Osteopaths and Chiropractors both work with their patients' entire bodies and because of this many people mix up the two professions. While Osteopathy and Chiropractics seem similar on the surface, the two are very different schools of thought and the approach each profession takes to pain management and treatment is different. Here are some of the differences between an Osteopath and a Chiropractor.

A Chiropractor is a person who is interested in how a person's body works, but views the workings of a body primarily through the spinal and muscular systems. Usually a Chiropractor focuses on pain relief and injury recovery. He or she will use spine and joint adjustments, massage, electrical stimulation and rehabilitative exercise to help a patient heal as well as working with the patient in other areas of his life (primarily diet and exercise programs).

Osteopaths work with a patient's whole body, not just the spinal system and joints. An osteopath will conduct a thorough exam of a patient's entire body to diagnose the patient's problem. He is usually contacted in a patient's effort to reduce pain or heal from an injury, but he helps patients with a variety of other problems as well. His methods of treatment involve physical therapy, adjustments to the body and massage.

Chiropractors and Osteopaths both incorporate therapy techniques that involve pushing a patient's body beyond its usual range of motion. A Chiropractor does this by quickly and forcefully moving a joint out of place and then putting it back in the starting position. Osteopaths use a gentler approach that incorporates stretching both the injured area and the muscles that surround it.

Both Chiropractors and Osteopaths use physical movements to treat pain and injuries. A Chiropractor will move the patient during a visit, placing his or her limbs in precarious positions in an effort to decrease joint and muscle pain. An Osteopath will teach a variety of poses to a patient so that he or she can continue with the therapy at home.

Chiropractic therapy is actually derived from Osteopathy. Osteopathy was invented by Dr. Andrew Taylor Still in 1872 and Chiropractic care was invented by Daniel David Palmer, a student of Dr. Still in 1895.

The biggest difference between Chiropractors and Osteopaths is that the Chiropractors focus on the spine and the joints (and often the muscles) and Osteopaths take a holistic approach to healing and therapy"examining and treating a patient's entire body"and does not limit his treatment to the manipulation of muscles and joints.

The good news is that both Chiropractors and Osteopaths will give you excellent care, so choosing between the two does not have to be difficult!