Great article, but Colleges of Osteoathic Medicine are being eroded by the AMA and allopathic dogmatists. Some schools even offer the choice of awarding the DO or MD degree.
More and more the idea that there are these awful diseases out there that our body can't handle and the only solution is some pill or expensive treatment looks like a racket to me. More and more the suffering by disease that is most pervasive in our day looks more likely to be from chronic exposure to unnatural substances like glysophate, or some carcinogen from some product we just haven't thought to consider.
My knees were hurting so I wanted an MRI but before my insurance would cover it I'd have to sign up for some rehab program. But they had no issue taking my money for a useless X-ray. To boot, in establishing a new primary care Doctor they wanted to throw in a random Aids test with my bloodwork. And I had to listen to a soft sell for anti-depressants. Its a joke. My knees are fine now...I just iced them up after runs, and wrapped them in a brace and over time they got better.
Most excellent information. I have a DO as my primary doctor for insurance purposes. After experiencing a heart problem about 2 years ago, I saw a cardiologist. I had a stress test and afterwards the cardio guy insisted that I book a stay at the hospital for a catherization and possible stents. Also several heart drugs were advised (I am not on any drugs) and then my DO concurred.
I told them both I needed to do some research and investigation into these things. I doubt they would have given me any informed consent or explained what these procedures really were and what the drugs might really do. After much research, I decided to forego these suggestions.
I am taking herbs and other supplements and am still alive and able to function fairly well. There is absolutely no proof that succumbing to the medical mafia will be any healthier than what I am doing on my own. I continue to learn about heart disease and possible solutions.
I think if I come into contact with toxins and chemicals that If I have a severe reaction, it is because they are poisons. Then I conclude that if I take drugs and have similar reactions, then these drugs are also toxic and poisonous. I don't need any medical degree to conclude that ALL vaccines and most drugs are toxic to the body and not required for healthy living. I'll take the "quackery" over the standard medical solutions every day of the week.
Thanks for that description. I had always wondered the differences. I am a DVM and am trying to educate myself about more of the natural healing methods.
Several years ago, in Tennessee, the Medical Boards were being taken by both MDs and DOs. After several tests were taken, over about 2.5 days, the person administering the tests made this comment: "All those who are just MDs are dismissed."
One of the MDs said, "What do you mean by all those who are just MDs?"
The response was, "OK if you want to stay and take a test over material that you were never taught in Medical School, but Osteopaths were taught. You can remain seated, but I'll warn you now, you will fail that test, but the choice to stay and take it is yours."
That particular MD said no more but quickly left the room before the next test was handed out to the Osteopaths!
I have worked for over 40 years with both MDs and DOs and have respect for both professions. I have found, as a general rule, the DOs are willing to spend more time educating patients as well as treating them, than the average MD spends with patients.
In case you missed the implication above, the DOs have to pass the same licensing exams as the MDs plus an additional test MDs do not have to take.
Fantastic series of two articles so far, Dr. T. I hope you will follow up with another installment regarding naturopathy. Together, the alliance of functional medicine, osteopathy, homeopathy, naturopathy, and related healing modalities should be the future of wellness.
Dr. Tenpenny, your article is good, but remember, that Osteopathic med school in San Antonio puts vaccines - FRONT and center. Such is completely at odds with the fundamental principles you listed, AND anti logic and evidence.
Dear Dr. Tenpenny, you know that you are one of my favorite people. Ever since I first heard you on Joyce Riley (The Power Hour), and then I watched ALL your YT lectures and presentations, I have appreciated your efforts to save so many children and families. I hope that I am living up to your standards.
Presently, I am working on a book to explain how the ideologies of virology and vaccinology paved the way for the plan-demic. (I start from the 1700s Boylston, Heberden, and Jenner, then in the 19th century with Pasteur, Iwanowski, and into the 20th, Flexner, Rivers, Sabin/Salk, Enders, Plotkin and Offit).
You know that I have read and edited all the works of Jenner (and created a reader for his first three papers). In the past two months, I finished reading Fuller (1730), Home (1759), and Holland (1839). It is amazing to see that there was little to no clarity on definitions of disease (looks like symptoms from mild like rubella/measles to severe in the form of confluent smallpox, are just the same condition).
