When you’re looking for treatment, knowing what professional to see is crucial to your healing process. Specifically, people with bad back pain often choose between seeing an osteopath vs. chiropractor.
By and large, the practitioner you choose depends on what symptoms you want to address as well as what the practitioner provides. In addition, it is important to understand how the focus of osteopathy and chiropractic care differ to find the best solution for your health.
To help you get started with your healing, we take a look at the difference between an osteopath and chiropractor’s care.
The Difference Between an Osteopath and Chiropractor
What do Osteopaths and Chiropractors Focus On?
First and foremost, it is important to understand how different an osteopath’s focus is from a chiropractor. In other words, knowing what each practitioner is trained to treat can help you make your choice of who to visit.
An osteopath focuses on the joints, muscles, and spine. Moreover, an osteopath has a broad focus with what they treat. This can be seen with how an osteopath aims to improve a patient’s symptoms by looking at your circulatory and lymphatic systems, for instance.
In contrast, a chiropractor has a different focus. When you go to a chiropractor with symptoms, their goal is not just to treat those symptoms. In fact, through personalized chiropractic care, a chiropractor addresses the root of your symptoms to prevent any future pain or damage.
Typically, a chiropractor treats patients with corrections done to the upper cervical part of your spine. With these corrections, your spine is in alignment, and your body does what it is capable of perfectly: heal.
Treatment Provided by an Osteopath vs. Chiropractor
Overall, an osteopath’s focus is to address a patient’s symptoms. For example, an osteopath may prescribe medicine or run a variety of tests to relieve a patient’s symptoms. While this is helpful for a patient, the root of your symptoms may be left unaddressed.
With a chiropractor’s treatment, your symptoms and underlying cause of those symptoms is met by a treatment plan. This treatment includes adjustments and corrections, along with other various treatments to realign your spine. By doing so, your health overall will improve and not just your initial symptoms.
When to See an Osteopath vs. Chiropractor
In the end, knowing whether you should see an osteopath or chiropractor depends on your needs. For example, if you’re you experiencing neck and back pain, both an osteopath and a chiropractor can help you.
Remember how we discussed how an osteopath, by treating your symptoms, may not address the root cause of those symptoms?
Essentially, if you need symptom relief, then seeing an osteopath can help. However, to maintain the relief, you should also see a chiropractor.
Together, you can benefit from the symptom relief an osteopath provides and the preventive care that a chiropractor provides.
This combined care means that you can find pain relief and ensure that your spine is in alignment. After all, there is nothing wrong with getting that symptom relief.
In addition, though, you need to maintain your body’s ability to heal with the help of a chiropractor!
To get started, contact Begin Within Family Wellness today at (480) 699-3086 to schedule a complimentary consultation!
