Dr. Victoria Chang DO

Osteopathic Manipulative Treatment (OMT)

OMT is the term used to describe the use of manual techniques for the treatment of abnormal tissue tensions, skeletal misalignment and restrictions of motion.  These abnormalities are found after performing a history and physical examination.

The techniques range from very gentle, with the use of light pressure, to articular and thrust techniques.  Regardless of the technique used, the goal of OMT is to return the body structure to normal, so that body function is restored.   The results are decreased pain, improved blood and lymphatic flow, breathing and cellular activity.

Osteopathic manipulation is useful for treating:

• Sinus disorders
• Carpal tunnel syndrome
• Headaches
• Post-partum depression
• Cognitive dysfunction from head trauma
• Temporomandibular joint dysfunction
• Neck pain
• Plagiocephaly (mishapen head in infants)
• Feeding difficulties in infant
• Pain from previous accidents and injuries

Cranial OMT and Dentistry

Cranial OMT is OMT for the bones and tissues of the head.  The bones of the head are connected to each other by joints called sutures and connective tissues called dura mater.  The entire cranium moves in a gentle, rhythmic expansion and contraction cycle.  These motions are not visible to the naked eye but can be felt by trained practitioners.  Restriction of this motion due to misalignment of the joints can cause symptoms such as headache, tooth, jaw or face pain.  Sometimes, more subtle symptoms such as dizziness, mental fogginess, fatigue, irritability, sleep difficulty, and mood changes can develop.  These are changes related to the functions of the brain being affected by the structure of the cranium. 

Dental work and orthodontia, while necessary for the overall health of the patient, can sometimes lead to misalignment of the cranial bones, since shifting the teeth can shift the bones they are attached to and so on.  Often, the cranial bones return to normal position and function within a few days, but when they don’t, cranial OMT can help. 

Orthodontia can also affect the rest of the body since the alignment of the teeth and jaw can affect spinal alignment. These symptoms are more subtle, such as back aches or inability to sit up straight.  OMT can help the body adjust to the orthodontia.

Chelation and Nutritional Therapies

We are constantly exposed to toxins on a daily basis in the air we breathe, the water we drink, the food we eat and the personal care products we use. The toxins we are exposed to include plasticizers, insecticides, herbicides, pesticides, electric and magnetic fields  (EMFs) and heavy metals.

Our exposure to the non-heavy metal toxins, especially through the consumption of genetically modified food products is increasing to alarming levels.  These toxins can affect multiple organs and cause a multitude of physical symptoms. Current exposure as well as damage to the DNA can be assessed via a urine test.

Daily exposure to toxic heavy metals including cadmium, mercury, lead and arsenic persists in the United States. A common daily exposure to mercury occurs via amalgam dental fillings, the silver fillings that are placed for cavities. Routine blood work will not often reveal these unless there is significant current exposure. However, these toxic metals are stored in our bones, kidneys, brain and fat tissue and impact multiple functions of the body including the nervous system, the cardiovascular system, gastrointestinal system, kidneys and reproductive system.

Sympoms related to environmental exposure are quite non-specific such as brain fog, memory loss, chronic pain in muscles and joints, chronic fatigue, headaches and chronic infections such as candida. Basically the toxins, particularly the metals cause oxidative damange. Think of your car when rust eats away the car. This is what is happening to your body on the inside causing inflammation, which long-term will lead to signficant damage to the cardiovascular system. The inflammation effects the walls of your blood vessels, this can lead to medical issues such as high blood pressure and blocked arteries.

In our office we do chelation therapy orally to bind these toxic metals and/or a nutritional protocol to support the liver in detoxification. Chelation removes both toxic and essential metals, thus mineral supplementation is important part of treatment. Chelation has a long standing history in medicine, dating back to the 1940's when it was used on workers who were exposed to contaminated lead at the Brooklyn Navy Yard during World War II. Following treatment for this exposure to lead, the individuals that had angina (chest pain) had significant improvements in their angina as well as circulation. Since that time, other studies have been done showing improvements in cardiovascular health with chelation, particularly in patients with existing diabetes mellitus.