Enabling health potential: exploring nonlinear and complex results of osteopathic manual medicine through complex systems theory.

Osteopathic medicine is a holistic, patient-specific approach. Explaining the impact of osteopathic manipulative medicine (OMM) has been problematic because many of its effects are nonlinear. Complex systems theory (CST) is explored as a mechanism of understanding the interplay of the body's anatomy and physiology, an illness process, and the effects of OMM. Tensegrity is discussed as an example of an emergent property of the body's systems that affects not only biomechanics but also pathophysiology. Previous explanations of osteopathic philosophy are reviewed. The Host + Disease=Illness paradigm is a way to think through the impact of host and disease factors on an illness state, and how targeted interventions may affect the illness. The Osteopathic 5 Models are another way to view the body's complexity. The area of greatest restriction (AGR) screen can be understood to direct OMM in a way that respects complexity and enables asymmetric and nonlocal results to realize health potential. The impact of this framework is in coherently explaining the impact of osteopathic philosophy and OMM and exploring new approaches to research.

Osteopathic Physician Mortality in the Influenza Pandemic of 1918-1920.

The influenza outbreak that occurred during 1918-1920 was a defining moment in the history of the world and osteopathic medicine. Despite the tremendous loss of human life, osteopathic physicians also observed greater success in the treatment of patients with the disease, in contrast with their allopathic counterparts. Osteopathic physicians also succumbed to the deadly influenza effects while treating patients. A list of osteopathic physicians who died of influenza or related complications during the pandemic, obtained from osteopathic journals from that time, is provided, along with the historical context of the pandemic.

Osteopathic distinctiveness in osteopathic predoctoral education and its effect on osteopathic graduate medical education.

The number of colleges of osteopathic medicine (COMs), osteopathic medical students, and osteopathic physicians in practice has been consistently growing since the 1960s. In recent years, the growth of the profession has been exponential. Despite this growth, graduates of COMs are increasingly choosing allopathic residencies. The authors believe that this trend may stem from a lack of focus on osteopathic principles and practice in COMs, as well as geographic and specialty limitations of available osteopathic residency positions. The present article will briefly examine the history of AOA accreditation and the current accreditation process and the current state of osteopathic predoctoral education and postdoctoral training. The authors call on osteopathic physicians to help bring osteopathic distinctiveness to osteopathic predoctoral education by mentoring and volunteering at COMs. In addition, the authors urge the osteopathic profession to increase the number of osteopathic residencies to account for the number of and distribution of osteopathic medical school graduates.