Of course, the Enlightenment era medical texts show no appreciation of bathing, fresh air, or nutrition. (Ironically, al-Razi, writing circa 900, did advise nutrition, lots of anti-oxidants, and fresh air, and bathing for those diagnosed with pestilence). But well into the 1800s, across Europe, children with measles, chickenpox, smallpox, and scarlet fever, were often bled to death, or poisoned with mercury "treatments".
Soon, I hope to have a short work on the "anti-anti-vaccination" movement (1801-present) and their propaganda. The book might have a first draft by next Feb 2024. Best
I guess I didn't make the last part of my article strong enough: will repeat here ---
All osteopathic physicians are taught the history of osteopathy, its tenents, and techniques while in medical school. **Unfortunately, most DOs go on to practice as MDs**, with their prescription pad being their first-line tool. Sadly, patients often only know their doctor is an osteopathic physician by noting their signature, which has a DO after their name instead of an MD.
Remember that allopathic medicine considers prevention "find it early" (hence, mammograms, colonoscopies, etc) rather than preventing the cancer in the first place.
Allopathic medicine was founded on the belief in vaccines (smallpox). I may write more on this soon...
Dr. Tenpenny, I am intrigued by this claim " allopathic medicine was founded on the belief in vaccines (smallpox)." Do you mean "inoculation", the term used to describe putting the pus in the gash/wound of the inoculee? The practice popularized in the UK by Lady Montagu, circa 1714?
My understanding is that while their ideology spoke of virus (by which they meant "poison"), they were almost operating on the ideals of homeopathy or sympathetic magic, by taking in pus, presumed to be the disease causing agent, as to help the body resist the otherwise invisible demon. (Have you seen the 2022 documentary of Kate Sugak on smallpox? It is on Odysee and Bitchute).
True Osteopaths are rare this day and age, they used to actually have the Osteopaths listed in the heading in hard copy phone books. My father was referred to one by a very old Chinese miner who used to get his haircut by my dad. The Osteopath was also Chinese and was a Hands On doctor, and could tell by what he felt in the spine where the areas of concern were, as well as in those areas after discerning them.
Are you one of those type Dr. Tenpenny? You would be a real GEM if so. I have been searching for one for a long time here in MN.
I am Board certified in NeuroMusculoskeltal medicine, hence, the designation of AOBNMM as a credential - that's hands-on manual medicine that is similar to, but distinct from, other forms of manual medicine such as chiropractic, physical therapy or massage therapy.
Also: I was Board Certified in Emergency Medicine from 1995 to 1986. At that time, I CHOSE to not recertify. I costs thousands of dollars to recert (in courses, travel, the test itself) and many hundreds of hours to study for the massive exam. PLUS hundreds of hours and dollars every three years to take CME courses.
My last shift in the ER was Jan 1998; I knew I was never, ever going back into that world of medicine. So I opted to let the certification lapse and not recertify.
Thank you so much for responding! I was unaware you held that designation as all I'd ever heard you called is Doctor. It sounds like you are the real thing I was speaking of, and a rarity. I found your website in Ohio and see it lists you as a D.O. there, but does show the AOBNMM as well as ABIHM, and of course your knowledge in the AOEBM as former Director of an Emergency Dept. at a Regional Hospital.
Your patients and Ohio are very fortunate to have your services available to them. I was looking for someone before undergoing cervical and thoracic spine surgeries back in the early 2000's and didn't find anyone unfortunately.
I will be looking over your website as I watched a docuseries on Toxicity on a site called Zonia, and decided to sign on for a testing package with them as it included multiple tests OAT, MycoTox, Heavy Metals, Advanced Adrenal Stress, and a GPL-Tox I'm still awaiting as their was an equiptment issue, so they gave me a Glyphosate free in the meantime. It comes with a free consult, but I'm holding off until the final test comes in which has been awhile. The price was very good for the tests, but the consult is with none of the Doctos in the series or their clinics, so have been considering taking the results elsewhere, and have been looking locally as it would be nice, but credentials and preferred experience is a greater consideration when the costs are usually not covered by insurance, especially VA or Medicare I soon have the option for.
Sincerely thank you again for taking the time to inform me.
Dr. Tenpenny, I am a proud allopathic physician for over 45 years. As I look back on my career I look back satisfied that I always did my best for my patients. Usually it was enough. Sometimes, it was not. That's reality. I have always regarded my Osteopathic medical colleagues as my equals. I make sure my patients know that their osteopathic physician is a legitimate, fully trained medical professional.
