A D.O. is a fully licensed physician or surgeon who practices osteopathic medicine, often in the primary care field. While they can practice many procedures and provide diagnoses that MDs do, a primary difference exists—the way physicians who earned a D.O. approach the body and care for the individual as a whole when providing diagnoses and creating treatment plans. For instance, while an allopathic doctor may simply prescribe medication for a muscle injury, it’s possible an osteopathic doctor may treat and prescribe alongside lifestyle interventions to prevent future similar symptoms or injuries due to an unbalanced diet or exercise regimen.