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine in Kirksville, Mo., which was founded by Dr. Still, and following a one-year internship in an osteopathic hospital, Dr. Plotkin completed his residency at Columbia Hospital in Milwaukee.

Who do DOs treat?
In his practice, Dr. Plotkin sees people of all ages, with problems ranging from depression and ear infections to headaches and insomnia. In many cases, Dr. Plotkin’s treatment is no different from that of his allopathic counterparts. Asked to provide an instance where treatment might diverge, Dr. Plotkin cited a headache.

“The majority of headaches are classified as stress-tension headaches,” he said, “and many of those are due to problems in the neck.”

Where an allopath would most likely recommend over-the-counter painkillers or prescription medicine, that would be Dr. Plotkin’s second-line solution.

“A headache is a classic area I use osteopathic manipulation, (a method of realigning the body) using my hands to do adjustments,” he said, “and often I don’t need to use any medicines in addition to that.”

Unlike chiropractors, osteopaths are able – and willing – to prescribe drugs and, if they have the necessary training, to perform surgery.

“Osteopathic opthamalogists or surgeons probably haven’t used much manipulation since medical school,” Dr. Plotkin said. “However, primary care osteopathic physicians are the ones likely to us it the most.”

While some healing systems have been notoriously derided by MDs over the years, most osteopathic physicians have not had to deal with that issue, Dr. Plotkin said. It helps that most MDs realize that osteopathy’s emphasis on healing body, mind and spirit and maintaining health, which was revolutionary in Dr. Still’s time, is sound medical practice.

Since the beginning of osteopathic medicine, Dr. Plotkin said, there have been MDs who didn’t fully understand what a DO was, and didn’t necessarily see them as equal. That attitude toward his branch of medicine has helped him be more open to and respectful of other healing modalities, even if he doesn’t fully understand how they work.

Some of his patients have sought and obtained relief from acupuncturists and chiropractors; which, Dr. Plotkin said, is just fine with him. “We’re all limited in what we know, and there are others who have ways of treating that can be beneficial,” he said. “Just because we don’t know how it works or what it does doesn’t mean that we should negate their skill.”

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