Chiropractic and osteopathy, what’s the difference?
For the chiropractor, the disease is due to a blockage of our vital flow by vertebral subluxations; for the osteopath, it results from a loss of tissue mobility. In other words, the chiropractor acts primarily on musculoskeletal disorders, joints and spine, while the osteopath extends the indications for his treatment to a wider range of functional disorders, including digestive problems for example.
In terms of regulations
The chiropractor is the only non-medical professional authorized to dispense manipulations of the spine, neck and joints without medical advice. The osteopath is only authorized to resort to mobilizations.
Training
The title of chiropractor is issued after a 6-year training (5,500 hours) carried out in a single school in France. Osteopathic training is, in comparison, very heterogeneous: schools provide education ranging from 300 hours alternately over 3 years to 5,000 hours over 6 years … This is not to help legitimize the profession.
And between physiotherapy and osteopathy?
The physiotherapist is a medical assistant whose title is recognized by a state diploma. Osteopath is a professional title, there is no state diploma. The osteopath can be a doctor, a physiotherapist, a midwife, but also a non-health professional.
Regarding practice, the physiotherapist has in his prerogatives many fields of action, while the osteopath is interested exclusively in functional problems. To treat them, he only uses his hands, while the physiotherapist can also resort to medical gymnastics and physiotherapy.
