A DO is a fully licensed physician who is credentialed to do anything an MD can do. A chiropractor, however, is not a physician. They have a separate type of license which requires less education and training, limiting their scope of treatment. As a physician, a DO can prescribe any medication required for treatment, order any tests or advanced images required for diagnosis and refer to any specialty appropriate to treat a patient, in addition to providing hands-on treatment of musculoskeletal tissues.

Chiropractic care often focuses on bone alignment and High-Velocity Low Amplitude (HVLA) techniques (Popping and cracking). This can provide immediate relief, but the root dysfunction often pulls bones back out of alignment requiring repeated treatments to maintain the desired result. Biweekly follow up treatments are typically required.

While HVLA techniques can be a useful tool, OMT performed by a DOs typically start by addressing soft tissue-like muscles, tendons, ligaments, and fascia. This allows the physician to address the root cause of the dysfunction, achieving similar pain relief, but with longer lasting results. There are certainly exceptions but follow up visits are seldom more frequent than two weeks apart.