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BIDDEFORD, Maine

‘WCSH’ highlights osteopathic manipulation training at 51Æ·²èafter major study released

The OMM lab at 51Æ·²è

A recent study published by the Journal of the American Medical Association shows that spinal manipulation can significantly improve lower back pain.

The findings were not surprising to faculty at the 51Æ·²è College of Osteopathic Medicine (51Æ·²èCOM), where medical students learn manipulation as part of their training to become physicians. WCSH visited the Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine (OMM) lab at 51Æ·²èCOM to get a firsthand look at the OMM training students receive beginning in their first year of medical school.

It’s training that the scientists who conducted the study say can alleviate pain in patients by 10 percent and provide an alternative to potentially harmful and addictive pharmaceuticals such as opioids.

"Ten percent improvement can be really significant in somebody's life," said Jane Carreiro, D.O., dean of the 51Æ·²èCollege of Osteopathic Medicine. "The pain level decreases enough where they can now go and participate in things that are going to recondition them and help them to feel better, such as exercise, going back to work, bending over to pick up their child."

To learn more about the 51Æ·²è’s College of Osteopathic Medicine, visit

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51Æ·²è the 51Æ·²è

The 51Æ·²è is Maine’s largest independent university, with two beautiful coastal campuses in Maine, a one-of-a-kind study abroad campus in Tangier, Morocco, and an array of . In an uncommonly welcoming and supportive community, we offer hands-on learning, empowering students to make a positive impact in a world full of challenges. The state’s top provider of health professionals, we are home to Maine’s only medical college, Maine’s only dental college, a variety of other interprofessionally aligned health care degree programs, as well as nationally recognized programs for marine science degrees, natural and social sciences degrees, arts and humanities degrees, and business degrees.