At Back in Motion Point Cook, this is something we hear daily as we provide both Physiotherapy and Osteopathy services. The following blog will help you determine who to see and when, as utilising both professions may provide your desirable outcome.
We’ve all had a friend, family member, peer, or random person on the street advocate for one profession over the other. Statements like “I saw this person and they fixed me straight away” or “I didn’t notice any change with my pain, so I switched to someone else” are typically how individuals praise or critique Osteopaths and Physiotherapists. Individual experiences play a large role in people’s perceptions of these professions. Although fundamental differences in philosophies, the goals of treatment and management are typically very similar, reduce pain, restore function, and tailor a plan to best suit your individual wants/needs.
Firstly, some similarities between Osteopaths and Physiotherapists.
- Both are AHPRA registered allied health practitioners.
- Both require university qualifications that range from 4-5 years.
- Both treat musculoskeletal pain, injury, or movement problems.
- Both may use manual therapy and exercise prescription during consultations.
- Both can collaborate together and with other health professions to provide multi-disciplinary care.
- Evidence based medicine guides our treatment and management.
- Both professions don’t require doctor referral.
Osteopathy:
Osteopathy is known as a holistic and hands on healthcare profession. Osteopaths recognise the important link of the body’s structures and the way it functions. They commonly use techniques like soft tissue massage, muscle energy technique, joint mobilisation, spinal manipulation and adjunctive therapies like dry needling and cupping in a consultation. Additionally, treatment is typically reinforced with exercise programs and lifestyle/ergonomic advice to facilitate long term benefits.
Osteopathic treatments can help with a wide range of conditions. They often treat and manage, neck, mid back and low back pain, headaches, shoulder pain, hip disorders, postural concerns, chronic pain, knee pain and degenerative changes.
Physiotherapy:
Physiotherapists use a variety of techniques to help your body move to the best of its abilities. Their treatments typically entail exercise programs, joint mobilisation, soft tissue massage and adjunctive therapies, like dry needling, hydrotherapy, ultrasound and assistance with aids to help with independence.
Physiotherapists typically treat musculoskeletal injuries however are well trained in other presentations like the management of chronic pain, neurological disorders, heart disease, pelvic floor issues, vertigo, and pre-post operative care.
Physiotherapy and Osteopathy are largely similar in that both disciplines commonly focus on the musculoskeletal system, use evidence-based medicine to inform their practice, however, may use differing treatment techniques as well as liaising together with a shared goal of achieving the best outcome for you.
To conclude, how do you know who to see?
With so much overlap between professions, both professions can help you achieve your desired outcome and, in many cases, seeing both can facilitate rapid change. Selection of practitioner is largely dependent on your access, treatment preferences, goals, and how your chosen practitioner can implement a suitable and achievable plan with you, using the best available evidence and experience to facilitate it.
An example of how you’d incorporate both practitioners for a given injury may be seeing an Osteopath for more hands-on treatment and reinforcing the benefits of treatment with a exercise program provided by a Physiotherapist. Both in unison aim to yield longer therapeutic benefits to get you back to your best as soon as possible.
Written by Austin Rizzardo (Osteopath) at Back In Motion Point Cook