I must take issue with a couple of comments you made in this article. You explicitly claim that the antipathy of allopathic physicians to osteopaths was due to the perceived commercial competition between the two. You seem to impugn the MDs and AMA with impure financial motives to eliminate competition. You seem to forget that both schools of medical care make a living from providing that care and so financial motives run both ways. I don't doubt that the history of both allopathic and osteopathic medicine contains things that both would like to forget and I try to assume the best of both as much as I can. I confess that I have been very disappointed with the medical establishment in the past three years of Covid and believe medicine in the US is broken, possible irretrievably. The thing I take most issue with in this article is your positive comments regarding homeopathy. I have investigated this and am very familiar with its history and underlying basis. That an educated physician, whether MD or Do could possibly defend this leaves me incredulous and destroys any credibility you might have in my eyes. You give it too much credit by calling it "nanomedicine". It is nothing of the sort.
I have investigated homeopathy and even written on it ( https://www.beyondplasticmd.com/oscillo-oscillococcinum-for-flu/ ) I know its history and understand the so-called science on which it is based. The premise that taking something that will produce symptoms shared by a medical condition will cure that condition has never been demonstrated. There is not a scintilla of scientific evidence that this works. You cannot base an entire discipline on testimonials and blind faith. Even worse is the law of minimum dilution which is pure fantasy. One example is Boiron's popular flu drug, Oscillo, which is made from an imaginary bacterium and diluted to 200C, which translates to a concentration of one molecule of whatever active ingredient is in it in the entire known universe. Are you serious? The concept of "water memory" should be considered an embarrassment by any physician or scientist who is not delusional. Where is the verifable, reproducible proof of this, if it indeed exists? I believe you are trying to do good things and would love to be supportive, but I must live in the real world of science and observation and I simply cannot take you seriously when you promote something as absurd and unscientific as homeopathy.
Thanks Richard - a few comments about your comments.
1. the financial discussion about MDs looking at osteopaths as "competition" was a historical one, back to the late 1800s - prior to the AMA charter. It's not true today at all.
2. re: nanomedicine - the point was that homeopathy was about the tiniest, even microscopic doses, smaller than Avogadro's number. Nanomedicine today is in the same venue....and apparently you missed the part of by the real chemistry of water. As I said, MANY books are written on this; it wasn't my intent to be all inclusive and write a tome!
3. "not a scintilla of scientific evidence it works" - I completely disagree on this point based on clinical experience and observations, but that is beyond the scope of this substack - or my time - to debate this with you. We'll have to agree to disagree.
4. I'm not asking you to "take me seriously" and you're free to leave this channel at any time. This wasn't promoting anything - it is historical content - and a way to show the education of osteopathic physicians is equal to, and IMO better than, allopathic MDs who never get any training in musculoskeletal medicine.
There are endless "absurdities and unscientific" topics in allopathic medicine and in other areas of science that are too long to point out.
If you "don't take me seriously", then please, spend your time elsewhere, Richard. This is not the right place for you. No reason to troll and spam my substack page with your antagonisms.
Apologies if my comment offended. Not my intent. Trolls are usually anonymous. I am not. We are both professionals and should be able to discuss and debate with civility. You were the one who brought up and defended homeopathy. We agree on the legitimacy of osteopathy. I would not be able to say this for something like chiropractic, or homeopathy. As mutual devotees and practitioners of science-based medicine, how do you propose we dispense with molecules as the basis of matter? This is what homeopathy appears to do with its claim of water memory, something that has never been demonstrated and for which no known mechanism exists. If I am wrong in this, I would be interested to know how. As to experience and observations, all of us who have been in medicine long enough have seen instances where we observed inexplicable phenomenon, e.g. the seemingly overnight disappearance of a documented malignant tumor. We know that placebo can be effective in treating 20-30% of patients. Oscillo remains one of the most popular over-the-counter flu medications despite the fact that it is simply water. I believe the mind and body are intertwined and there is a third element to be considered: spiritual. Some would not take me seriously as a physician because I am a Christian and allow for the possibility of miracles (although I believe these are few and far between, and most so-called miraculous events have a reasonable alternate scientific explanation. ) I receive your email posts and plan to continue. I try to avoid living in an echo chamber of only those who agree with me. I chose to engage with you here and, again, apologize if I gave offense. I agree with you on much and believe you are ethical and sincere. This does not mean you are always right, a claim I can apply to myself. Peace out. Rick
Your closing sentence - "I simply **cannot take you seriously** when you promote something as absurd and unscientific as homeopathy." - was more than a little offensive. So, because you disagree with what I said about homeopathy - which wasn't much - you'd toss out everything I've written about? -- and you can't say good things about chiropractic but osteopathic manual medicine is acceptable? [I grew up in a family of chiropractors; it's why I decided to become a DO instead of an MD - I wanted that tool of manual medicine in my tool box ... because it works.]
hmmm.
