Neuromusculoskeletal medicine deals with the systems of the body as a whole, and practitioners believe that an imbalance between the nervous system, blood vessels, musculature and skeletal framework of the body causes diseases and disorders. A doctor of osteopathy (D.O.), or an osteopath is a physician who deals with the structure and function of the body, and uses manipulations to help the body heal itself.
This holistic approach relies on all the neuromusculoskeletal systems of the body as an integral part of health. Osteopaths take a hands-on approach to disease, and though they are licensed to practice medicine, they use chiropractic-type adjustments or physical therapy in their treatment, and prefer to use medication and surgery as a last resort.
Doctor density varies by specialty and location. The United States has 1,097 practicing neuromusculoskeletal medicine doctors. Broken out by state, neuromusculoskeletal medicine doctor density in Alabama is 6, in Alaska is 3, in Arizona is 32, in Arkansas is 1, in California is 157, in Colorado is 39, in Connecticut is 8, in Delaware is 5, in Florida is 56, in Georgia is 15, in Hawaii is 11, in Idaho is 2, in Illinois is 36, in Indiana is 13, in Iowa is 16, in Kansas is 5, in Kentucky is 13, in Louisiana is 8, in Maine is 86, in Maryland is 18, in Massachusetts is 25, in Michigan is 71, in Minnesota is 14, in Mississippi is 5, in Missouri is 31, in Montana is 4, in Nebraska is 3, in Nevada is 10, in New Hampshire is 12, in New Jersey is 21, in New Mexico is 5, in New York is 126, in North Carolina is 12, in North Dakota is 2, in Ohio is 52, in Oklahoma is 17, in Oregon is 27, in Pennsylvania is 45, in Rhode Island is 6, in South Carolina is 5, in South Dakota is 2, in Tennessee is 12, in Texas is 68, in Utah is 3, in Vermont is 8, in Virginia is 22, in Washington is 41, in West Virginia is 16, and in Wisconsin is 12.
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