Osteopaths focus on patients who are experiencing pain or injury — these could include back pain, leg pain, sports injuries or work-related strains or tensions. Physiotherapists can work on injuries but also work with general health and wellbeing, especially of those with long term illnesses such as MS or recovering from a stroke. Osteopaths use techniques called palpation and manipulation — this is gentle massaging and movement of muscles. Physiotherapists use a wider range of techniques including manipulation of joints but also electrotherapy, hydrotherapy and ultrasound.
Osteopaths works to treat the body as a whole whereas physiotherapists monitor the improvement of specific muscle groups or parts of the body. Osteopaths need to have an accredited osteopathy degree, which normally lasts between four and five years, and register with the General Osteopathic Council. Physiotherapists take a three or four-year undergraduate degree and register with the Health Professions Council. They can also choose to register with the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy.
In comparison to osteopaths and chiropractors, one of the primary distinctions of physiotherapy is its use of an all-encompassing approach that looks beyond the purely physical elements of an issue, also taking both psychological and social factors into account when treating patients.
This means that if a patient were to present themselves to a physiotherapist complaining of back pain, rather than simply identifying the problem area and treating the symptoms, a physiotherapist will attempt to identify why the problem manifested in the first place, and prevent it from recurring in the future.
This means looking at the physical side of things, such as posture and movement patterns, as well as psychological aspects such as stress or anxiety, and social factors such as work habits and hobbies.
Of the three job titles, chiropractors are definitely the most commonly associated with back problems, although some claim it can help with issues such as asthma or sexual dysfunction. But at the same time, chiropractors are also among the most controversial in medical circles. The main feature of chiropractic treatment that sets it apart from physiotherapy and osteopathy is its focus on manipulation, which is when joints are pushed and pulled to their farthest possible range of motion.
Chiropractors are somewhat controversial for a number of reasons. Firstly, their techniques are seen as unnecessarily risky, with chiropractors having some of the highest instances of adverse patient reactions. They are also looked down upon from a scientific perspective, with one of their main theories having no evidence to even support its existence.
Osteopaths are quite similar to chiropractors in that they also place a lot of importance on manual manipulation, although they tend to be a lot more gentle. The prevailing theory of osteopathy is that the body is at its best when all of its tissues are moving how they are supposed to. As osteopathic manipulation is so much more gentle than chiropractic manipulation, many see it as harmless, or even beneficial when combined with other medical treatment.
However, some studies have shown osteopathy to be ineffective in achieving its claims, while others show evidence to support it. Both professions have extensive training in anatomy, physiology, pathology and hands on techniques but there are differences with the two professions training. Physiotherapists in the UK generally train through the NHS and cover rotations in fields of the musculoskeletal, neurological and respiratory health. Osteopathic training specialises in musculoskeletal health, and they are well versed in the application of spinal and joint manipulation, a core part of their 4 year training.
Osteopaths tend to work more with their hands. Physiotherapists are trained to use exercise and modalities such as ultrasound and electrotherapy. There are however several post graduate courses available to both professionals to train in these different treatment modalities.
If people who primarily focus on muscles sit at one end of a spectrum i.
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