There is more than one type of doctor out in the world. For the first two years of medical training, osteopaths, naturopaths, and medical doctors all study the same things — more or less. After that, the three schools diverge.
Doctors of osteopathy (DOs) continue to get similar training to medical doctors (MDs). However, the course of study also includes osteopathic manipulative treatment, known was OMT. OMT moves muscles and joints using gentle stretching, pressure, and resistance to help restore balance to the musculoskeletal system. If the musculoskeletal system is in balance, related body systems can see improved function.
Most osteopaths don’t use OMT as their primary form of treatment; many don’t even use osteopathic manipulative treatment on a daily basis. Doctors of osteopathy may specialize into different fields, like pediatrics, ear-nose-throat, or neurosurgery.
Osteopathy was founded in 1874 by an MD named Andrew Taylor Still. Today, doctors of osteopathy are licensed to practice medicine throughout the United States and can be found both in traditional medical environments and holistic medical environments. When I had surgery to clear up a chronic sinus infection and fix a deviated septum in 1996, the doctor in charge was a DO.
Naturopathic doctors (NDs) spend their third and fourth years of study learning about herbal medicine, massage, nutrition, and other natural therapies. The focus is on using natural therapies to stimulate the body’s natural healing abilities. Only fourteen U.S. states, plus Washington DC, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands license naturopaths to practice medicine and act as primary care physicians. In other states, NDs may work as health consults, physician’s assistants, or nutritional counselors.
You may want to consult a naturopathic doctor for chronic conditions that do not respond well to “traditional” medical treatment, like chronic fatigue syndrome, irritable bowel syndrome, allergies, or fibromyalgia.