Both osteopathy and physiotherapy can help with musculoskeletal complaints. Both are non-invasive therapies that aim to improve the functioning of all body systems. They are based on medical knowledge, knowledge of human anatomy and physiology and can complement pharmacological or surgical treatment. So what is the difference between an osteopath and a physiotherapist?
What does a physiotherapist do?
Physiotherapy is the medical science of maintaining, developing and restoring human mobility. Among other things, it deals with the elimination of pain and the improvement of physical abilities after accidents and in the event of, painful conditions, e.g. of the spine, knees or elbows.
Physiotherapy practitioners must have a five-year master's degree so that they can diagnose and treat patients independently.They can, for example, deal with the rehabilitation of athletes, support people after accidents or treat muscle pain, joint pain and postural defects with methods such as:
- massage,
- laser therapy,
- therapeutic bath,
- gymnastics,
- electrotherapy,
- ultrasound.
As part of the treatment, the physiotherapist selects an appropriate rehabilitation programme, tailored to the specific needs of the body. Most often, people come to physiotherapy clinics:
- with neurological damage,
- post-stroke,
- with chronic diseases;
- with osteoporosis,
- post-injury,
- after operations,
- with pain,
- with damaged joints or broken bones,
- with postural defects.
What are the tasks of an osteopath?
Osteopathy is based on manual therapy and focuses on a holistic approach to the patient, To qualify as an osteopath, you must already be a medical doctor or physiotherapist, after which you must complete a five-year osteopathic degree and pass a clinical examination.
The osteopath may implement techniques such as:
- muscle energisation technique,
- trigger point therapy,
- cranio-sacral therapy,
- ligamentous tension balancing technique.
The osteopath is equipped with knowledge of anatomy, physiology or biomechanics, among others, which allows him to sense abnormalities by touch. He focuses mainly on the inner workings of muscles, joints, skeleton, nerves, tissue and internal organs as a whole.
The creator of this method is the American physician Andrew Taylor Still, It uses three basic diagnostic tools: sight, hearing and feeling. It uses non-invasive manual techniques, which include: deep massage, manipulation, traction, among others.
Osteopathy does not use drugs and patients' complaints are not silenced but eliminated by this method.
Its primary aim is to prevent the problem from worsening. It builds on the body's natural ability to heal itself and also focuses on reducing the risk of future injury.
When carried out correctly, osteopathic therapy can influence increased joint mobility, increased resistance of the limbs to mechanical injury, as well as general relaxation of the body and reduced tension.
Physiotherapy and osteopathy - what are the similarities and differences between them?
Both osteopathy and physiotherapy are based on documented medical knowledge. Differences between them are evident in the way in which they solve the problem with which the patient comes to them. The way in which a physiotherapist and an osteopath think about an illness is different and their approach to a medical problem will be different. For example, if a patient has a knee injury, the physiotherapist will look primarily at the damage to the structures in the musculoskeletal system and recommend a method to reduce the damage and restore the lost function. The osteopath, on the other hand, will also look at improving the blood supply to the lymphatic flow, and the techniques he or she uses will also affect the nervous system and lead to calming the plexus in the area of injury and removing trauma within the tissues.
Osteopaths look at the body in a holistic way, paying attention to the cooperation of all its systems in both the bodily and emotional spheres. Physiotherapists, on the other hand, do not base so much of their work on solving the patient's emotional problems.
