“Difference in treatment from a MD vs DO?”
I have sarcoidosis. Is different treatment involved for a DO since they are trained in osteopathic manipulation? Do they treat an illness or injury different than an allopathic doctor?
6 Answers
Most DOs in specialties like Pulmonology, Rheumatology or Internal Medicine will provide the exact same treatment as an MD, which is the standard of care. DOs that specialize in Neuromusculoskeletal Medicine will have specialty training and proficiency in Osteopathic Manipulation, which can be used to augment and enhance the standard of care to improve overall physiologic function. This can often reduce amount of medication needed to control symptoms.
There are subtle differences in the two disciplines however in my experience the approach and therapeutic choices are similar.
Not usually, but get a second opinion.
If you have an established diagnosis of sarcoidosis I would recommend that you consult with a pulmonologist. I cannot speak to the entire spectrum of osteopathic medicine but there DO's that are members of esteemed university medical schools and their treatment would not materially vary from what their colleagues do in the management of patients. This is true especially when they have become trained specialist in fields such as pulmonary medicine. So assuming that your primary area of involvement is your lungs see a pulmonologist.
The treatment should not vary between an MD and a DO for this illness.
Not typically. Our training is the same in most cases.
