Glossary of Chiropractic & Medical Terms

OCCIPUT - The back part of the head.

ORTHOPAEDIC IMPLANTS - Medical devices used to replace or provide fixation of bone or to replace articulating surfaces of a joint.

ORTHOPEDICS - The medical specialty involved in the preservation and restoration of bone and joint function that includes treatment of spinal and extremity disorders. Medical orthopedics primarily utilizes drugs, surgery, and braces/appliances as a main treatment approach. Also known as orthopaedics.

OSSIFICATION - The process of forming bone in the body.

OSTEOMYELITIS - Inflammation of bone due to infection, which may be localized or generalized.

OSTEOPATHIC JOINT MANIPULATION: is not the same as chiropractic joint manipulation. Osteopaths are not chiropractors. Modern osteopaths who routinely employ manual and holistic methods do possess sophisticated techniques, including muscle and other soft tissue treatments.

OSTEOPATHY - A system of medical practice, conceived in 1874 by A.T. Still, which is based on a theory that diseases are due chiefly to loss of structural integrity causing inadequate blood supply to organs, which can be restored by manipulation and mobilization of the body parts. In theory, osteopathic medicine is supposed to balance traditional medicine with a strong emphasis on the inter-relationship of the body's nerves, muscles, bones and organs. D.O.s, apply the philosophy of treating the whole person to the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of illness, disease and injury. However, modern osteopathy is mainly medical, with use of pharmaceutical medicine and even surgery as a primary mode of care, and manual and natural methods used as ancillary.

OSTEOPENIA – Literally: bone-less. A condition of diminished bone density, including the loss of minerals, proteins, and the general substance of bone, as a result of various diseases, aging, hormonal imbalance, or disuse of the body part containing the bone.

OSTEOPOROSIS - A disorder in which bone is abnormally brittle, less dense, and is the result of a number of different diseases and abnormalities.

OUTCOME MEASURE: Procedure or method of measuring a change according to a predetermined set of standards. In health care, it involves measuring a patient's status following specific treatment, thus reflecting its effectiveness. The outcome measures may be used to evaluate the effectiveness of that treatment over time.