How Osteopathic Manual Therapy is Different from Other Treatments
I am often asked how Osteopathy is different than Physiotherapy and Chiropractic. They all have the similar goal helping you to recover and feel your best without the need for intrusive procedures or prescriptions. In this article I will briefly explain each of these distinct professions, as we have to stress the concepts of each one to understand the differences:
Osteopathy takes a holistic approach. We can often correlate your main concern with many other old injuries. The treatment is done through a deep understanding of anatomy and biomechanical relation. We perform palpation to diagnose the restrictions in the joints, muscles, and tendons, as well as tension in your abdominal area or head/skull. An Osteopathic Manual Therapist uses a gentle touch to do the treatment.
Chiropractors believe that the problem in the body is a result of a dysfunction in the spine, known as subluxation. Once the spinal canal and the nerve roots have some restriction it will affect other structures. Their main form of treatments is an adjustment, a precise directed movement to correct the dysfunction in the spine. X-ray, MRI and other equipment are helpful technologies used by Chiropractors to aid in diagnostics.
Finally, Physiotherapy is a popular profession because it is more common for the majority of people. Physiotherapy started a while ago as a rehabilitation profession. It still true, but the range of scope has increased significantly. They do the hands-on treatments as well, but they work with machines to help to reduce the pain, like ultra-sound, laser, transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation, interferential currents or dry-needling. After the pain relief, they will prescribe some exercises to improve the range of motion and also increase the strength in that affected area.
Osteopathy treatments look at broader area because all body systems are interrelated and dependent upon one another for good health. We can work in specifics areas to help your autonomic nervous system find a balance. This is an important system in the body that keeps the regulation in throughout the entire body system. In general, after some treatments patients report that many other issues had improved.
Overall, the patient should be comfortable and trust in the practitioner. It is an intrinsic factor, but it is important to target the results. To find a registered and certified professional take a look in their provincial associations/colleges.
Alberta Association of Osteopathic Manual Therapists
Alberta College and Association of Chiropractors
Physiotherapy Alberta
