Clayton Chiapuzio,

DO Candidate- Western University of Health Sciences COMP, 2018

San Diego State University- Bachelor of Science: Kinesiology with emphasis in Kinesiotherapy- Summa Cum Laude, 2010

Pediatrics & Orthopedic/General Surgery

OPP I/II Teaching Assistant- WesternU COMP

Student Kinesiotherapist- The SDSU Fitness Clinic for Individuals with Disabilities

“Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn.” Benjamin Franklin

The use of OMT in Rheumatologic Conditions

My interest in Osteopathic Medicine began in college; I just did not know at the time what Osteopathic medicine was. There was one patient that ultimately led me to Osteopathic Medicine. “Jockey” was a middle-aged woman that developed lead poisoning from many years of making stain glass windows using lead based products. The excess lead had been absorbed into the long bones of her body, making her joints extremely stiff. She had traveled to doctors around California and their treatment was physical therapy, muscle relaxers, and painkillers. She came to the FCID out of desperation because her insurance would no longer cover her physical and she was tired of medications. We developed a treatment plan involving active isolated stretching, myofascial release, and proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation. That semester we set a goal for “Jockey” to get back on her horse and being able to ride with her daughter. While we were not able to get her upon a living horse we did make improvement so she could ride the therapeutic horse in the clinic. This experience showed me how an osteopathic approach could succeed where conventional medical treatments failed. Osteopathic medicine is an approach to medicine in which the practitioner views a sick body as an imbalanced body. Being a teaching fellow will provide me with the tools necessary to allow patients to reestablish an internal balance.