About this text

Introduction to Manual Medicine – An Osteopathic Perspective was inspired based on a need in the Osteopathic profession, which lacks an introductory text for 1st and 2nd year Osteopathic medical students. More than just a cook-book type procedure manual, this text focuses on principles for diagnosis and treatment, the “why” of manual medicine, treatment sequencing, and evidence underlying manual medicine.  This text’s primary focus is to:

1.  Teach principles

• We believe students will better learn, retain, and apply material if memorization is kept to a minimum. We focus on the biomechanical model using ERS/FRS diagnoses for spinal mechanics. For sacrum/pelvis we emphasize the Mitchell model using the pelvic axes and demonstrate that these are the key to treatment.
• Throughout the text, after diagnostic principles are presented, they are then applied using four treatment methods.
• Direct treatments always involve use of a fulcrum, lever, and force. 
• Indirect treatments always begin at the positional diagnosis. 

2.  Simplify confusing material

• Diagnosis of the cervical spine is presented in a two-step method. 
• Sacrum and pelvis diagnosis and treatment are presented based on pelvic axes. 

3.  Bring to light new material and how to apply it 

• Regarding diagnosis of spinal mechanics. 
• Regarding cranial manual medicine.

4.  Present evidence-based medicine 

• for Osteopathic medicine 
• for orthopedic special tests 

5.  Demystify Osteopathic medicine in the cranial field 

• Present an evidenced based rationale for the primary respiratory mechanism and easy method for application of cranial manual medicine. 

6.  Present Sequencing

• While students may understand diagnosis and treatment based on body region, they lack a method of “putting-it-together.” We present methods to determine a starting point for treatment. 

We also recognize that with the joining of the American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine and the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education there is need for a text to train MD’s; this text bridges the gap. Further, we feel the post-graduate educational courses could utilize this text in refresher courses.

ALL PROCEEDS FROM THIS BOOK ARE DONATED FOR RESEARCH IN MANUAL MEDICINE.