A short YouTube segment in which Dr. Joshua John-Ram Schacter (a D.O. and board-certified orthopedic surgeon) defines "integrative" or "holistic" orthopedics. He explains that the osteopathic philosophy treats the patient as an integrated whole—evaluating metabolism, lifestyle, hormonal balance, and systemic inflammation—rather than focusing solely on an individual joint like the knee.
And so when I look at you for your joint pain, I don't just see the knee and its anatomy.
So what exactly is an integrative approach to orthopaedics or what is holistic orthopedics? Well, I'm not just a board certified orthopedic surgeon. I'm also a D.O. and that's a doctor of osteopathic medicine. And the osteopathic medical philosophy is a little bit different than how the mds train in our medical schools. We're taught to see the patient as a whole organism, an integrated system of different parts that all come together to work together. And so when I look at you for your joint pain, I don't just see the knee and its anatomy. I see you and your metabolism. I see your lifestyle, I see your hormonal balance. I see how much inflammation you have in your system. And we really want to get down to treating those things that can make a big difference in your life. Treating you as a whole person is so much more valuable than just seeing you as one joint.
She Traveled from Colorado for a Different Approach to Knee Pain | Lois’ Story
