Osteopathic Manual Therapy

Manual medicine continues to be one of the oldest continuing forms of health care. The University of Michigan's Physical Therapy Doctoral Program includes formal training in manual medicine via Dr. Greenman's teachings from Michigan State University's College of Osteopathic Medicine.

Andrew Still M.D. was the founder of manual medicine as we know it today. He was a medical physician trained by another experienced practitioner, to facilitate the application of a theory and/or technique. Dr. Still was disenchanted with the medical practice of the day which led him to formulate a new medical philosophy that he termed "osteopathic medicine" and he built it on both ancient medical truths and current medical successes.

The hands-on training through the UM DPT program, provides education with specific maneuvers to deliver osteopathic manual therapy (OMT) to treat conditions that affect every system in the body, including the musculoskeletal system, digestive system, nervous system and immune system. By realigning the body and restoring balance to bones and muscles, OMT allows your entire body to work better as a whole.

OMT is the generic term used to refer to many different manipulation techniques and can be used to treat structural and functional issues in the bones, joints, tissues and muscles of the body. It becomes part of our therapeutic "tool kit" to and is used to treat the relationship between the neuromusculoskeletal system and the rest of the body to restore functionality and/or remove barriers to motion and healing. 

OMT is also the main component of our "tune up" treatment where a biomechanical assessment is performed and addresses any dysfunctions with corrections or muscle balancing.