Ache, pain, and discomfort are things that are common to all people and may strike at any time. However, when conventional medical treatments and prescription medications aren’t working, a lot of individuals start looking into their alternative treatment choices.
During your quest for relief, you could have come across the term “chiropractor” or “osteopath.” But how can you determine which one it is that you require? What capacities does each of these medical experts specialize in? How do osteopathic and chiropractic care stack up against one another in a head-to-head competition?
Continue reading to find out more about osteopath vs chiropractor, what each of these experts can do for you and how it may help you profit from their services.
Who is a Chiropractor and What Does He Do?
A chiropractor is a kind of medical practitioner who concentrates on correcting misalignments in the body’s joints, particularly those of the spine.
Chiropractors have a significant amount of medical training, despite the fact that they are not medical doctors. It takes a minimum of seven years of focused learning, a state license, and special credentials before they become a Doctor of Chiropractic Medicine.
It may seem, at first look, as if chiropractors are primarily concerned with ensuring that the spine is properly aligned; nevertheless, their expertise extends much farther than that. Chiropractors take a holistic approach to the human body, which essentially just means that they regard the human body as an one organism rather than as a collection of distinct systems.
Chiropractors favor the use of natural treatments and almost never advise their patients to undergo surgery or use prescription medication.
What is an Osteopath?
Osteopaths are medical professionals who concentrate their practice on the manual manipulation of the body’s soft tissues, muscles, and bones. In the same way that a chiropractor does, an osteopath will look at the human body as a whole rather than concentrating on a particular part of it.
Osteopathic physicians go through a significant portion of the same training as conventional medical doctors, such as taking pre-med classes, spending four years in medical school, and spending anywhere from three to seven years in residency; however, instead of becoming an M.D or a Doctor of Medicine, they become a D.O (Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine). An osteopath, similar to a medical doctor, is allowed to prescribe medication and make recommendations for surgical treatments as they see appropriate.
Osteopathy is often categorized as an “alternative” medical practice. Osteopathic physicians have a more holistic approach to patient care, and their curriculum places a greater emphasis on the study of the musculoskeletal system than does the standard medical route.
Differences Between Osteopath vs Chiropractor
The degree that one must attain to practice either chiropractic or osteopathic medicine is the major distinction between the two. A medical degree is required to practice osteopathy, and osteopathic physicians have the same medical rights as other physicians, including the rights to prescribe medicine.
Chiropractors are required to have a Doctor of Chiropractic degree, however they are not authorized to issue prescriptions.
The method of therapy that they use is the second primary distinction between the two. Chiropractors use chiropractic adjustments in order to correct the misalignments of the joints, whereas osteopaths focus more on manipulating the soft tissues of the human body through stretching and massage.
Similarities Between Osteopath vs Chiropractor
Despite the fact that they get their education in different ways, chiropractors and osteopaths are both required to undergo rigorous and comprehensive training in a variety of medical specialties, including anatomy, biology, and diagnostic imaging. Both of them have extensive knowledge and expertise in a variety of fields, and they are quite proficient in their areas of specialization.
Both chiropractors and osteopaths have a holistic perspective on the human body and consider the interconnected nature of its many different systems. For instance, if a patient comes in complaining of pain in the wrist, both of these practitioners would broaden the scope of their therapy to include the spine, the elbow, or other regions of the body in order to cure the issue that is causing the discomfort.
Both of these experts have a firm faith in the human body’s inherent capacity to mend itself. They think that bringing the body back to its state of optimum health is the best way to cure certain problems, rather than depending on pharmaceuticals or surgical procedures.
Osteopath vs Chiropractor: Which One Should You Go For?
The answer to this question depends on the ailment that you have.
If you’ve been in an accident, whether it was a vehicle accident or a fall, and the pain you’re feeling is in your lower back, seeing a chiropractor could be the best course of action for you to take. Again, seeing a chiropractor is your best bet for getting pain relief if you have a habit of sleeping in an awkward position and waking up with discomfort in your back, legs, or neck.
On the other hand, if you suffer from infertility, digestive disorders, or even the typical cold, you should consider seeing an osteopath. In combination with the holistic therapy they provide, they may recommend that you undergo further tests.
The Bottom Line
When comparing an osteopath vs chiropractor, there are just as many distinctions as there are parallels between the two. The good news is that you are able to get treatment from both of them!
Because chiropractic therapy does not include the use of prescription drugs or surgical procedures, there are no medical reasons that would prevent someone from having chiropractic treatment along with osteopathic medicine. Having an osteopath as a primary care physician is far more likely to promote your trips to the chiropractor and work in combination with those appointments.
Make sure that you provide your chiropractor and osteopath with all of the treatment information that you have so that they can create a plan that is specific to your needs.
Related Articles: