What’s the difference between an osteopath, physiotherapist, and chiropractor?

Sports injuries, car accidents, or sometimes just getting out of bed the wrong way,  can cause aches and pains that might need more than a back rub to ease them. Maybe you’ve already tried exercise to help with back pain relief, and now you wonder what does a chiropractor do? Or, how do I decide between osteopathy vs physiotherapy? Here are a few key considerations when you're searching for help with pain relief.

[Photo Credit: Viacheslav Lakobchuk]

What does a physiotherapist do?
Physiotherapists are often seen in a rehabilitative setting following an injury, but they also work in preventative care for athletes, pregnant people, or people wanting to improve their posture. The focus is on manipulating soft tissue through exercises, manual manipulation, or other treatments involving ultrasound, water, heat, or ice.

What does a chiropractor do?
Chiropractors use manual manipulation of the spine to treat neck and back pain, as well as ailments affecting the nervous system and muscles. Treatments tend to involve a hands-on approach to joint and bone problems, including making manual adjustments with quick movements.

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What does an osteopath do?
Osteopathy also involves hands-on treatments to help improve body function, using spinal manipulations and muscle release to help with joints, bone, and muscle issues. Chiropractors focus on the spine and the belief that joint misalignment causes back pain. Osteopaths take a more holistic view of the body and believe that all bones, muscles, ligaments, and tissues need to be working together. Massage and myofascial release (relaxing contracted muscles) are used, with gentle finger movements on specific areas such as around organs or the skull, to treat a range of issues in the body.

How are these industries regulated?
Regulated professions legally require a licence to practise, which is awarded by federal or provincial authorities.

Physiotherapy (aka physical therapy) is a regulated profession in Canada that requires extensive training. Most provinces require successful completion of a master’s degree, 1,000 clinical hours, and the national Physiotherapy Competency Examination (PCE) to register and work as a physiotherapist. Physiotherapist Assistants (PTA) are not regulated by the provincial regulatory bodies, so be sure to ask if you’re seeing a PT or PTA when you book.

Chiropractic professionals are regulated by provincially legislated regulatory and licensing authorities. Practitioners must complete at least six-to-seven years of post-secondary education, including more than 4,200 hours of specialized chiropractic training. They must also pass standardized regulatory exams to obtain a license.

Osteopathy is unregulated, which means there are no official provincial or federal educational and licensing requirements. Canadian osteopathic school graduates are called osteopathic manual practitioners. They can perform osteopathic manual treatments but are not able to diagnose illnesses or prescribe medicine (unlike U.S.-trained osteopaths or doctors of osteopathy).

Questions to ask your practitioner
Request a free consultation and ask these questions before you book:

●        What kind of training/experience do you have?
●        What kinds of injuries/ailments do you specialize in?
●        How many sessions will I need? What is the cost per session? Do you provide receipts for insurance?
●        What types of therapy/diagnostic tools do you use?
●        What does a typical session involve?
It’s usually not necessary to obtain a doctor’s referral in order to visit a chiropractor, osteopath, or have physiotherapy. However, before starting any new course of treatment, it’s a good idea to check with your family physician.