Have you spent time reading scientific publications re: homeopathy in PubMed? Recent papers were even published on the use of homeopathy in covid19.
Recall that 5% efficacy rate of a drug or vaccine is often lauded as remarkable - and it gets rushed to market. However, holistic remedies are held to a higher standard. If they don't "work" 80-90-100% of the time, they pffffft. They're no good, or "only as good as a placebo".
Would it have held the test of time (200+ years) and have some of these attributes:
1. homeopathy is used around the world, but least of all in the heavily leveraged pharma markets of the US
2. Higher potency homeopathic remedies need to be prescribed by physicians in Brazil, UK, Germany and other countries
And then there's India:
1. The nation has almost a quarter of a million registered homoeopathic doctors
2. The Indian government has almost 11 000 homoeopathic hospital beds and three-quarters of all registered practitioners have been **trained by the state**. Medical students, regardless of whether they intend to be homoeopaths or modern medics, share the first 3 years of training.
3. The National Commissions for Homeopathy - https://nch.org.in/ - government regulating board.
I have really spent more time on this than I had to spare this evening. My plate is such that I have to monitor my minutes pretty carefully. Have a good evening.
Nicely said! From what I've seen India has a high standard of training. I came across this when researching one of the best doctors my mother was treated by at Centracare Hospital in St. CLoud MN, a Dr. Moeed Asghar, MBBS.
I was going to post this in my comment below for others after researching your title designation AOBNMM, of which I was unaware you held.
What I wish other doctors knew about NMM/OMM
I’m here to tell you why there is a specialty for something we all learn in medical school and when to refer patients to NMM/OMM specialists.
I have to take issue with your critique, as a college professor with a PhD in one STEM field and a MS in another. I teach statistics and have published on statistical inference. All said and done, all I care about is whether the patient recovers, not whether the p-value is low enough. The modality makes no difference to me. You do it through an injection, others do it through prayer; what's wrong with that? You do understand that "vaccines" are not tested using placebo-controlled RCTs, right?
Surak, You do not mention what STEM fields your degrees are in. Mathematics? Engineering? Computer science? Not sure of the relevance of those to this discussion. My criticism was about the lack of scientific evidence supporting homeopathy. You did not address this at all. Of course, the proper injection at the proper time in the right patient with the right diagnosis may cure someone. I will even concede the power of prayer. Studies have shown that prayer is associated with better outcomes in certain situations. As to your final sentence, the new Covid vaccines were rolled out with unprecedented speed and a bare minimum of short term testing and with claims of unbelievable effectiveness and safety, both of which have proved to be false.
Great piece, Dr. T. Yes the MSM and Big everything (Medicine, Pharma, Insurance etc) have been smearing DOs and Chiropractic and Homeopathic practitioners since the get-go.
(Nit: tenets not tenants ...)
All osteopathic physicians are taught the history of osteopathy, its tenants, and techniques while in medical school. Unfortunately, most DOs go on to practice as MDs, with their prescription pad being their first-line tool. Sadly, patients often only know their doctor is an osteopathic physician by noting their signature, which has a DO after their name instead of an MD.
Great article, but Colleges of Osteoathic Medicine are being eroded by the AMA and allopathic dogmatists. Some schools even offer the choice of awarding the DO or MD degree.
I knew about the erosion but not about the choice of degree!! do know which schools are doing this?
Correction. I just talked with him and he said the option was a topic of discussion during his last year. I apologize for my senior memory!
My brother graduated from TCOM in 1988. Even then, the option was given
More and more the idea that there are these awful diseases out there that our body can't handle and the only solution is some pill or expensive treatment looks like a racket to me. More and more the suffering by disease that is most pervasive in our day looks more likely to be from chronic exposure to unnatural substances like glysophate, or some carcinogen from some product we just haven't thought to consider.
