Osteo vs Chiro vs Physio: what's the difference?

It is not the role of an Osteopath (or any health professional) to define what another is and does.  If you are after a definition, you'd best ask them what they do and how they do it.

However, generally speaking the main difference between osteopathy and other manual therapies is the way in which we view and treat the body as a whole, rather than in its individual parts.  Osteopaths work on the underlying principle that all of the body’s systems are interrelated. Therefore, a number of areas are usually treated within any one session, which can last up last up 45 minutes.  Osteopath's also place a large emphasis on their ability to palpate (feel) the problem areas and treat as required without the use of machines.

Example: You've injured your wrist

Your Osteopath will do much more than just examine and treat your wrist. They will want to know exactly how you injured it in order to determine what structures are injured, and whether there may be any involvement of other areas bio-mechanically related to the wrist, such as the hand, elbow, shoulder, neck and upper back.

Your Osteopath will then try and determine if there are any secondary effects as a result of the injury. For instance, you may be "avoiding" the bad wrist because it hurts, and as a result over-using the other wrist and arm. If this is compensation continues for some time it can lead to problems developing in the neck or"good" wrist.

Your Osteopath will then use this information to devise a treatment plan that addresses not just the wrist, but all of the other areas of the body that may be involved. The plan for healing will cover the joints and their associated soft tissues, as well as the blood, nerve and lymphatic supply to and from the affected areas. The success of Osteopathy is found in this "whole body, multi-system" approach. Why not contact us today to see how we can help you?