Can Osteopathic medicine replace my primary care visits?

You must maintain a separate primary care provider (PCP) for ongoing care and monitoring of your chronic medical conditions such as if you have high blood pressure, diabetes, depression or anxiety requiring medication, etc. You must also maintain your PCP to ensure you are up-to-date on your regular health screenings including: routine blood work for lipid abnormalities, STDs, prediabetes, etc.; pap smears or prostate exams, etc.; referrals for mammograms, lung screenings, colonoscopies, etc. Your PCP is also your primary medical provider should you require urgent evaluation, need help coordinating your care amongst your specialists, and to ensure you receive adequate follow up if you are hospitalized.

Can Dr. Levi be my Primary Care provider?

Dr. Levi cannot be your primary care provider. While Dr. Levi is board certified in Family Medicine, she is considered to have a specialty practice in Osteopathic Neuromusculoskeletal Medicine (ONMM). She will gladly work collaboratively with your primary care provider as well as with your specialists.

HOW MANY APPOINTMENTS Should I expect to need?

The goal of an Osteopathic treatment is to reduce pain or symptoms, improve function, and prevent further chronic health conditions. I typically recommended completing 3 to 6 appointments to see if ONMM is right for you. Some acute problems may resolve sooner than this time frame. Some chronic problems may take more time to peel away layers of compensatory mechanisms to get to the root of the issue. Please see the “What is Osteopathy?” page for the section on “What is an Osteopathic treatment like? How does it work?” for more information regarding what to expect.

What is the Spacing of Osteopathic appointments?

Typically, I will ask you to return 1 to 2 weeks after your initial appointment for your 1st follow up. Thereafter, appointments are usually spaced 4 to 6 weeks apart. However, appointments may be closer together or spaced further apart depending on the reason you sought treatment and your Health needs.

How long are Osteopathic appointments?

Your initial appointment will be about 60 minutes in length. Follow up appointments will take about 30 minutes.

What can I expect at my First Osteopathic Appointment?

We will review your intake forms together, and I will ask you clarifying questions. I will perform a standard medical evaluation, and we will discuss the role of hands-on ONMM. For your treatment, you can expect to be in a position that is comfortable for you- seated, laying on your back or stomach. I may ask you to breathe a certain way or engage your muscles a certain way during the treatment, but otherwise the process is passive and generally relaxing. After your treatment, we will discuss next steps in your care.

What Can I do after my treatment to allow it to be most effective?

Your treatment will continue to unfold over a period of 24 to 72 hours after you are seen. I recommend avoiding rigorous exercise for the first 24 hours, but I do encourage gentle movement such as light walking and stretching if that is accessible to you during that time. I advise against other forms of hands-on modalities (for example, massage or chiropractic) within a day on either side of your treatment. Within the first several days, you may notice a post-treatment reaction of body soreness such as you might recall feeling after a big workout in the past. This is okay, however, ensuring good hydration following your treatment will encourage healthy circulation and elimination in order to reduce the likelihood of a post-treatment reaction. At the end of your appointment, I may provide exercises, stretches, activities, etc. for you to incorporate into your routine at home.

Are you the same thing as a chiropractor? A Massage therapist? a Physical Therapist? A Cranio-sacral Therapist?

No, I am not a chiropractor nor a massage therapist nor a physical therapist nor a cranio-sacral therapist. Our trainings, philosophies, scope of practice, and the types of manual techniques we use to treat are very different. I am a fully-licensed medical doctor with residency and fellowship training in Family Medicine and Osteopathic Neuromusculoskeletal Medicine. My background informs the progression and safety of your treatment as well as the further medical work-up of your condition if indicated. I am licensed to order labs and imaging, prescribe medications, or refer to other providers if needed. While there are some areas of overlap in specific manual techniques across our professions; there is a wide body of techniques, ongoing philosophical discussion, and professional development that is unique to the Osteopathic profession alone. In general, I tend to prefer gentle methods of indirect and direct hands-on treatment.