Osteopath Vs. Chiropractor: What's The Difference?

Many people know an osteopath is not the same thing as a chiropractor. But that's just about all they know. The exact differences between the two elude them. So they don't know whose treatment to seek.

We'll try to de-mystify things in this article.

Let's start with a look at training, credentials and techniques. We'll then move on to consider what might be right for you.

Training

Students of both chiropractic and osteopathy can expect plenty of coursework. In chiropractic schools, the curriculum consists of basic and clinical science. These basic sciences, which typically make up about 30% of the program, include anatomy, physiology, pathology, biochemistry, microbiology, and public health. Chiropractic clinical science takes up another 40%, with the remainder devoted to clinical clerkships. It can all add up to two to four years of undergraduate work and then four years of post-graduate study.

Students in the United States who wish to become Doctors of Osteopathy must devote even more time to their studies. They must complete four years of undergraduate studies and four years of post-graduate studies. Basic sciences such as anatomy and physiology comprise about 50% of the program. The remaining half of their training takes place in hospitals and private practices where future osteopaths learn their craft -- hands on -- and under the careful supervision of expert teachers. Many students also complete a residency, which can last anywhere from two to six years. After all of this, they also need to pass their certifications exams and state medical examinations. In the United States, Doctors of Osteopathy (D.O.s) enjoy many of the same rights and privileges as medical doctors (MDs), including writing prescriptions and referring patients to specialists. Osteopathic Manual Therapists are non-medical practitioners with varying membership requirements in their own professional organizations.

Credentials

Both Osteopaths and Chiropractors earn the title of Doctor. But neither are medical doctors (MDs). Doctors of Osteopathy (D.O.) may prescribe drugs and perform surgery. Doctors of Chiropractic (D.C.s) may not.

Techniques

To the layman, it may seem that chiropractors and osteopaths uses many of the same manual manipulation techniques. This is true, to a certain degree. The key difference comes in how the techniques are applied. A chiropractor treating a patient with back pain will likely massage, stretch, and manipulate the patients' problem area. The osteopath takes an entirely different approach. Osteopaths believe in a philosophy that whose essential belief is that all parts of the body function together in an integrated manner. If one part of the body is restricted, the rest of the body must adapt and compensate, which leads to inflammation, pain, and stiffness. Since osteopaths take a holistic approach, they can help patients with a much wider range of issues. They apply a large array of manipulation techniques and treatment modalities. These include soft tissue techniques, also known as myofascial treatment, muscle energy and high velocity/low amplitude force techniques.

Chiropractor apply only two principal techniques. The first is the familiar "cracking" technique. The other is known as network chiropractic, which is actually a spinoff from cranial osteopathy.

Putting It All Together

Which technique is better? Which practitioner's treatment should you seek? In some ways, those are unanswerable questions because individual results vary so widely. But there's no denying that osteopaths generally have superior training, greater recognition from the wider medical community and treat a broader range of issues than chiropractors. Please bear than in mind when making your choice.

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