A new year means a new opportunity for residents of Lewisburg and surrounding areas to receive no-cost osteopathic manipulative treatment from students at the West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine (WVSOM). The school’s annual Student Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine Clinic is set to begin Jan. 20, 2021.
The clinic will take place in two separate four-week sessions. Appointments are available at 1 p.m., 2 p.m., 3 p.m. and 4 p.m. Wednesdays, with the first set of sessions scheduled for Jan. 20, Jan. 27, Feb. 3 and Feb. 10. The second set of sessions will take place Feb. 17, Feb. 24, March 3 and March 10.
As in past clinics, students will be supervised by WVSOM faculty during patient visits. Due to ongoing safety precautions in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, patients will be required to wear a mask during their visit. Students will wear KN95 masks and face shields or goggles.
In osteopathic manipulation, a patient’s muscles and joints are moved using techniques that include stretching, pressure and resistance. Osteopathic manipulation can ease pain, promote healing, increase mobility, treat structural and tissue abnormalities, relieve joint restriction and misalignment, restore muscle and tissue balance, and promote blood flow, among other benefits.
Jessica Smith-Kelly, D.O., a member of the school’s osteopathic principles and practice faculty, coordinates the annual event. She said the clinic is valuable for WVSOM students as well as for the patients they treat.
“The student clinic continues to be an invaluable opportunity for WVSOM’s medical students to advance their skills in osteopathic manipulation,” Smith-Kelly said. “Although this year’s clinic will look a little different, with masks, face shields and temperature checks, WVSOM is excited to be able to provide this opportunity to our students and the local community.”
Individuals who would like to schedule an appointment may do so by calling 304-647-6286. To be eligible, a patient must have a written referral from a doctor, physician’s assistant or nurse practitioner and must not have an open workers’ compensation case, motor vehicle accident claim or involvement in litigation.
Patients should avoid wearing restrictive clothing or jeans to their appointment and should arrive 15 minutes early. Those who arrive more than 10 minutes late may be asked to reschedule. WVSOM asks that cancellations be made at least 24 hours in advance.