Chiropractic versus Osteopathy
Both of these sciences were conceived at the same period, end of the 19th Century in the American Mid-west. They diverge firstly in their initial concept:
- The chiropractic approach is based on the premise of optimum function of the nervous system and the quality of the nerve conduction (flow) through out the body.
- Chiropractic associates the structure of the spine with the function of the nervous system as it controls and coordinates all the body parts.
- Chiropractic is a method of adjusting the nervous system to its optimum function.
- The osteopathic approach is insisting more on the law of the arterial circulation, the drainage and the nutrition of the tissues.
Later the Osteopathic concept has been more evolving in the direction of Chiropractic. However, Osteopathy added few more principles:
- The structure is determining the function.
- The body must be understood as a unit and is functioning as an entity.
- The background of the body is helping to understand any cause or possible outbreak of a disease.
- A disease is the consequence of an anatomical abnormality followed by a physiological (functional) dysfunction.
- Osteopathy is more general in application than chiropractic which prefers to work on the neurological response.
- Osteopathy relates the mobility of any structure to the function.
Chiropractic Techniques
The chiropractic techniques are using "short leverages", which means that the corrective force is more effective by being close to the body or the region of interest. Chiropractors use more 'direct', techniques in the correction of the problem.
The osteopathic techniques are more 'indirect', that means that the Osteopath will eventually exaggerate the lesion in order to stimulate the inner potential of the body to equilibrate itself.
There appear to be more differences between individual practitioner themselves than Chiropractic and Osteopathy, due to the different schools of thought inside the educational institutions of each profession. A large number of techniques exists in both sciences. The practitioner has really to choose what he/she is comfortable with, depending on his/her own natural qualities and philosophical approach.