9 Skills and Responsibilities of Osteopaths

Looking for a natural, holistic way to treat pain? Osteopaths and chiropractors offer treatment targeting aches and pains without involving prescriptions and traditional Western approaches to medicine. Both modalities carefully manipulate the body in different ways. However, osteopathic and chiropractic treatments are quite distinct when you examine the philosophies behind them.

Let’s learn about the different characteristics of osteopaths.

Focuses on the Musculoskeletal System

The osteopath helps manipulate the body’s musculoskeletal system to restore balance and promote self-healing. Chiropractic tends to focus more on treating neuromuscular disorders, particularly those related to the spine. Though this is a key difference between osteopaths and chiropractors, both modalities treat the body as a whole system and believe in the body’s ability to heal on its own.

Educational Backgrounds

Both osteopaths and chiropractors go through extensive training to be certified. A chiropractor receives anatomy, physiology, and pathology training, eventually earning their Doctor of Chiropractic degree. An osteopath, by comparison, trains in anatomy, physiology, pathology, and biomechanics, receiving their Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine degree at the end. Though there is some overlap in their education base, these are two very different degrees.

Treatments for Conditions

Chiropractors specialize in back, neck, and joint pain, usually with the back and spine. Osteopaths can assist with that, but they also target headaches, digestive disorders, respiratory problems, and other conditions in which chiropractors do not have expertise. To summarize, osteopaths concentrate on the whole body and have a more holistic whole-body approach.

Osteopathic Techniques

A traditional chiropractor only can make chiropractic adjustments. These adjustments can seem scary to someone who hasn’t worked with a chiropractor before, as the body is jerked into different positions and realigned. An osteopath works quite differently, using soft tissue manipulation, joint mobilization, stretching, and similar techniques to restore balance. In general, osteopaths are slower and gentler on the body, which can be very helpful if you’re sensitive to pain.

Tools and Equipment in Treatment

When appropriate, both osteopaths and chiropractors have different equipment available for use. Osteopaths may use ultrasound or electrical stimulation or have different tools to help with manual manipulation of the body. Chiropractors also have specialized tools, such as low-force adjustment equipment and activators, to help deliver their treatment. There may also be a cross-over with some osteopaths and chiropractors where they lean on other forms of alternative medicine in their treatments, such as acupuncture.

Healing Philosophies

The underlying philosophy of osteopathy is that if we treat the whole person rather than the symptoms or exclusively the affected part of the body where they’re experiencing pain, the body’s natural healing ability is heightened, and you can treat the cause. Chiropractors seek to align the spine and ensure joints are functioning as they should, under the belief that through alignments, one can ensure the body is operating as it should and thereby resolves the body’s discomfort.

Manual Techniques for Assessment

Chiropractors might use imaging techniques to diagnose the cause of pain and work exclusively with how the spine or joints are aligned and functioning. Osteopaths are more likely to use manual techniques to assess a patient, and the initial evaluation is more comprehensive, touching upon musculoskeletal, neurological, cardiovascular, emotional, and psychological causes of discomfort.

Collaborative with Other Disciplines

Chiropractors aim to ensure the body is aligned properly, particularly the spine. Osteopaths believe the underlying cause of pain is more than an alignment issue. They often collaborate directly or indirectly with primary care physicians, physical therapists, and mental health professionals, such as psychologists, to treat the whole patient rather than the underlying symptom of pain and discomfort.

Relaxed Healing Journey

Some chiropractic sessions last no longer than 15 minutes. The chiropractor will come in and make their adjustments. There is no real waiting around. Once you start visiting regularly, chiropractic work is targeted and does not need more than a few seconds or minutes to complete. Osteopathic visits cannot be done so short. Osteopathy appointments are much longer, often up to an hour, covering various patient concerns and playing into more comprehensive treatment plans than quick chiropractic adjustments.

It is hard to argue that one is better than the other, between an osteopath and a chiropractor. Which is better for you is a matter of personal preference, to a degree. Not everyone enjoys the sensation of chiropractic adjustments, or if they’re scary, you may prefer the more massage and stretching-based osteopathy techniques. Osteopaths and chiropractors certainly have their place in treating the body’s ailments.