My knees were hurting so I wanted an MRI but before my insurance would cover it I'd have to sign up for some rehab program. But they had no issue taking my money for a useless X-ray. To boot, in establishing a new primary care Doctor they wanted to throw in a random Aids test with my bloodwork. And I had to listen to a soft sell for anti-depressants. Its a joke. My knees are fine now...I just iced them up after runs, and wrapped them in a brace and over time they got better.
Most excellent information. I have a DO as my primary doctor for insurance purposes. After experiencing a heart problem about 2 years ago, I saw a cardiologist. I had a stress test and afterwards the cardio guy insisted that I book a stay at the hospital for a catherization and possible stents. Also several heart drugs were advised (I am not on any drugs) and then my DO concurred.
I told them both I needed to do some research and investigation into these things. I doubt they would have given me any informed consent or explained what these procedures really were and what the drugs might really do. After much research, I decided to forego these suggestions.
I am taking herbs and other supplements and am still alive and able to function fairly well. There is absolutely no proof that succumbing to the medical mafia will be any healthier than what I am doing on my own. I continue to learn about heart disease and possible solutions.
I think if I come into contact with toxins and chemicals that If I have a severe reaction, it is because they are poisons. Then I conclude that if I take drugs and have similar reactions, then these drugs are also toxic and poisonous. I don't need any medical degree to conclude that ALL vaccines and most drugs are toxic to the body and not required for healthy living. I'll take the "quackery" over the standard medical solutions every day of the week.
applause!!!! good job for doing your own research on this. You may want to consider ECP - you can find more info at www.TenpennyECP.com
Thanks for that description. I had always wondered the differences. I am a DVM and am trying to educate myself about more of the natural healing methods.
Thank you for explaining the difference. I much prefer a DO rather than MD.
So do I!
Thank you Dr. T. Fascinating post indeed.
Thank you for that information.
Several years ago, in Tennessee, the Medical Boards were being taken by both MDs and DOs. After several tests were taken, over about 2.5 days, the person administering the tests made this comment: "All those who are just MDs are dismissed."
One of the MDs said, "What do you mean by all those who are just MDs?"
The response was, "OK if you want to stay and take a test over material that you were never taught in Medical School, but Osteopaths were taught. You can remain seated, but I'll warn you now, you will fail that test, but the choice to stay and take it is yours."
That particular MD said no more but quickly left the room before the next test was handed out to the Osteopaths!
I have worked for over 40 years with both MDs and DOs and have respect for both professions. I have found, as a general rule, the DOs are willing to spend more time educating patients as well as treating them, than the average MD spends with patients.
In case you missed the implication above, the DOs have to pass the same licensing exams as the MDs plus an additional test MDs do not have to take.
Amen!
AAPS member drs. are the ones more likely to take vax issues
seriously.
Fantastic series of two articles so far, Dr. T. I hope you will follow up with another installment regarding naturopathy. Together, the alliance of functional medicine, osteopathy, homeopathy, naturopathy, and related healing modalities should be the future of wellness.
Along these lines, a recent presentation "What is science?" was given at a conference on alternative medicine: https://traditionalmedicineconference.com/program/scientific-program/2023/what-is-science
Dr. Tenpenny, your article is good, but remember, that Osteopathic med school in San Antonio puts vaccines - FRONT and center. Such is completely at odds with the fundamental principles you listed, AND anti logic and evidence.
PS - nice to hear from you John!
Dear Dr. Tenpenny, you know that you are one of my favorite people. Ever since I first heard you on Joyce Riley (The Power Hour), and then I watched ALL your YT lectures and presentations, I have appreciated your efforts to save so many children and families. I hope that I am living up to your standards.
Presently, I am working on a book to explain how the ideologies of virology and vaccinology paved the way for the plan-demic. (I start from the 1700s Boylston, Heberden, and Jenner, then in the 19th century with Pasteur, Iwanowski, and into the 20th, Flexner, Rivers, Sabin/Salk, Enders, Plotkin and Offit).
You know that I have read and edited all the works of Jenner (and created a reader for his first three papers). In the past two months, I finished reading Fuller (1730), Home (1759), and Holland (1839). It is amazing to see that there was little to no clarity on definitions of disease (looks like symptoms from mild like rubella/measles to severe in the form of confluent smallpox, are just the same condition).
