What is the difference between physiotherapy and osteopathy?

As osteopaths, this is something patients regularly asks us! Mainly because people want to make sure they are seeing the right therapist for their particular complaint.

The truth is, that we are very similar profession!

A quick definition of physiotherapy and osteopathy:

“Physiotherapy helps restore movement and function when someone is affected by injury, illness or disability through movement and exercise, manual therapy, education and advice. They maintain health for people of all ages, helping patients to manage pain and prevent disease.” (Chartered Society of Physiotherapists)

“Osteopathy works with the structure and function of the body and is based on the principle that the well-being of an individual depends on the skeleton, muscles, ligaments and connective tissues functioning smoothly together.

Osteopaths use touch, physical manipulation, stretching and massage to increase the mobility of joints, to relieve muscle tension, to enhance the blood and nerve supply to tissues, and to help your body’s own healing mechanisms. They may also provide advice on posture and exercise to aid recovery, promote health and prevent symptoms recurring.”

(General Osteopathic Council)

Similarities between Physiotherapy and Osteopathy:

• Both professions require a degree of 3-5 years to practice under the chartered society of physiotherapists or the general osteopathic council.

• Both can be found in private and public sector healthcare (although their are much more physiotherapy practitioners working in the public sector than osteopathy practitioners), GP surgeries, and sports teams.

• Both can help with most mechanical aches and pains such as back pain, neck pain, shoulder pain, and sports injuries.

• Both claim to take a holistic approach to problems by assessing clients as a whole person rather than a bunch of individual body parts.

After graduating both profession need to take part in continuous professional development (CPD). Most CPD courses are open to osteopaths and physiotherapists alike. As a result, the style of both osteopathic and physiotherapy practitioners styles can vary depending on different specialties and techniques they decide to train in.

Differences between Physiotherapy and Osteopathy:

Traditionally Osteopathy is more hands on. Osteopaths use various hands on techniques such as physical manipulation, stretching and soft tissue release whilst physiotherapists focus more on exercise-base rehabilitation. So a lot of their appointments may focus on mobilising your joints and stretching your muscles yourselves with movements you can then do at home. However, each practitioner is totally individual in their approach.

Initial consultation: physiotherapy vs osteopathy:

During your first session, both in physiotherapy and in osteopathy, the practitioner will take a detailed clinical history where they will ask several question on your presenting complaint, such as when and how your symptoms started, what makes your pain better or worse etc. They will also take your medical history and ask questions about your general health. They will then carry out a physical assessment of the symptomatic area. This tends to be similar across both profession, but there may be some differences depending on the individual therapist’s background and training.

Generally, osteopaths tend to take a more holistic approach when assessing a condition. For example: If you have shoulder pain they may look at your pelvis and hips to see if these are contributing to your pain.

Conversely, physiotherapists tend to take a more localised approach and focus on the area of complaint while still looking at the adjacent areas which may compromise the function of the symptomatic joint or tissue.

In reality, there are probably more similarities than differences! It usually depends on the individual practitioner's background and education rather than whether they are trained in physiotherapy or osteopathy.

We hope this information is useful for you. If you need advice or have any questions about osteopathy, please contact us. You can find us just a few minutes walk from Clapham Common station. We are always happy to help. If you like this blog, please share!