Osteopathy and chiropractic are often grouped together, but they are distinct disciplines with different philosophies, assessment methods, and treatment approaches.
Osteopathy is a whole-body, systems-based approach to health. Osteopaths are trained to assess how the muscles, joints, nerves, circulation, and internal organs interact. Treatment is guided by the understanding that the body functions as an integrated unit, and that pain in one area may originate elsewhere. An osteopathic session often involves hands-on assessment of posture, movement, breathing, and tissue quality before treatment begins.
Chiropractic care, by contrast, is primarily focused on the spine and nervous system, with an emphasis on spinal alignment and joint adjustment. Chiropractic treatment often centres on specific spinal manipulations aimed at improving nerve function and relieving pain, particularly in the neck and lower back.
While both professions use manual techniques, osteopathy typically employs a wider range of approaches—soft tissue work, joint articulation, gentle mobilisation, cranial techniques, and functional movement assessment. Treatment plans are usually broader and more individualised, particularly for complex or long-standing conditions.
Neither approach is “better”; they are simply different. Some patients respond well to chiropractic adjustments, others to osteopathic treatment. The key difference lies in scope and philosophy: osteopathy tends to address the whole person and the patterns behind pain, rather than focusing solely on a specific joint or spinal segment.