Dr. McKerahan, D.O. is a board certified osteopathic physician

Dr. McKerahan is an Osteopathic Physician (D.O.). This means the doctor treats and diagnoses musculoskeletal dysfunctions in his patients on top of the same types of classes that MDs take, and they are instructed to use some forms of Osteopathic Manipulative Treatment (OMT) that is not taught to MDs.

This method of treatment can be especially useful in the treatment of specific bodily injuries that, at times, mask themselves as symptoms of other ailments. These injuries can sometimes be sports related or specific to the back. However, it is important to know that DOs are not Chiropractors or Sports Medicine Specialists.

What Makes Osteopathic Medicine Different?

As an Osteopathic Physician, Dr. McKerahan also works with holistic medicine, which is intended to treat the whole person, not just the symptom. This means the Doctor will often assess a person’s home and work environment and provide beneficial health assessments and diagnosis based upon findings with each patient.

What does a “D.O.” do?

The American Ostepathic Association (AOA) defines this medical practice as a complete system of health care that emphasizes the needs of the patient with the current practice of medicine. Because DOs treat the person as a whole, and not just symptoms, they provide a more complete system of care of the individual patient. Essentially, the physical along with mental and environmental well-being of the patient is diagnosed and treated as one.

Manipulative Medicine

Another key element of Dr. McKerahan’s work as a D.O. is a technique referred to as OMT, or osteopathic manipulative treatment. OMT allows DOs to work much more with their hands, and many use them as their primary tools of diagnosis, rather than using a machine. This more manual, hands-on, treatment allows the Doctor to diagnose and treat illnesses or injuries that are in the various regions of the body, like the neck, back, joints and more.