One of the most common questions we get asked in our clinic is “what is the difference between a chiropractor and an osteopath?”. Many of our patients, and the general public, struggle to see the differences between the two and so don’t know who to visit when their body isn’t working quite as they’d like it to.
As is often the case with a lot of questions, the best answer is probably “it depends”.
Both osteopathy and chiropractic started in the mid-west of America in the 1800s. Both disciplines, in their early stages, made outlandish claims about what they can help with. Thankfully nowadays, both have largely adopted an evidence based model of healthcare.
Traditionally, chiropractors would focus on the spine with the “chiropractic adjustment” (also known as manipulation) as their main tool for helping their patients. Osteopaths were considered to be more whole body focused with more of a leaning towards soft tissue therapy.
The truth is, nowadays most chiropractors and osteopaths are somewhere in the middle of these two stereotypes. Chiropractors frequently use soft tissue techniques and treat all areas of the body (my favourite area being the hips) and osteopaths are very skilled in manipulation and treating spinal issues.
Both chiropractors and osteopaths complete full time masters degrees in their respective fields and study for a minimum of 4 or 5 years (depending on where they studied). A large portion of these degrees is focused on learning about the underlying physiology of the body. This underpins all of the diagnostic skills and treatment techniques that are learned.
Any good Musculo-skeletal therapist will also work within something called the bio-psycho-social model of healthcare. This looks at a patient’s problem from several different angles rather than just focusing on one area of the body or ignoring a patient’s mental health or social issues and their effect on how we experience pain.
A good chiropractor and a good osteopath will likely be fairly indistinguishable. Both should possess excellent diagnostic skills and be able to treat all areas of the body using a variety of techniques. In fact, if I have a patient that is moving house and looking for a new chiropractor and I like the look of an osteopath in their new town, I will often recommend that they visit them.
Crucially for any good therapist, they should be able to spot the potentially more serious conditions and refer quickly to the relevant specialist or the patient’s GP for further investigations. It is rare, but we occasionally have patients come in with pain that appears to be coming from a more sinister cause. In these situations, a speedy referral to their GP or even A&E is of utmost importance.
One of the few differences between the two professions is that chiropractors are licensed to take, interpret and report on x-rays. Not many clinics nowadays have x-ray facilities on site and due to the radiation involved, x-rays should only be taken when absolutely necessary. Personally, I refer for MRI scans much more commonly than x-rays as they show much more detail and don’t involve any radiation exposure for the patient.
Another difference between the two professions is that there are some osteopaths who specialise in cranial osteopathy. This is a technique where gentle pressure is applied to the head to help with tension across the body.
In Summary, both chiropractors and osteopaths are a fantastic choice for treating a whole host of aches and pains. The most important thing is to find someone that you feel comfortable with that has given you a diagnosis, a clear explanation and plan of action. Be wary of any practitioners that ask you to pay upfront for a raft of treatment and always seek a second opinion if you are being told to keep coming back over and over when you aren’t seeing the results you want.
If you have any questions for me and the team about whether chiropractic treatment is suitable for you, please get in touch. You can also use our online booking to look through our diary and find a time that works for you to come in and get started on your journey to recovery.
Dr Alexander White MChiro DC