Of course, the Enlightenment era medical texts show no appreciation of bathing, fresh air, or nutrition. (Ironically, al-Razi, writing circa 900, did advise nutrition, lots of anti-oxidants, and fresh air, and bathing for those diagnosed with pestilence). But well into the 1800s, across Europe, children with measles, chickenpox, smallpox, and scarlet fever, were often bled to death, or poisoned with mercury "treatments".
Soon, I hope to have a short work on the "anti-anti-vaccination" movement (1801-present) and their propaganda. The book might have a first draft by next Feb 2024. Best
I guess I didn't make the last part of my article strong enough: will repeat here ---
All osteopathic physicians are taught the history of osteopathy, its tenents, and techniques while in medical school. **Unfortunately, most DOs go on to practice as MDs**, with their prescription pad being their first-line tool. Sadly, patients often only know their doctor is an osteopathic physician by noting their signature, which has a DO after their name instead of an MD.
Remember that allopathic medicine considers prevention "find it early" (hence, mammograms, colonoscopies, etc) rather than preventing the cancer in the first place.
Allopathic medicine was founded on the belief in vaccines (smallpox). I may write more on this soon...
Dr. Tenpenny, I am intrigued by this claim " allopathic medicine was founded on the belief in vaccines (smallpox)." Do you mean "inoculation", the term used to describe putting the pus in the gash/wound of the inoculee? The practice popularized in the UK by Lady Montagu, circa 1714?
My understanding is that while their ideology spoke of virus (by which they meant "poison"), they were almost operating on the ideals of homeopathy or sympathetic magic, by taking in pus, presumed to be the disease causing agent, as to help the body resist the otherwise invisible demon. (Have you seen the 2022 documentary of Kate Sugak on smallpox? It is on Odysee and Bitchute).
Can you elaborate more? Thanks
Thank you Dr. T. Helpful info.
Dr. Tenpenny, the word is "tenets" not "tenants". Tenets are beliefs or practices, tenants are renters.
Otherwise a very informative article.
Paul Bergamini D.C.
Will correct. Autocorrect doesn't find these things. thanks
True Osteopaths are rare this day and age, they used to actually have the Osteopaths listed in the heading in hard copy phone books. My father was referred to one by a very old Chinese miner who used to get his haircut by my dad. The Osteopath was also Chinese and was a Hands On doctor, and could tell by what he felt in the spine where the areas of concern were, as well as in those areas after discerning them.
Are you one of those type Dr. Tenpenny? You would be a real GEM if so. I have been searching for one for a long time here in MN.
I am Board certified in NeuroMusculoskeltal medicine, hence, the designation of AOBNMM as a credential - that's hands-on manual medicine that is similar to, but distinct from, other forms of manual medicine such as chiropractic, physical therapy or massage therapy.
Also: I was Board Certified in Emergency Medicine from 1995 to 1986. At that time, I CHOSE to not recertify. I costs thousands of dollars to recert (in courses, travel, the test itself) and many hundreds of hours to study for the massive exam. PLUS hundreds of hours and dollars every three years to take CME courses.
My last shift in the ER was Jan 1998; I knew I was never, ever going back into that world of medicine. So I opted to let the certification lapse and not recertify.
Thank you so much for responding! I was unaware you held that designation as all I'd ever heard you called is Doctor. It sounds like you are the real thing I was speaking of, and a rarity. I found your website in Ohio and see it lists you as a D.O. there, but does show the AOBNMM as well as ABIHM, and of course your knowledge in the AOEBM as former Director of an Emergency Dept. at a Regional Hospital.
Your patients and Ohio are very fortunate to have your services available to them. I was looking for someone before undergoing cervical and thoracic spine surgeries back in the early 2000's and didn't find anyone unfortunately.
I will be looking over your website as I watched a docuseries on Toxicity on a site called Zonia, and decided to sign on for a testing package with them as it included multiple tests OAT, MycoTox, Heavy Metals, Advanced Adrenal Stress, and a GPL-Tox I'm still awaiting as their was an equiptment issue, so they gave me a Glyphosate free in the meantime. It comes with a free consult, but I'm holding off until the final test comes in which has been awhile. The price was very good for the tests, but the consult is with none of the Doctos in the series or their clinics, so have been considering taking the results elsewhere, and have been looking locally as it would be nice, but credentials and preferred experience is a greater consideration when the costs are usually not covered by insurance, especially VA or Medicare I soon have the option for.
