Osteopath and chiropractor differences. When to See an Osteopath

How successful in the 21st century can a taxi company with a fleet of rusty first-model Zhigulis become? If you hire osteopaths as drivers, then very, very much. At least in their specialty they make decent money exploiting long outdated medical theories.
Like chiropractors, osteopaths treat with their hands, but their services tend to be more expensive. Why are there two such similar specialties and is osteopathy really a completely separate branch of medicine?

It is worth starting this conversation with a very revealing phenomenon: despite the more than 150-year history of this specialty, the position of an osteopath officially appeared in Russia only in 2012. Can you imagine that, through some oversight, we long years did not know or did not officially recognize, for example, ophthalmologists? Even if this happened, would they have to look for additional arguments in their support? Osteopaths have to convince potential clients that there really is a need for them. We will analyze the main arguments in order to show their inconsistency.

Osteopathy is not manual therapy

Perhaps this is the most important thesis. Any conversation about osteopathy necessarily touches on the topic of manual therapy, which frustrates osteopaths. Like chiropractors, osteopaths are mainly treated for back pain. Osteopaths are still licensed in manual therapy (although they are trying their best to change the situation). Both those and others work with their hands and differ like two bottles of wine that are poured from the same barrel and are sold at different price. Expensive wine brings more satisfaction than cheap wine (this, by the way, scientific fact), but that doesn't make it any better.

To understand this, it is enough to trace the history of the development of this field of medicine. The founder of osteopathy, Andrew Still, had no medical education and worked as manager of a military hospital during the period civil war in USA. Having lost his sons to meningitis, Still became disillusioned with mainstream medicine (then it really wasn’t very effective) and came up with his own approach, which completely opposed it. The main idea of ​​early osteopathy was a very naive idea of human body as a mechanism in need of adjustment. The author of the technique himself claimed that in this way it is possible to cope with any disease, including, for example, pneumonia (by the way, today you can find publications on this topic). The idea was quite consistent with the spirit of the industrial revolution, but it turned out to be so contagious that it bad influence felt today - many of my patients mistakenly perceive themselves as a device that needs repair.

At the beginning of the 20th century, osteopaths penetrated Europe, but, moving east, they lost their positions in the west. Confrontation with doctors North America led to the fact that osteopaths began to include conventional disciplines in their educational programs. It ended in complete absorption osteopathic medicine. Although the term still exists, there are no osteopaths in the full sense of the word in the United States today. A doctor of osteopathy must complete medical school, pass rigorous examinations, and complete at least a five-year residency, after which he becomes exactly the same gynecologist, internist or optometrist.

In Europe, osteopaths also had a hard time, although thanks to progress and the rejection of the most challenging theories, there was no such sharp confrontation with official medicine. In some countries, the term “osteopathy” has been replaced by the term “manual medicine” as a sign that this specialty is practiced by real doctors and is based on scientific approaches. It was in the schools of manual therapy that the first Russian manual therapists studied, and therefore this term has penetrated into our country.

Manual therapy was officially recognized in Russia a quarter of a century ago. Once upon a time, chiropractors were in short supply, they were fashionable and costly. Due to demand, the market is saturated and competition has intensified. A number of specialists began to travel for additional education in countries where the term “osteopathy” is used. The idea to change the sign to attract customers lies on the surface in such a situation, so osteopathy is only a kind of second coming of manual therapy. We are thus sent a signal: "Osteopaths are the best manual therapists."

Osteopathy is a holistic approach to human health

A gynecologist, a neurosurgeon, a radiologist will easily tell you about their purpose, but for osteopaths this is a painful question. An osteopath will never give a precise and understandable definition of what he does. Like chiropractors, osteopaths are more often treated with back pain, but the latter often claim that almost any disease is in their area of ​​interest, since they treat the whole person at once, not individual parts of his body. It is easy to proclaim such a slogan, but it is difficult to fill it with concrete content: without mentioning manual therapy, osteopaths have to limit themselves to general phrases about increasing the functional reserves of the body and the level of health, taking into account the mechanisms of diseases and perceiving the body as a whole. These theses are not new, since the treatment of all diseases and the restoration vitality many have been and are engaged in - read the instructions for any useless device or food additive. This is effective in terms of attracting customers, but usually does not imply any specific and healthy results. The phrase “to treat not the disease, but the patient” students medical universities heard in lectures from the first year. This is the approach that all physicians strive for whenever possible. Is a gynecologist and an oculist doing something different? Do they destroy functional reserves day by day and lower the level of health of their patients? Of course no. Such opposition to other medical specialties is at least incorrect and therefore does not make any sense.

Osteopathy treats disorders that no other medical specialty does.

If you are not satisfied with life-affirming phrases about improving the level of health, then a decent osteopath will always have a set of incomprehensible terms in stock. This is the other extreme: to create the appearance of deep knowledge. You will be told about somatic dysfunctions, fascial restrictions, muscle and ligament tension, mobility disorders internal organs, cranial mechanism, biomechanics and biodynamics. Don't be discouraged if you only seem familiar muscle tension. You will never and nowhere find experimental confirmation that all these phenomena are real and can be detected and corrected even with your fingertips, even with the whole palm.

A prime example is craniosacral therapy, which studies the mobility of the bones of the skull. Although this phenomenon has not only not been confirmed by research, but has long been recognized as pseudoscience, it is still one of the central areas of osteopathy. Lack of evidence will not stop the osteopath from taking money for invisible manipulations with the bones of your skull. The situation is approximately the same with other theories - if you do not bother yourself with evidence, then new diseases can be invented at least every day. As a defense against criticism, a counterattack is used: those who disagree are accused of lack of special knowledge. “How can you judge the fine sensitivity of the fingers if you have not been trained in osteopathy?”. In fact, you can judge, this is what evidence-based medicine exists for. Knowledge of the principles of scientific research, the theory of experiment, the ability to read and analyze professional literature allow us to draw the right conclusions. It is not necessary to study astrology for 10 years to understand its absurdity.

