What is the Difference Between Osteopathic and Chiropractic Treatments?

A Chiropractor and an Osteopath both work with a patient’s whole body and it is because they are both considered holistic healers that people tend to get the two professionals confused. On their surfaces chiropractics and osteopathy look almost the same but in reality the two schools of thought are unique and their approach to patient care and therapy is quite different.

Major differences between Osteopaths and Chiropractors are:

A chiropractor is a professional who is interested in how a person’s body works, but views the workings of a body primarily through the spinal and muscular systems. Usually a chiropractor focuses on pain relief and injury recovery. He or she will use spine and joint adjustments, massage, electrical stimulation and rehabilitative exercise to help a patient heal as well as working with the patient in other areas of his life (primarily diet and exercise programs).

Osteopaths work with a patient’s whole body, not just the spinal system and joints. An osteopath will conduct a thorough exam of a patient’s entire body to diagnose the patient’s problem. He is usually contacted because of a patient who wants to reduce pain or heal from an injury, but he or she helps patients with a variety of other problems as well.  The Osteopath’s methods of treatment involve physical therapy, adjustments to the body,  massage and electrotherapy and possibly cranial sacral therapy.  In Osteopathy, palpation and balance tests are very useful to detect the presence of dysfunctional zones in the cranium.

Both Chiropractors and Osteopaths use treatments that involve the moving of an individual’s body outside its usual range of motion.

A Chiropractor will do this by swiftly moving a joint out of its usual range of motion and putting it back in its starting position. An Osteopath will usually employ a more gentle technique that stretches the muscles surrounding a joint in ways that they are not used to stretching.

Both Chiropractors and Osteopaths use physical movements to treat pain and injuries.  A Chiropractor will move the patient during a visit, placing his or her limbs in precarious positions in an effort to decrease joint and muscle pain.  An Osteopath may teach a variety of poses to a patient so that he or she can continue with the therapy at home.

Chiropractic therapy is actually derived from Osteopathy. Osteopathy was invented by Dr. Andrew Taylor Still in 1872 and Chiropractic care was invented by Daniel David Palmer of Ontario in 1897.

Difference between Osteopaths and Chiropractors

The major difference between an Osteopath and a Chiropractor is that while the Chiropractor is primarily focused on the spine and joints (and the muscles to a point); an Osteopath is also concerned with the rest of the body.  He or she might treat patients with respiratory problems, digestive problems or any other number of problems that might not seemingly be related to the spine or joints.

The main point to remember is that, no matter which professional gets chosen, excellent care will be provided from both Osteopaths and Chiropractors and it is a good idea to try both and make your own decision!

For more information, Andrew Subieta and the clinic staff can be reached at Osteoklinika Pain Management & Rehabilitation 905.660.8810. Also, please check our website www.osteoklinika.com for more information about Bio-Structural Integration™, or our Facebook, LinkedIn or Twitter pages.