Sincerely thank you again for taking the time to inform me.
Dr. Tenpenny, I am a proud allopathic physician for over 45 years. As I look back on my career I look back satisfied that I always did my best for my patients. Usually it was enough. Sometimes, it was not. That's reality. I have always regarded my Osteopathic medical colleagues as my equals. I make sure my patients know that their osteopathic physician is a legitimate, fully trained medical professional.
I must take issue with a couple of comments you made in this article. You explicitly claim that the antipathy of allopathic physicians to osteopaths was due to the perceived commercial competition between the two. You seem to impugn the MDs and AMA with impure financial motives to eliminate competition. You seem to forget that both schools of medical care make a living from providing that care and so financial motives run both ways. I don't doubt that the history of both allopathic and osteopathic medicine contains things that both would like to forget and I try to assume the best of both as much as I can. I confess that I have been very disappointed with the medical establishment in the past three years of Covid and believe medicine in the US is broken, possible irretrievably. The thing I take most issue with in this article is your positive comments regarding homeopathy. I have investigated this and am very familiar with its history and underlying basis. That an educated physician, whether MD or Do could possibly defend this leaves me incredulous and destroys any credibility you might have in my eyes. You give it too much credit by calling it "nanomedicine". It is nothing of the sort.
I have investigated homeopathy and even written on it ( https://www.beyondplasticmd.com/oscillo-oscillococcinum-for-flu/ ) I know its history and understand the so-called science on which it is based. The premise that taking something that will produce symptoms shared by a medical condition will cure that condition has never been demonstrated. There is not a scintilla of scientific evidence that this works. You cannot base an entire discipline on testimonials and blind faith. Even worse is the law of minimum dilution which is pure fantasy. One example is Boiron's popular flu drug, Oscillo, which is made from an imaginary bacterium and diluted to 200C, which translates to a concentration of one molecule of whatever active ingredient is in it in the entire known universe. Are you serious? The concept of "water memory" should be considered an embarrassment by any physician or scientist who is not delusional. Where is the verifable, reproducible proof of this, if it indeed exists? I believe you are trying to do good things and would love to be supportive, but I must live in the real world of science and observation and I simply cannot take you seriously when you promote something as absurd and unscientific as homeopathy.
Sincerely,
R. Bosshardt
Thanks Richard - a few comments about your comments.
1. the financial discussion about MDs looking at osteopaths as "competition" was a historical one, back to the late 1800s - prior to the AMA charter. It's not true today at all.
2. re: nanomedicine - the point was that homeopathy was about the tiniest, even microscopic doses, smaller than Avogadro's number. Nanomedicine today is in the same venue....and apparently you missed the part of by the real chemistry of water. As I said, MANY books are written on this; it wasn't my intent to be all inclusive and write a tome!
3. "not a scintilla of scientific evidence it works" - I completely disagree on this point based on clinical experience and observations, but that is beyond the scope of this substack - or my time - to debate this with you. We'll have to agree to disagree.
4. I'm not asking you to "take me seriously" and you're free to leave this channel at any time. This wasn't promoting anything - it is historical content - and a way to show the education of osteopathic physicians is equal to, and IMO better than, allopathic MDs who never get any training in musculoskeletal medicine.
There are endless "absurdities and unscientific" topics in allopathic medicine and in other areas of science that are too long to point out.
If you "don't take me seriously", then please, spend your time elsewhere, Richard. This is not the right place for you. No reason to troll and spam my substack page with your antagonisms.
