What is the difference between osteopathy and physiotherapy

Osteopathy is a distinctive form of medical care. Founded on the philosophy that all body systems are interrelated and depending upon one another for good health. It is based on the work by Dr Andrew Still.

In , a physician on the Missouri frontier, Andrew Taylor Still image below discovered that he could put his hands on people and change their physiology. During my osteopathic study, I felt although these origins of osteopathy were fascinating to appreciate, on reflection, the profession was still based on outdated principles and had struggled to progress into a more modern evidence-based approach, especially to pain and dysfunction. In the past few years, I believe this has started to change, and the profession has evolved, nevertheless it is still lacking the science that underpins its profession.

Physiotherapy is usually a 3-year degree and osteopathy a 4-year degree. Both degrees cover all the core subjects you would expect in the first few years; anatomy, biomechanics, physiology and pathology. Physiotherapists gain their experience in the NHS and osteopaths in a private teaching clinic affiliated with the university.

One of the key differences between the two degrees is the breadth of the medical conditions the clinician would be exposed to and expected to treat. As part of their university course physiotherapists attend work placements to put their skills into place and treat real patients. Physiotherapists treat respiratory, neurological and musculoskeletal conditions. I believe this provides physiotherapists with an excellent foundation and range to their knowledge and skills.

Most patients will attend due to musculoskeletal pain and sports injuries e. This exposes the osteopathy students to a narrower breadth of injuries and complaints during their training.

During your first session, both a physiotherapist and osteopath will take a detailed clinical history and carry out a comprehensive assessment of your presenting condition. The overall assessment process is likely to appear quite similar.

The assessment will involve the clinician asking you several questions and finding out about when and how your symptoms started and how the symptoms behave, i. You will also be asked questions about your general health. The clinician will then go on and carry out a physical assessment of the affected area. Generally, osteopaths probably assess a condition from a more holistic point of view, i. Conversely, physiotherapists assess more locally to the painful or affected area but will also consider it as part of the overall functional unit.

But which is right for you? Osteopaths and physiotherapists are both mechanics for your body. And they both work to boost your mobility and ease pain. But there are some important differences between the practices that are worth noting. A desire to rid yourself of lingering aches and pains and recapture that time when walking down the street and reaching for things on shelves felt effortless.

An osteopath can help with that. In first appointments, osteopaths carry out detailed consultations before administering any treatment. To treat their patients, osteopaths use manual stretching and manipulation to move bones back into alignment. You may feel slightly sore for a few days after your treatment as your form adapts to the changes.

After an injury or illness, physiotherapy is a key part of the recovery process. All great practitioners move closer to Osteopathic philosophy as they get better. Even Osteopaths. Want to learn more about these practices? Find more about Osteo , Chiro and Physio. I have a special interest in Strength and Conditioning for footballers, as I believe it gives them an edge in their physical competition. My passion involves bringing all of this knowledge into every single treatment that I provide for all athletes.

If you feel that I can help you and want to reach out to me, contact me. Parramatta 02 Peakhurst 02 Difference between chiropractors, osteopaths and physiotherapists.

Whiplash pain — prevention, diagnosis and treatment. What is a herniated disk? Can Stress Cause Headaches? Getting Your Mattress Right. Work Hard, Keep Moving, Save your spine! Pros: Physios provide great focus on exercise, movement, and rehabilitation in their education. They do great work in hospital settings with helping patients post-surgery, recovering from orthopedic injuries and stroke. Practitioners who have a wider range of treatment options available to them have generally had to go looking for that knowledge outside of their profession, especially when it comes to hands-on treatment.

Pros: Good Chiropractors are able to help people suffering from spinal pain and have become synonymous with spinal manipulation.

If this is a treatment option for you, and it may well be spinal manipulative movement can help you get moving again. Cons: The Subluxation Model has been pretty much thrown in the toilet by modern science and imaging, and so with it, the core traditional philosophy of Chiropractic.

To make up for this, they have had to do lots of self-directed learning to align their treatment with sound principles. Practically, however, this looks like some spinal manipulation and exercise mashed up together. If this sounds like you, then an Osteopath may be your best bet.

Cons : Their reliance on hands-on treatment application means their rehab and exercise prescription tradition has not been strong. Although there have been advances in education in recent years, this remains an area for improvement. Self-directed learning is still required here. Comparison — the difference between chiropractors vs osteopaths vs physiotherapis.

Service Evidence-based Hands-on treatment Exercise prescription Philosophy and principals Minimum education Chiropractor. Book Now. Physiotherapists work both on the NHS and in private practice. Osteopathy is not as widely available on the NHS and the majority of osteopaths and chiropractors work in private practice, where no referral is needed. What we believe to be essential here, regardless of profession is that your healthcare professional of choice operates of the best available evidence to treat your condition.

It is important to understand that there is not enough robust evidence available for every condition. What you want to avoid, he says, is somebody who makes false promises of a cure and takes too much credit for natural recovery. What is the difference between an Osteopath, a Chiropractor and a Physiotherapist? Osteopathy Chiropractors Physiotherapy The body has the natural ability to maintain itself and, by helping this process, an osteopath can promote restoration of normal function.

Institute of Osteopathy, GOsC Chiropractors are trained to diagnose, treat, manage and prevent disorders of the musculoskeletal system bones, joints, and muscles , as well as the effects these disorders can have on the nervous system and general health.

British Chiropractic Association Physiotherapy helps restore movement and function when someone is affected by injury, illness or disability. The Chartered Society of Osteopathy Essentially, they are all non-invasive, drug-free, manual techniques, which aim to improve physical health and well-being.