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Dr. Rolf Panke |
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A Doctor for All Seasons Sports seasons that is! Dr. Panke, an athlete himself, has a keen interest in sports medicine. Fractures, sprains, and musculoskeletal system injuries are a special interest. His training as an osteopathic doctor goes hand in hand with sports injuries, as well as automobile or job-related injuries. Dr. Panke’s knowledge of soft tissue injuries rounds out his comprehensive practice. Caring from Newborn to End of Life Your family’s entire well-being is Dr. Panke’s top priority. His comprehensive approach to family care is seen in his dedication to the generations, starting with newborn care. He looks forward to well child exams and provides health maintenance services throughout your child’s growing years. Women’s health services, including pelvic and breast exams are a high priority with Dr. Panke, as well as infertility issues. He is also well-versed in men’s health, including prostate cancer and vasectomies. As your family ages, Dr. Panke focuses on health maintenance and disease prevention — keys for good health in those golden years. Dr. Panke is a board certified family practitioner offering comprehensive care for the entire family, including…
A Doctor of Osteopathy is a Physician who practices a variety of common sense, non-invasive treatments geared toward helping the body to heal itself through the immune system. Their philosophy is that the body is a unit whose parts integrally affect each other – therefore, a problem in one area affects several other connected areas. Osteopaths, through special schooling in the musculoskeletal system, are trained to have a highly developed sense of touch. That touch allows them to detect physical problems dealing with flow of fluids, motion of tissues, and structural make-up. Once the problem is found, an Osteopathic doctor can normalize the body by gently applying pressure to promote movement of fluids, release compressed bones and joints, and eliminate problems in muscle movement. This is called Osteopathic Manual Medicine (OMM).
Is an Osteopath a real Doctor? Yes. As a matter of fact, DOs and MDs are the only fully licensed physicians allowed to practice general family medicine. Both are authorized to prescribe medication and perform surgery.
How is an Osteopath’s philosophy different from an MD’s? Osteopaths look first for the underlying cause of illness or pain, then concentrate on normalizing the body so that its natural tendency to heal itself takes over. Although Osteopaths do write prescriptions, prescribing medication is not a first line of treatment in many cases. Finding a natural way to restore rightful body function is their top priority. Take for example, the common headache. Is the body suffering from a Tylenol deficiency? No. Illness or injury has caused a blockage in the body to bring on the pain. The headache is a symptom, and treating a symptom does not solve the problem. A DO will seek first to find the cause, then work with his hands to unblock the irritated area, thus addressing the true problem and relieving symptoms. How does Osteopathic Manual Medicine (OMM) work? The brain and spinal cord, along with the respiratory system, transmit a rhythm throughout the body through membranes called the dura and fascia. The fascia (picture a large piece of shrink wrap) is literally one piece of connective tissue that lines the body cavities and surrounds all organs, muscles, bones, vessels and nerves. The fascia allows different body motions, and tensions, to be transmitted to all other parts of the body. This motion gently pulls and releases all the areas of the body in order to work strains and tissue restrictions structurally free. DO’s manipulate this natural healing system with their hands in order to free up systems which are injured or under stress. What types of illness does an Osteopath treat? Through the process of removing obstructions to health, DOs are able to treat virtually any illness or trauma including (but not limited to):
Ear, Nose, Throat Problems
Somatic Pain
Systemic Problems
For more information on Osteopathy, including history and current trends, click here or check out www.osteohome.com Born
Dr. Panke enjoyed watching his father practice medicine in a rural setting and during his high school years, decided to become a doctor himself, with the hope of practicing in a small town. EDUCATION
Kirksville
University of
HONORS & AWARDS Advanced Life Support in
Obstetrics Instructor SPECIALTY BOARDS Board Certified in Family
Practice by
MEDICAL LICENSURE State of
MEMBERSHIPS
CERTIFICATIONS ACLS, ALSO, ATLS, NALS, NRP, PALS VOLUNTEER WORK Tacoma Neighborhood Clinic,
volunteer physician 1998-2000 PERSONAL Married with two children and the world’s coolest hunting dog, Riggs (Chesapeake Bay Retriever). Enjoys hunting, skiing and spending time with family.
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Meet
Dr. Panke's Medical Assistant 
Osteopathic
doctors attend their own medical schools, but are responsible for exactly the
same academic discipline as their MD colleagues. In addition, DOs complete an
additional 300 to 500 hours of intensive study in the body’s musculoskeletal
system.
PRACTICAL
EXPERIENCE