Osteopathic Manipulative Treatment Helps Olympic Speed Skater to Compete Despite Injury

3/1/2002

From: Mary Ann M. Pagaduan of the American Osteopathic Association, 800-621-1773, ext. 8040, or 312-202-8040

CHICAGO, March 1 -- Olympic speed skater, Apolo Anton Ohno received osteopathic manipulative treatment (OMT) prior to last week's 1,500 meter Short Track race in which he won the gold medal. After Ohno suffered a gash on his leg requiring stitches during a collision in a previous race, Lawrence Lavine, D.O., an osteopathic physician (D.O.) and Ohno's personal physician from Tacoma, Wash., flew to Salt Lake City to assist U.S. team physicians in treating him.

Dr. Lavine, who is board certified in osteopathic manipulative medicine, explains that he used advanced forms of OMT to treat Ohno. "Basically, I used osteopathic manipulative medicine to release the injury pattern," asserts Dr. Lavine. "By relieving structure and tissue restrictions, you allow the body to begin healing itself more rapidly."

Developed by Dr. Andrew Taylor Still in 1874, osteopathic medicine is based on a philosophy that focuses on the unity of all body parts. He identified the muskuloskeletal system as a key element of health. The type of care Dr. Lavine provides strongly reflects these principles. "When I treated Apolo, it was not a matter of dealing with just the leg, it was a matter of going through his entire body and cleaning out every bit of strain pattern," contends Dr. Lavine. "The whole purpose of what we do is to restore the health, remove the strain and let the body heal itself."

A study published in the Nov. 4, 1999 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine shows OMT to be an effective form of medical treatment. Patients who participated in the study, who received OMT, required significantly less medication and used less therapy, resulting in lower costs and fewer side effects.

Dr. Lavine points out that if you can enable the body to heal itself, there is less need for medication, which is beneficial to athletes like Ohno. "What I did was enable Ohno not to take anti-inflammatory drugs," explains Dr. Lavine, "which was important in this case because any drug you put into an athlete at his level is going to slow him down."

Ohno's father, Yuki Ohno, describes his son's recovery. "Sunday, when the treatment started, his leg was swollen and sore. On Monday he was still experiencing some pain," he recalls, "but then by Tuesday, the pain was gone, there was no swelling and he started practice again."

During the months leading up to the Games, Dr. Lavine worked intensively with Ohno. "Ohno originally came to me so I could relieve discomfort he was experiencing in his back and restore normal function," recalls Dr. Lavine. Utilizing a variety of osteopathic manipulative treatments, Dr. Lavine focused on removing restrictions across Ohno's entire body to help relieve his discomfort and restore normal function. "I don't make him a great skater." Dr. Lavine clarifies, "He makes himself a great skater. I just help to relieve the restrictions that block the full expression of his talent."

Steven Karageanes, D.O., team physician for the Detroit Tigers, also recognizes the benefits that OMT offers athletes. "Manipulation is extremely beneficial to athletes because of the time constraints they have when healing," says Dr. Karageanes, a sports medicine and orthopedic osteopathic specialist. "OMT helps to speed up recovery by restoring function faster, and also aids in diagnosis, as well."

Per Gunnar Brolinson, D.O., a team physician for the U.S. Ski Team and a volunteer physician for the U.S. Olympic Committee, points out that athletes who do not suffer from specific injuries can also benefit from OMT. "An athlete having performance problems may have structural imbalances," says Dr. Brolinson. "OMT can fix that. I've used it on skiers literally in between runs."

Just as Dr. Brolinson treats skiers between runs, Dr. Lavine and the U.S. team physicians treated Ohno between races. As an osteopathic physician, Dr. Lavine stresses the importance of meeting the needs of the patient. "It's definitely a team effort," he recognizes. "It's all of us working together in the best interest of the patient."

--- Osteopathic Manipulative Treatment

Who Uses OMT? All osteopathic physicians (D.O.s) from surgeons to family physicians are trained to use OMT to diagnose, treat and even prevent illness or injury. D.O.s are fully trained and licensed physicians able to perform surgery and prescribe medication. Sixty-four percent of D.O.s currently practice in the primary care areas of medicine although they can also be found practicing in other medical specialty areas such as cardiology and neurosurgery.

What is osteopathic manipulative treatment (OMT)? OMT is a hands-on treatment where osteopathic physicians (D.O.s) use their hands to examine your back and other parts of your body such as joints, tendons, ligaments and muscles, for pain and restriction during motion that could signal an injury or impaired function.

What types of injuries or illnesses can OMT be used for? OMT can be helpful in treating low back pain as well as relieving discomfort and/or musculoskeletal abnormalities associated with a number of disorders including asthma, carpal tunnel syndrome, menstrual pain, sinus disorders and migraines.

Who can benefit from OMT? People of all ages have found relief from pain and dysfunction as well as improved mobility through OMT. Many D.O.s incorporate OMT into their treatment plans for top athletes, workers with on-the-job injuries and people with illnesses and injuries such as asthma and low back pain.

What is the difference between OMT and other forms of manipulation? OMT, used to diagnose and treat injuries and illnesses, utilizes passive thrusting techniques but also includes a variety of non-thrusting methods designed to affect muscles and soft tissues. OMT also optimizes blood circulation to maintain and restore health while other forms of manipulation tend to focus more on spinal misalignment interfering with nerve transmission.

How is OMT prescribed? A D.O.'s decision to use OMT is made on a visit-by-visit basis depending on the condition of the patient at the time of each visit. This leads to a significantly lower number of visits than other health care providers who use manipulation.

How is OMT performed? Your structural exam will begin with an assessment of your posture, spine and balance. Your D.O. will then use his fingers to palpate your back and extremities. He will then check your joints for restriction and/or pain during motion and your muscles, tendons and ligaments where tenderness can signal a problem. Using a variety of OMT techniques, your D.O. will apply manual forces to your body's affected areas to treat structural abnormalities and will then apply specific corrective forces to relieve joint restriction and misalignments. Based upon the complexity or severity of your problem, you may require more than one treatment.

Does managed care cover OMT? OMT is an added treatment tool that is covered by many managed care organizations. Typically, the physician and the managed care plan negotiate the level of reimbursement.

Study in New England Journal of Medicine shows OMT to be effective A study published in the November 4, 1999 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine shows OMT to be an effective form of medical treatment and with lower costs and fewer side effects. Patients participating in the study were divided into two groups. One group was treated with standard options for low back pain such as anti-inflammatory medication, active physical therapy and hot/cold packs. Patients in the other group were treated with standard care and OMT. The study showed that both groups improved over a 12-week period. However, the patients who received OMT required significantly less medication and used less therapy, resulting in lower costs and fewer side effects.

To Find a D.O., who uses OMT in your area, call or write: American Osteopathic Association 142 E. Ontario Street Chicago, Ill. 60611 800-621-1773 info@aoa-net.org

The American Osteopathic Association acknowledges the contributions made to the OMT Fact Sheet by the American Academy of Osteopathy (http://www.academyofosteopathy.org/) and the American College of Osteopathic Family Physicians (http://www.acofp.org/).

------ The American Osteopathic Association represents more than 47,000 osteopathic physicians, promotes public health, encourages scientific research, serves as the primary certifying body for D.O.s and is the accrediting agency for all osteopathic medical schools and health care facilities. For more information on osteopathic medicine, access the AOA's Media Center at http://www.aoa-net.org/.