looking for a D.O. (doctor of osteopathy)

[sunberst]

is there an online source that lists all the D.O.'s?

i am looking for one, and i cant seem to find a good source.

also, does anybody use a D.O.? do you like him/her better than a regular M.D.? why or why not?

thanks!

[sillybeans]

He was great -- in the Streeterville area (St. Clair and Huron) and is on the faculty at the big osteopathic medical school in CHicago, the name of which eludes me right now but is probably something really obvious like "Chicago Center for Osteopathic Medicine" or something equally creative.

I went to him because I had physical pain and (ended up being tennis elbow) and knew an MD would just give me a shot of cortisone, which I didn't want. The first time he adjusted me I almost felt high, it was such a weird sensation (gentle, not big, sudden movements like a chiro).

I'm not into the Chinese medicine thing, though, so that wasn't a big draw for me.

PM me if you want his name.

Tracy

[funnybone]

If you have insurance, check first on your insurance list. When we lived in PA, there were tons of DO's - more than GP's. Maybe it's regional - not sure, but they are out there.

PS - that reminds me, I have yet to set up a Dr. since we moved. I've checked the lists, but haven't actually done anything about it. I guess I better do that before there is a dire need.

[LaraW]

If you have insurance, I'd check their list first. Normally there will be some kind of a book or a web-based list that you can search.

I personally go to an MD (that was who was available at the dr. office near my home, and I liked her so I stuck with her). DO's have to take the same tests as MD's, so I think the differences between them is less than it used to be.

[badunnin]

I haven't found much of a difference in MDs and DOs. As Lara said, the examinations are much the same. For me, it was more a matter of personality and approach. I've found MDs that listen to me and my needs, and DOs that do the same. Currently, I'm seeing a PA that I really really like.

[VictoriaL]

Lucky you, Beth, for having access to the staff of a large osteopathic medical school right where you live! This area is so backward in that way. But I hear that, in the eastern part of PA, osteopaths are common.
Because no cause for my lower back pain has been found in either x-rays or MRI's, and physical therapy and chiropractic only helped minimally, I'm scheduled to go into the hospital for an outpatient procedure next Friday to try to alleviate some of the pain. An epidural of both cortisone and a painkiller. yippee. I looked for an osteopath but couldn't locate one, so now I go for the needle. ouch! :(

[sunberst]

yes i have insurance, and i looked in the big book of doctors, but i do not see one that has D.O. listed next to their name! and this book is huge! i dont even see a section for D.O.'s nor the mention of the word "osteopathic" anywhere in this insurance book.

[funnybone]

Originally posted by sunberst
yes i have insurance, and i looked in the big book of doctors, but i do not see one that has D.O. listed next to their name! and this book is huge! i dont even see a section for D.O.'s nor the mention of the word "osteopathic" anywhere in this insurance book.

Look on their website - usually you can sort the Dr's list by their type.

[funnybone]

I looked under my health insurance and found a bunch under Family Practice. I will send you a PM with a list in your area.

[Molli526]

Talk to our good doctor Ralph. I believe he is a DO.

[sunberst]

okay, i must be a total dope.

the website is: www.bcbsil.com

i click on "provider finder" and i click on the radio button next to "hmo illinois" (note, you do not need to enter the id or group number to move on to the next step, just clicking hmo illinois works). i type in my zip code & the following step, and the page comes up blank with no info. maybe this site doesnt work on a mac?

there is no option to search doctors by type anywhere on the website that i can see- unless i am doing something wrong here?

edited to say: thanks for the pm's guys. funnybone- 3 on that list you sent me are covered by my insurance. however, when i look them up in my insurance book, there is no mention anywhere of them being a D.O. so i would of had no idea if it were not for the list you sent me, so thanks!

(i hate doctor/insurance stuff) :rolleyes:

[funnybone]

You're welcome sunberst. Our insurance is Cigna and they list MD or DO after their names, so it was easy to find. Hope you find a Doc you like!

[Ralph]

www.aoa-net.org

[jjsooner73]

When my insurance required that I have a primary care Dr, I chose a DO. I guess mostly because of my experiences with the Student Health Center in grad school. I worked with a DO's wife, and got sick, and she sent me to him. He was great. He always explained what he was giving me and why, and seemed to want to get more to the root of the problem. One time he was out and I had to see another Dr., and he just gave me a Rx and didn't even say what it was for and sent me on his way. He was a regular MD. THe DO I used when I got my first job was great.
Now, I have my ob/gyn, who is pretty good and explains things. I have my allergist, and she is awesome. I haven't had a need for any others, thankfully. Before I found my allergist, I did go to a couple of different MDs for sinus infections, and they were just prescription writers. I hated that. So, in the future, if I need a general Dr, I will always look for a DO first.

**This is just based on my experiences, I am in no way an expert on how a DO vs an MD works. I do recall the wife of the first DO explaining it to me something like this, "If you have elbow pain, he's going to look at your whole body to try and find out if there is a reason your elbow is hurting, rather than just look at/fix the elbow. He wants to find the root cause of the problem, rather than simply treat the end result".
THat has seemed to be true in my experiences.