I often get the same question from my patients and clients: isn't physiotherapy, chiropractic & osteopathy all the same? No, it is not all the same. I have my bachelor of science in physiotherapy, I am in my final year of my master of science in osteopathy and I have quite a bit of experience with chiropractic. And in my opinion it is all a completely different profession. Now we are of course talking about the European form of physiotherapy, chiropractic and osteopathy. I am aware that in the United States that these are completely different fields. Just because I don't have those diplomas, I can't give my opinion on this either.

But what is the difference. To begin with, we need to look at what these disciplines teach.

Physiotherapy
As a physiotherapist you learn anatomy, physiology, neurology and pathology. You learn all about the muscles, joints, bones, ligaments and some nerves. The examination and treatment of physiotherapists is usually directed locally to correct the musculoskeletal system. This can be done manually by means of massage or mobilization, but also remotely such as doing exercises. Usually people come to the physiotherapist when they have complaints such as low back or shoulder complaints.

Chiropractic
As a chiropractor you learn anatomy, physiology, neurology and pathology. As with physical therapy, you will learn a lot about the muscles, joints, bones, ligaments and nerves. What is different, however is that chiropractic approaches the body holistically.Through the extensive knowledge of anatomy that a chiropractor learns, they learn to make relationships with how complaints arise in order to treat them. Take as an example: knee complaints due to an incorrect posture.  The research and treatment of chiropractors is also mainly focused on the musculoskeletal system.  Chiropractic is manual only and is often performed by mobilizations and manipulations (cracking). Usually people come to the chiropractor when they experience posture-related complaints.                                                                                                 Osteopathy
Like the 2 above, an osteopath learns about anatomy physiology, neurology and pathology. However, what is extra studied is the whole organ system. Like chiropractors, osteopaths work holistically. Relations are often established between organs and physical complaints. These relations are usually made because organs, just like muscles, must be able to move on breathing, in case of inflammation or wrong lifestyles such as incorrect nutrition (leaky gut phenomenon), adhesions or loss of movement can arise. This can affect the rest of the system and thus muscle length or joint positions, causing pain. Research and treatment are aimed at both the musculoskeletal system and the organ system. Osteopathy is manual only and is often performed by mobilisations, manipulations (cracking) and techniques on the connective tissue at the level of certain organs. Usually people come to the osteopath with low back pain, neck pain and stomach pain.   What are your experiences?   Questions, feedback or ideas for new posts? Message me.   Kind regards,   Sascha Bargi BSc. Pt. & MSc. Ost. in training