Dr. Cady's Blog

Suppose you were in the middle of your typical, busy day, rustling papers, and you cut your finger. What do you grab? A Band–Aid? What about an adhesive bandage? What if your injury was more than just a paper cut? Who would you call? A D.O.? What about a physician? Just as a Band–Aid is a brand name for an adhesive bandage, a D.O. is one of two titles representing a physician. Most of society is familiar with M.D., which also implies a physician, but many patients may not even realize that their family doctor is a D.O. How important is it to know?

First of all, what is a D.O.? D.O. are the initials for a doctor of osteopathic medicine (formerly known as osteopathy in the United States). An osteopathic physician is the only other legal and professional equivalent of an M.D. and practices medicine based upon osteopathic philosophy. The philosophy emphasizes the inter–relationship between structure and function and has an appreciation of the body’s ability to heal itself. This viewpoint ...