Frequently Asked Questions

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A Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (D.O.) is a licensed physician who can prescribe medications and send you for an X-ray or MRI if you need it, in addition to treating you with gentle hands-on manipulation for a variety of medical problems.

The practice of osteopathic manipulative medicine is a philosophy that is based on four tenets:

1. The body is a unit made up of mind, body and spirit.
2. The body is a self-healing, self-regulating mechanism.
3. Structure and function are reciprocally interrelated.
4. Treatment is based on the above principles.

Because osteopathy is based on a philosophy of how to approach a patient, it is not easily described in only a few words. When you go to a physician who practices osteopathic manipulative medicine, their treatment encompasses the philosophy as well as years of training in how to diagnose different types of strain in the body and various ways of approaching that strain in order to treat it.

Dr. Bordenave  typically uses a combination of several more subtle approaches including balanced ligamentous tension, balanced membranous tension, osteopathy in the cranial field, and a biodynamic approach. Each of these approaches take into account the body as a whole and the aim is to restore balance and health to all of the tissues.

Dr. Bordenave  is trained in and uses more gross movement approaches such as counterstrain, facilitated positional release, high velocity/low amplitude (what most chiropractors are trained in), and myofascial release when needed.  

A DO can treat you for many different medical problem, but a list of common complaints are:

-Migraines/headaches                                                                                      -Carpal tunnel syndrome

-Sinus infections                                                                                                 -Diarrhea/constipation

-Respiratory disorders, i.e.: asthma, bronchitis, pneumonia          -Osgood Schlatter disease

-Sports injuries                                                                                                     -Scoliosis

-Infant issues such as torticollis, colic, latching difficulties            -Post-operative recovery

-Back pain                                                                                                               -Ear infections

-Neck pain                                                                                                              -Vertigo 
-Nausea/vomiting in pregnancy                                                                  -Post-concussive syndrome

-Natural induction alternative                                                                      -Plagiocephaly
-Pain in pregnancy                                                                                              -Tennis elbow
-Post-partum pan                                                                                                 -Trigeminal neuralgia
-Colic                                                                                                                         -And many others...

Yes, osteopathic manipulative medicine is safe and effective for treating a variety of ailments that can occur during pregnancy without the concern for negative side effects that can come with prescription and over-the-counter pharmaceuticals.  

Osteopathic treatment can help to change fetal positioning from breech (feet down) or side-lying, to vertex (head down).  Treatment for changing fetal positioning is neither painful nor dangerous to the mother or baby.

An osteopathic treatment can even be used in order to intentionally induce labor, but only if the body is ready for the process to begin.

Yes, Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine can be very beneficial after surgery to promote healing, help your body drain extra fluid build up, and decrease pain.

No, Dr. Bordenave is not a participating provider with any insurance plans. She does give every patient a superbill which is a form that they can submit for possible reimbursement from their insurance company.

Dr. Bordenave is also opted out of both Medicare and Medicaid. If you have a secondary insurer with out-of-network coverage, you can submit the superbill to them for possible reimbursement.

An initial visit is an hour and a half long during which time Dr. Bordenave will take your history and then treat you. The cost is $275. Follow-up visits are a forty five minute visit and consist of a check-in about how you are doing since the previous treatment and an osteopathic treatment. The cost of follow-up visits is $160.  

Treatment is gentle, non-invasive and most patients become very relaxed.  Patients remain dressed while being treated.

While that varies greatly between patients and the reason they are seeking treatment, Dr. Bordenave prefers to see patients once a week for three weeks in order to assess progress and have a better idea of how the healing process will unfold in the future.