Sherry,
Apologies if my comment offended. Not my intent. Trolls are usually anonymous. I am not. We are both professionals and should be able to discuss and debate with civility. You were the one who brought up and defended homeopathy. We agree on the legitimacy of osteopathy. I would not be able to say this for something like chiropractic, or homeopathy. As mutual devotees and practitioners of science-based medicine, how do you propose we dispense with molecules as the basis of matter? This is what homeopathy appears to do with its claim of water memory, something that has never been demonstrated and for which no known mechanism exists. If I am wrong in this, I would be interested to know how. As to experience and observations, all of us who have been in medicine long enough have seen instances where we observed inexplicable phenomenon, e.g. the seemingly overnight disappearance of a documented malignant tumor. We know that placebo can be effective in treating 20-30% of patients. Oscillo remains one of the most popular over-the-counter flu medications despite the fact that it is simply water. I believe the mind and body are intertwined and there is a third element to be considered: spiritual. Some would not take me seriously as a physician because I am a Christian and allow for the possibility of miracles (although I believe these are few and far between, and most so-called miraculous events have a reasonable alternate scientific explanation. ) I receive your email posts and plan to continue. I try to avoid living in an echo chamber of only those who agree with me. I chose to engage with you here and, again, apologize if I gave offense. I agree with you on much and believe you are ethical and sincere. This does not mean you are always right, a claim I can apply to myself. Peace out. Rick
Your closing sentence - "I simply **cannot take you seriously** when you promote something as absurd and unscientific as homeopathy." - was more than a little offensive. So, because you disagree with what I said about homeopathy - which wasn't much - you'd toss out everything I've written about? -- and you can't say good things about chiropractic but osteopathic manual medicine is acceptable? [I grew up in a family of chiropractors; it's why I decided to become a DO instead of an MD - I wanted that tool of manual medicine in my tool box ... because it works.]
hmmm.
Have you spent time reading scientific publications re: homeopathy in PubMed? Recent papers were even published on the use of homeopathy in covid19.
Recall that 5% efficacy rate of a drug or vaccine is often lauded as remarkable - and it gets rushed to market. However, holistic remedies are held to a higher standard. If they don't "work" 80-90-100% of the time, they pffffft. They're no good, or "only as good as a placebo".
Would it have held the test of time (200+ years) and have some of these attributes:
1. homeopathy is used around the world, but least of all in the heavily leveraged pharma markets of the US
2. Higher potency homeopathic remedies need to be prescribed by physicians in Brazil, UK, Germany and other countries
And then there's India:
1. The nation has almost a quarter of a million registered homoeopathic doctors
2. The Indian government has almost 11 000 homoeopathic hospital beds and three-quarters of all registered practitioners have been **trained by the state**. Medical students, regardless of whether they intend to be homoeopaths or modern medics, share the first 3 years of training.
3. The National Commissions for Homeopathy - https://nch.org.in/ - government regulating board.
I have really spent more time on this than I had to spare this evening. My plate is such that I have to monitor my minutes pretty carefully. Have a good evening.
Nicely said! From what I've seen India has a high standard of training. I came across this when researching one of the best doctors my mother was treated by at Centracare Hospital in St. CLoud MN, a Dr. Moeed Asghar, MBBS.
I was going to post this in my comment below for others after researching your title designation AOBNMM, of which I was unaware you held.
What I wish other doctors knew about NMM/OMM
I’m here to tell you why there is a specialty for something we all learn in medical school and when to refer patients to NMM/OMM specialists.
https://thedo.osteopathic.org/columns/what-i-wish-other-doctors-knew-about-nmm-omm/
I have to take issue with your critique, as a college professor with a PhD in one STEM field and a MS in another. I teach statistics and have published on statistical inference. All said and done, all I care about is whether the patient recovers, not whether the p-value is low enough. The modality makes no difference to me. You do it through an injection, others do it through prayer; what's wrong with that? You do understand that "vaccines" are not tested using placebo-controlled RCTs, right?
Surak, You do not mention what STEM fields your degrees are in. Mathematics? Engineering? Computer science? Not sure of the relevance of those to this discussion. My criticism was about the lack of scientific evidence supporting homeopathy. You did not address this at all. Of course, the proper injection at the proper time in the right patient with the right diagnosis may cure someone. I will even concede the power of prayer. Studies have shown that prayer is associated with better outcomes in certain situations. As to your final sentence, the new Covid vaccines were rolled out with unprecedented speed and a bare minimum of short term testing and with claims of unbelievable effectiveness and safety, both of which have proved to be false.
Great piece, Dr. T. Yes the MSM and Big everything (Medicine, Pharma, Insurance etc) have been smearing DOs and Chiropractic and Homeopathic practitioners since the get-go.
(Nit: tenets not tenants ...)
All osteopathic physicians are taught the history of osteopathy, its tenants, and techniques while in medical school. Unfortunately, most DOs go on to practice as MDs, with their prescription pad being their first-line tool. Sadly, patients often only know their doctor is an osteopathic physician by noting their signature, which has a DO after their name instead of an MD.