FAQ – Connecticut Osteopathic Center

What can I expect during an OMT session?

First session is 1 hour which includes history of problem, focused examination, and osteopathic manipulative treatment. This is done in a relaxed, quiet environment.
Subsequent sessions run 30 minutes.

What are the risks of Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine?

The techniques I utilize are very gentle, and the risk of serious harm is very low. However, sometimes your body can respond negatively to a specific technique and result in soreness or unintended spasm. If you have soreness that lasts more than a couple of days, please let me know.

What should I expect after the session?

Some people feel calm, euphoric, even sleepy after a session.
It is recommended to take it easy for 72 hours after the session to allow the tissue to continue to relax and not be stressed. I recommend no heavy lifting or new exercise during this time. I recommend to drink lots of water to flush out toxins.
It is not uncommon to feel mild soreness after a treatment session. This is self limiting and will resolve in 1-2 days. Heat, OTC medications such as acetaminophen/ibuprofen can be used if no underlying medical conditions prevent their use.
Responses to treatment vary from patient to patient. Some patients notice some improvement immediately. Some patients notice improvement after 2 days, but improvement can be noticed even 7 days after session.
How long the improvement lasts also varies from patient to patient. For an acute issue, pain relief may happen sooner. For a more chronic issue, it may take 3-5 sessions to start to notice improvement. Unfortunately, some chronic conditions may not result in complete pain resolution. Instead, the goal is improvement in movement and range of motion, less severe pain, and less frequent pain.

How often are the sessions?

I generally treat patients every 2-3 weeks initially. As the underlying issue improves, we can spread out the visits as tolerated.
Sometimes an acute issue may warrant follow up after one week. Please reach out to me if you need to be seen urgently and I will try my hardest to get you in!

What should I wear?

Comfortable clothes! As part of the treatment, I frequently need to bend/twist different body parts so you will want to wear clothes that will allow for this movement.

Do you accept any insurances?

The only insurance I am taking at this time is Medicare B. For all non-Medicare patients (including Medicare Advantage), I am considered “out of network.”
I have chosen to not participate in insurance, so that you, as a patient, can make your own health decisions and decide where your money goes. I don’t want insurance companies to come between my patients and me. More and more patients are utilizing high deductible plans and their deductibles are not met every year. This allows you to have more control over where your money goes. This also allows me to spend more time with you. You will be able to download a superbill (or itemized receipt) via patient portal after visit which you can then submit to your insurance. I am considered an out of network provider.

Can you be my Primary Care Provider?

Although I am an internist, this practice is strictly Osteopathic Manipulative Treatment. I continue to work at Hartford Healthcare (HHC) as a Primary Care Physician (PCP). If I am your PCP at Hartford Healthcare, I cannot discuss any primary care concerns at Connecticut Osteopathic Center (CTOC). I cannot prescribe any refills or order any tests for primary care concerns at CTOC. I am also unable to review any primary care results while at a visit at CTOC. If you have a primary care concern, please contact my office at HHC, 860-696-2150 or schedule an appointment in my primary care office.

What age range of patients do you treat?

What are the Covid-19 policies?

I kindly ask you to avoid coming to the office if you are feeling unwell. If you have a fever, sore throat, sneezing, chills, headache, malaise, loss of taste or smell, runny nose, body aches, cough, GI symptoms, shortness of breath, please reschedule your appointment. Please wait to come in for an appointment until 10 days have passed from Covid-19 diagnosis and until you are asymptomatic. I thoroughly clean the room after every patient. Masks are optional.

What happens if I am late for an appointment or miss my appointment?

Please text/call the office if you are running late or need to miss your appointment. If you are more than 10 minutes late, I may have to reschedule your appointment. If you miss more than 3 appointments without notifying the office, this will result in dismissal from the practice.

What form of payment do you accept?