Often, most people are confused with the terms chiropractic, physiotherapy and osteopathic as they assume they are all the same profession. The professions share a lot in common, such as the fact that they all deal with musculoskeletal pain disorders. Furthermore, the titles for each profession are protected; thus, a therapist cannot refer to himself as a chiropractor, osteopath, or physiotherapist unless they have completed the necessary certified training. In addition, chiropractors, osteopaths, and physiotherapists are also all trained at universities.
What Is Chiropractic?
“Chiropractic is a health care profession concerned with the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of diseases of the neuromusculoskeletal system and the implications of these disorders on general health,” according to the World Health Organisation (WHO). Manual procedures, such as joint adjustment and manipulation, are prioritised, with subluxation being the main focus.
Simply put, chiropractic uses manual, non-invasive adjustments and manipulation of the spine to diagnose and treat neuromuscular diseases. The administered therapies aim to return the spine to its original form to ease pressure on the patient’s health and sensitive neurological regions. This means that chiropractic therapy doesn’t require you to undergo surgery or use medication. In addition to manipulation, chiropractors may employ several other methods, such as ice, heat, ultrasound, exercise, acupuncture, and guidance on posture and lifestyle choices.
What Is Physiotherapy?
Physiotherapy concentrates on the musculoskeletal system. There is a focus on rehabilitation and injury prevention in addition to treating injuries and easing aches and pains. Physiotherapy will often employ a bio-psycho-social approach, meaning that treatment is directed at the person as a whole. A physiotherapist will assess different areas of a person which include physical factors such as joint mobility, muscle strength, muscle flexibility, nerve function and sensitivity, body posture, ergonomics, movement patterns, psychological aspects such as beliefs, attitudes, fears, anxiety, and stress, and social factors such as work patterns, behaviours, and lifestyle.
Physiotherapists do not move the joints outside their range of motion; instead, they use active treatment methods, including muscle contraction and exercises. As a result, the treatments emphasise improving posture, restoring the balance of the muscular system, strengthening the opposing muscles that pull the joints back to their natural position and decreasing your risk of injury.
What Is Osteopathic?
By adjusting and bolstering the musculoskeletal system, osteopathic treatment strives to improve health throughout all body systems without needing drugs or surgery. A comprehensive, whole-body approach to therapy is used in osteopathy. Without the use of medicines, it uses manual “hands-on” procedures to restore normal biomechanics and increase circulation.
An osteopathic doctor utilises manual techniques to balance the body’s systems and promote excellent health and wellness rather than only focusing on the problematic area. The methods used in the osteopathic manipulative treatment are stretching, gentle pressure, and resistance. The body’s neurological, circulatory, and lymphatic systems are intended to be positively impacted by treatment.
Chiropractic Vs Physiotherapy Vs Osteopathic
| Profession | Chiropractic | Physiotherapy | Osteopathic |
| Definition | Chiropractic is a primary healthcare profession focusing on diagnosing, managing, and treating illnesses brought on by issues with the joints, ligaments, tendons, and nerves, particularly those that affect the spine. | When someone is impacted by an injury, sickness, developmental or other disability, physiotherapy helps them return to movement and function as close to normal as possible. | The foundation of osteopathic treatment is that a person’s health depends on their bones, muscles, ligaments, and connective tissues, all working harmoniously. Osteopathic treatment focuses on the structure and function of the body. |
| Scope of Practice | Chiropractic physicians have received training in diagnosing, managing, treating, and preventing diseases of the musculoskeletal system (including the bones, joints, and muscles), as well as the potential consequences these diseases may have on the neurological system’s overall health. Although they specialise in treating neck and back pain, they also consider their overall physical, mental, and social well-being when they evaluate patients. Chiropractors employ various methods, including manual spine manipulation, to lessen pain, enhance function, and promote mobility. The basis of chiropractic care is safe, frequently gentle, targeted spinal manipulation to release stiff joints in the spine or other body parts. | When someone is impacted by an injury, sickness, or handicap, physiotherapy helps them regain movement and function. Physiotherapists provide training and exercise, manual treatment, education, and counselling to those injured, ill, or disabled. They support patients in managing pain and preventing disease, preserving health for people of all ages. The profession enables people to continue working while assisting them in maintaining their independence for as long as feasible. It also helps to foster development and support recuperation. The science-based field of physiotherapy emphasises a “whole person” approach to health and wellbeing, which considers the patient’s overall way of life. | An osteopathic physician will aid the body’s innate ability to sustain itself and encourage the return of normal function. An osteopath will spend time getting to know their patient, their particular symptoms, medical background, and way of life. An osteopathic physician can accurately diagnose the causes of the discomfort or loss of function, and from there, They can develop a treatment strategy to produce the most outstanding results. Osteopaths commonly collaborate with other medical specialists, including GPs, nurses, midwives, and practitioners of complementary and alternative medicine. |
Can These Professions Work Together?
Fundamentally, non-invasive, drug-free manual treatments like osteopathic, chiropractic, and physiotherapy all strive to enhance physical health and well-being.
Although the therapies may initially appear identical to one another, each has a specific area of focus that they might complement. In other words, combining the treatments can hasten the process of healing and avert relapse.
Summary
Finding a practitioner who “operates within an evidence-based paradigm” is crucial whether you visit a physiotherapist, chiropractor, or osteopath. Patients should be aware of the practitioner because you will put their confidence and health in their hands.
You want to avoid a doctor who overstates the likelihood of recovery and takes too much credit for it. For instance, correcting “misalignments” conflicts with modern science’s view of pain. As a patient, you shouldn’t go to someone who makes a lot of interventional treatments with the false promise of curing you; you should instead go to someone who teaches you how to take care of yourself.
You want to visit a chiropractor, osteopath, and physiotherapist who will teach effective coping mechanisms for dealing with everyday discomfort and empower you to take care of your own body and yourself.
