Determinants Of Osteopathic Treatment.

Treatment is specifically determined by body feedback that is gained from the physical evaluation, while accounting for the key elements of the patient's history. In considering the restrictions and dysfunctions enumerated, an osteopathic physician tries to understand conditions from the system's viewpoint, why it was that the system developed this symptomatic manifestation, and how it was accomplished.

These factors, as well as the acuteness or chronicity of the condition, compensatory nature of the findings, age of the patient, previous experience with osteopathic treatment, and sensitivity to treatment, play a role in determining treatment. Treatment is based on specific findings of an anatomicofunctional nature and not, as in allopathic practice, a disease label. There is no protocol, for example, for the treatment of otitis media.

An osteopathic physician will treat the patient who may carry such a diagnostic label but he or she will never provide routine treatment for the diagnostic label itself. Osteopathic physicians diagnose specific deviations from normal function and work solely towards the restoration of normalized function.