Spotlight On Osteopathic Medicine

Created: 2011-11-21 07:49 EST
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To administer Osteopathic medicine, the only equipment a doctor requires are his own two hands.
 
Dr. Merwin Waldman is a world renowned physician in this field, and doctors from all over the world travel to Israel's “Rambam” Hospital to learn from him.
 
[Dr. Merwin Waldman, Osteopath, "Rambam" Hospital]: 
"This particular approach medicine started over 120 years ago as an attempt to reduce the amount of invasive treatment to the minimum and also to reduce the amount of medication to the minimum.” 
 
Doctors from the Japan Institute of Classical Osteopathy had met Dr. Waldman when he was in Japan following the last tsunami, and decided to come to Israel to learn from him.
 
[Dr. Hiroshi Iizuka, Osteopath, MICO Japan]:
"I found Merwin is the best Osteopath in the world, so that is why we came to learn in Israel.”
 
Is this a common practice in Japan?
 
[Dr. Hiroshi Iizuka, Osteopath, MICO Japan]: 
"It is now more and more acceptable in Japan and became more and more popular and well known.”
 
Two of the doctors who have come to learn at the “Rambam” Hospital are from the region that was hit by the tsunami.
 
[Dr. Akinori Nemoto, Osteopath, MICO Japan]: 
"There were so many patients from that area that were damaged so much.”
 
Osteopathy proved especially effective after the tsunami, as most of the electricity and gas systems collapsed.
 
[Dr. Kazunori Mtsuzawa, Osteopath, MICO Japan]: 
"In Osteopathy we don't need electricity or gas only manipulation and our hands. Osteopathy help a lot of people, I found osteopathy very effective for people who suffer from disaster.”
 
In addition, whether during disaster or peaceful times, osteopathy can help prevent the need for surgical intervention.
 
[Dr. Merwin Waldman, Osteopath, "Rambam" Hospital]: 
"Very often we help patient avoid operation. The word that is useful to understand our work is rehabilitation.”
 
When they return to their country, the Japanese doctors will be able to give more needed help to the tsunami victims who have not yet become well enough to return to normal life. 
 
Reporter: Aviva Grunpeter         Photographer: Anat Markram
NTD News, Israel