What is the difference between chiropractic and osteopathy?

What is the History of Chiropractic?

Chiropractic and Osteopathy have their roots in a similar time period. Chiropractic was founded in 1895 by Daniel David Palmer. Palmer wasn’t a physician but had other health interests such as magnetic healing, phrenology and spiritualism. The theory he developed was related to the pre-scientific notion of spiritualism. He believed that the flow of spiritual life force was what affected health. He later renamed this spiritual flow “innate intelligence” and associated it with what flows through the spinal cord and the rest of the nervous system. He created the term “spinal subluxation” to refer to small restrictions or misalignments in the spine that disrupt the nerves and flow of energy. He determined that freeing up the restrictions or misalignments on the spinal cord opens up the flow of energy to the rest of the body through the spinal nerves. Over the last century, the practice of Chiropractic has evolved and developed. 

Different  branches of Chiropractic exist today. On one end of the spectrum there are Chiropractors who focus mainly on restoring subluxations based on the original philosophies. These chiropractors perform spinal adjustments. On the other end, there are those who avoid the spinal manipulations and provide alternative treatments, which include acupuncture and herbal or naturopathic remedies to name a few.

What training do Chiropractors and Osteopaths receive in Canada?

Chiropractors go through a 4 year program to receive their Doctor of Chiropractic degree after obtaining an undergraduate degree. In the United States, Osteopaths or Osteopathic doctors are medical doctors who pursue an osteopathic designation after medical school. This is how Osteopath’s gain their title in the U.S. 

In Canada, by contrast, they are referred to as Manual Osteopaths or Osteopathic Manual Practitioners. Manual Osteopaths are not medical doctors but are manual therapists who undergo a diploma program after they complete another university level designation in the health field. Unlike in the United States, in Canada, these practitioners do not provide surgery or prescribe medication but deliver the hands on osteopathic techniques based on the original osteopathic philosophies. 

What’s the difference between the techniques that Chiropractors use compared to those used by Manual Osteopaths?

Manual Osteopaths and Chiropractors both carried the tradition of manipulating the bones and joints in order to restore health. Whereas Chiropractic focused on unblocking the spine, Osteopathy was based on unblocking blood flow through the arteries. Today, Chiropractors and Manual Osteopaths have numerous overlapping approaches when it comes to their treatment. Both consider alignment, nerve issues and perform similar assessments. Some techniques are used by both therapists, for example joint mobilization, which is used to warm-up the joint before performing deeper techniques or doing a higher grade mobilization, which means increasing the amount of space the joint can be moved through. Both therapists may incorporate some soft tissue work if they find muscle knots or trigger points that need to be addressed. Both therapists may prescribe specific stretches or therapeutic exercises for their clients to do as homework. Chiropractors may find more problems stemming from the spine or central nervous system where Manual Osteopaths will branch out across all body areas depending on their specialty. Both practitioners can approach the body from many different angles and it all depends on either the preference of the patient or the style of the therapist and what he or she believes is the most effective approach.

Chiropractors often include the High Velocity Low Amplitude (HVLA) adjustment and may use some mobilization for a gentler and smoother transition to HVLA. HVLA techniques are quick thrust on the joint where you may hear a pop sound. This technique is referred to as a manipulation of the joint. Manual Osteopaths do not perform and cracking techniques, including HVLA. Manual Osteopaths will spend more time doing joint mobilization instead of manipulation. For those who do not respond well to HVLA techniques or who are not comfortable with the cracking or popping sounds, Manual Osteopathy is a great alternative since it's a similar technique that is direct but less forceful. 

The main difference between Osteopathy and Chiropractic in this case is the delivery of the techniques and length of sessions. Since mobilization is a more gentle, slower movement that is repeated more frequently to create space in the joints, the time receiving this treatment could be much longer. For this reason a Manual Osteopath may have a longer hands-on treatment time. The ideal Osteopathic treatment time for most people is 60 minutes. Depending on the situation and care plan, a chiropractor may only need to the patient for a few minutes for follow up sessions to complete the adjustment. Both treatments are covered under many extended health insurance companies.

Can patients combine Chiropractic and Osteopathy?

Manual Osteopath treatment is more commonly used as a substitute to chiropractic because both techniques focus on the joints, however both treatments can be complementary. If the two treatments are completed in close succession, such as back-to-back, it is recommended to start with the osteopathic treatment since the gentler style of osteopathy will warm up and prepare the joints for the chiropractic adjustment. Therapists working in a multidisciplinary setting are usually aware of same patients seeing both practitioners so they will be able to modify how much attention put towards similar areas.

Overall, both practices work together in similar settings and in most cases under one roof. Their origin has some similarities and differences but in the present the goals of treatment are usually similar. We both would want to restore mobility, function, range of motion and decrease painful symptoms by finding the root cause of the condition. Whether it is mechanically in the body or across other symptoms, Chiropractors may find the root of the problem where a Manual Osteopath may not and vice versa. Both treatments can be effective in treating a number of different issues and it’s up to the client to figure out what treatment they are most comfortable with and what treatment meets their specific goals and needs.

At Flxme, we offer osteopathy services in 30, 45 and 60-minute increments. Click here to find out more. We also offer discounts when clients purchase packages of multiple sessions. We can also recommend an excellent chiropractor who we partner with to help particular clients.