What’s the difference between osteopathy and chiropractic?
Osteopathy and chiropractic are both forms of treatment which can be used to treat muscular-skeletal problems such as back and neck pain. Often, though not always the techniques used are very similar and the results obtained are comparable. One of the main differences is in the language that practitioners use. Osteopaths talk in terms of joints not moving properly and muscles being too tight whereas chiropractors see joints as being out of position. Because of this difference chiropractors make more use of X-ray examinations to diagnose the muscular-skeletal problems whereas osteopaths assess mobility of the individual joints using their hands. The two explanations are actually describing the same phenomenon in two different ways and both forms of treatment would correct the problem to the satisfaction of the other. Another difference in the language that each profession uses can be exhibited in different words used to represent similar meaning – manipulation and adjustment for example
