A wide range of conditions treated at
Wakefield Osteopaths
To the average person, an osteopath, a physiotherapist, and a chiropractor may seem like more or less the same job. All deal with musculoskeletal pain, require a university degree, and certification from their statutorily regulated governing body.
In today’s world of evidence based practice, distinguishing the difference between the professions of manual therapies is becoming increasingly difficult; with professionals incorporating techniques originally developed by adversary therapies within their scope of practice.
In the UK, Physiotherapists, Osteopaths and Chiropractors are statutorily regulated with their own Acts of Parliament and their own General Councils. Registered practitioners have to fulfil the requirements of their governing body to practice. Whichever practitioner you choose for treatment please ensure they are qualified and registered to do so.
All three professions are primary healthcare providers, which means we do not require a referral from a general practitioner in order to provide treatment. We are all responsible for the diagnosing and treating of our patients independently.
There are more similarities than differences between the three professions. Simply put, the difference between a physiotherapist, a chiropractor and an osteopath are the philosophies of each profession and the techniques used to achieve the desired treatment goal.
Osteopathy is defined by the General Osteopathic Council (GOsC) as a system of diagnosis and treatment for a wide range of medical conditions. It works with the structure and function of the body and is based on the principle that the wellbeing of an individual depends on the skeleton, muscles, ligaments and connective tissues functioning smoothly together.
The General Chiropractic Council (GCC) define Chiropractic as a primary healthcare profession that specialises in the diagnosis, treatment and overall management of conditions that are due to problems with the joints, ligaments, tendons and nerves, especially related to the spine.
The Chartered Society of Physiotherapists (CSP) states that Physiotherapy helps restore movement and function when someone is affected by injury, illness or disability.
As a broad generalisation, physiotherapists aim to rehabilitate an injury, increasingly reliant on prescriptive exercise to achieve their treatment goals. Especially within the NHS it is becoming increasingly rare to receive any ‘hands on’ treatment. Physiotherapy is often associated most closely with Western medicine and consequently treatment may solely involve the specified problem area.
Chiropractors are known for their Spinal Manipulation techniques and they focus on the biomechanics, function and structure of the spine. Some still use X-rays as a primary method of diagnosis to identify ‘chiropractic lesions’ as well as subluxations and fractures. This is becoming increasingly rare due to the costs involved and the ethical consideration regarding the exposure to radiation.
The Philosophy of Osteopathy implements a holistic approach to the human body, which basically implies that any functional irregularity can have a greater consequence elsewhere in the body. This can often include environmental factors also, such as diet, posture, gait amongst others, being taken into consideration. The holistic approach implies the body works as a whole and all the bodies systems are interconnected, being able to self-heal as long as proper function is restored.
In modern practice, Physiotherapists, Osteopaths and Chiropractors would each take into account all relevant indications of the presenting complaint and try to find the best strategy for dealing with the specific pathology. It is now commonplace for an osteopath to prescribe stretching or strengthening exercises, request medical imaging from a GP or directly through private referral. We also work very closely with various Medical specialities for the referral of more serious or unresolved complaints.
Here at Wakefield Osteopaths we are proud to offer a wide scope of Osteopathic modalities within our scope of practice. Please visit the practitioners page for further information on the specific interests/treatment protocols of the various Osteopaths. If you wish to discuss treatment suitability before attending an appointment, please feel free to call or email us to discuss.
