Chiropractors and osteopaths both treat musculoskeletal issues, but have different approaches and levels of certification. Osteopaths are more like doctors and focus on preventative care, while chiropractors specialize in adjustments and manipulations. Both require licensing and continuing education.
Chiropractors and osteopaths are both medical professionals who treat patients with a focus on the musculoskeletal system, including the spine, joints, muscles, tendons and ligaments. The two professions are actually radically different, require different levels of certification, and ultimately offer different services. There has also been some historical hostility between the two camps, which can make settling differences quite difficult. In essence, both offer valuable and helpful services, and each can be included in a holistic healthcare regimen.
A chiropractor is a medical professional trained in chiropractic medicine, typically in a three- or four-year program. The student learns about anatomy, physiology and biology and focuses on the skeletal system. Chiropractic doctors believe that many health problems are related to imbalances in the musculoskeletal system and learn to make small adjustments to this system while in school. Contrary to popular belief, these adjustments aren’t limited to the rear. Chiropractic is a specialty, as opposed to osteopathy, which is more like a medical philosophy.
An osteopath, on the other hand, is much more like a doctor, especially in the United States. Practitioners in this field believe in treating the body as a whole, and include the musculoskeletal system as an important structure in their practice, but they don’t believe that myriad problems can be solved through adjustments. They focus on preventative medicine and musculoskeletal system care to reduce problems, but also offer other types of medical care. In the United States, they must be licensed physicians and be able to perform surgery, prescribe medicines, and offer other medical services depending on the field they have chosen to specialize in.
Both professions have professional organizations, such as the American Osteopathic Association, to oversee the activities of their members. An osteopath and a chiropractor must both take licensing exams before being admitted to practice and must participate in continuing education courses to be licensed in the region in which they practice. Both can also provide referrals to specialist doctors to treat particular conditions.
As a general rule, an osteopath receives more education than a chiropractor, especially in some specialties. The former is a physician with a focus on holistic health, while the latter practices in a highly specialized and unique field. An osteopath can provide general care, including manipulations, while a chiropractor offers the specific service of adjustments and manipulations with the intent of improving health and reducing pain.
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