Osteopathy and Chiropractic therapies are famous forms of Manual Therapy. Both the therapies share the same origin in the initial days. But from the 20th century both these procedures have evolved into two separate disciplines. These therapies use non- surgical and drug free techniques to reduce muscle and joint pains.
Osteopathy:
Osteopathy treatment is the form of manual therapy that deals with the body’s self healing and self regulating mechanisms. This therapy includes stretching, massaging and moving a patient’s bones, muscles and joints. With the power of human touch Osteopathy used to treat a musculoskeletal condition like osteoarthritis, shoulder pain, back pain, neck pain, postural strain and sciatica. Not only for muscle pains, but also used to get relief from headaches, migraines, breathing problems and digestive problems. By using self healing and self regulatory mechanisms, this treatment corrects the structural and functional abnormalities.
Chiropractic:
Chiropractic is a form of manual therapy concerned with the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of musculoskeletal diseases. Like in the Osteopathy, chiropractic practitioners also use hands to correct structure and functional disorders. Chiropractic treatments have a holistic approach like Osteopathy, they treat the human being is a unit of body, mind and spirit. Mainly chiropractic treatments focus on spinal alignment, vertebral alignment and extremity joints as the primary treatment to reduce pains. It helps to manage the effects of the muscle disorders on the nervous system. Chiropractic treatments are widely used for spine, neck and back pains.
Similarities between Osteopathy and Chiropractic:
In many aspects, both these approaches are very similar to each other. That is why many patients are confused about what treatments are used for what disorders.
- Origin: Both the therapies share the same origin and they emerged during the late 19th Both are originated from the traditional bone setting mechanism.
- Philosophy: Both practices treat a human being as the body of unit, mind and soul believes that the body has a self healing and regulating capacity.
- Objective: Both these manual therapies are used to reduce the body pains and treat musculoskeletal disorders.
- Diagnosis: Both these treatments use the same medical and physical examinations for Movement palpation is used to diagnosis the abnormalities of the stricture.
- Treatment: In both the therapies they deal with joints, bones, muscles and connective tissues to treat disorders. Both use the power of human touch in the treatment. Osteopaths use their limbs to apply force whereas chiropractors use their hands to treat.
Differences: Both these practices have few differences regarding their treatment, they are as follows:
- Chiropractors focus on spinal and vertebral alignment and extremity joints as the primary treatment to reduce pains. Whereas osteopathic looks at the body as a whole and corrects the structures.
- In Chiropractic treatments they use additional diagnostic procedures like X-Ray, MRI, blood and urine tests. But, Osteopathy just needs a physical examination to diagnosis.
- Chiropractors frequently suggest sessions to the patients, whereas Osteopaths treat patients on an as needed
Osteopathy not only used to treat the musculoskeletal condition but to treat other issues like digestion problems, menstrual problems and breathing problems.