Osteopaths train ultra-high sensitivity of the hands

Strictly speaking, osteopathy explains the holistic impact on the health of the patient through the micromovement of tissues, which is assessed and corrected solely thanks to fine sensitivity hands And with this statement there is a big problem. Any medical specialty largely depends on modern equipment and advances in pharmacology. Medicine is technological and scientific progress has not affected only individual museum exhibits, which are not very interested in it. Osteopaths are in no hurry to introduce into their practice accurate tests and entirely guided by the sensations of the fingertips. The undeniable advantage of this approach is that we have to take osteopaths at their word. We do not know what he felt there with his fingers, but out of politeness we agree with the presence of secret knowledge.

In fact, the accuracy of diagnostics is checked very simply. Enough to ask two experienced professionals run identical tests on a group of patients without allowing any of them to share information with each other, and then compare the results. At one time, I seriously studied biomechanics. Few Scientific research the sensitivity of the fingers quite unequivocally indicate the low reliability of this method of diagnosis. It is almost impossible to exert a targeted impact with the hands on the deeply located elements of the body. However, ordinary intuition is enough to understand this: if the hypersensitivity of the fingers of an osteopath is real, why not save on equipment and apply their abilities also in the aircraft industry or the microelectronic industry? Alas, fingers are an extremely unreliable measuring device.

Osteopaths have received high-quality and often foreign education, but chiropractors have not.

Some osteopaths demonstrate foreign diplomas as proof of their high qualifications. Receive additional education definitely good. Medicine is constantly evolving. A doctor must learn throughout his career. However, one should take into account the ambiguous status of osteopathy in different countries. There are no uniform requirements for osteopaths in Europe. It could be doctors, it could be physiotherapists (it's not medical specialty), may even be graduates of short courses. Attempts have also been made to use the rationale of osteopathy (namely, treatment aimed at restoring function) and make it a medical specialty. For example, in the UK, osteopaths are officially recognized and may be responsible for patients, but they do not have the right to prescribe drugs.

If you are shown a foreign diploma, then you should remember the lack of a unified attitude towards osteopaths in Europe. You should be on your guard, since it is very difficult to check the quality of education of such a specialist. It may be good, or it may not. You do not know if an organization with a loud name is a small private office that does not have an official status. But if someone informs you about osteopathic education in the USA, then you should know that it takes from 6 to 11 years, and a real osteopath in the USA is an ordinary doctor who has overcome all the difficulties of medical education and acquired one of the traditional specialties. Such an education is not easy and it is difficult to imagine that its owner would voluntarily give up practice in the United States - nowhere else in the world do doctors earn such money. A striking example of misleading is the Upledger Institute, which is actively engaged in training specialists, including those in Russia. The truth is that this training has nothing to do with the medical education system in the United States, the institute is not entitled to issue doctoral degrees in osteopathy, and you can take courses in craniosacral therapy very inexpensively. The truth and the diploma will be recognized exclusively by the association of craniosacral therapy, which exists at the same institute. Nobody will stop you from issuing any diplomas that only you yourself will recognize.

Demand creates supply in the field of education. Those who went to Europe first for crusts are fighting on two fronts at once: firstly, they are trying to separate from manual therapy (and, therefore, to get out of subordination to existing departments and chief specialists); secondly, to earn not only on patients, but also on colleagues, offering them training and patronage. The osteopathic lobby is trying to turn osteopathy into an independent specialty. With its departments, chief specialists, conferences, journals and postgraduate courses for doctors.

To lead the direction, you need to have students, quite budgetary ways of teaching osteopathy arose on this wave, and the number of osteopaths has increased dramatically. Please note that although this is a medical specialty, because of the confusion, people without higher medical education (for example, massage therapists) also got into the environment of osteopaths.

Osteopathy is the medicine of the future.

Rather, on the contrary. Active development evidence-based medicine has affected every doctor and is one of the most important trends of the last 20 years. However, in the training of osteopaths, ideas are actively used that today are only of historical interest. The lack of scientific progress is also noticeable in the level of scientific publications. You are unlikely to see mention of osteopathy in major peer-reviewed scientific journals(with the exception of journals published by osteopaths themselves). Available in limited quantities qualitative research evaluate the effectiveness of osteopathy for the treatment of back pain in general, but do not touch on any more subtle issues (for example, comparing different osteopathic methods), nor touch on other areas of osteopathy.

So, osteopathy is a synonym for manual therapy, which was introduced to improve sales.

There is no fundamental difference between chiropractors and osteopaths, although the latter cultivate their dissimilarity in every possible way. The term "manual therapy" appeared as an attempt to reconcile official medicine with osteopathy. The return of the term “osteopathy” is a marketing ploy, a new sign that allows you to increase the price of an old product. Claiming to important role in 21st century medicine, osteopathy ignores it modern achievements, which ironically leads to even more regression. Turning to an osteopath, you can get to good specialist. But you are definitely addressing a person who either deliberately chose to mislead his patients in order to increase their attractiveness, or who is not professional enough to understand or admit it. IN best case you pay for the treatment.

Postscript: in fairness, I want to note that I have been doing manual therapy for 15 years and I am convinced that, in turn, this is a treatment technique, and not a separate medical specialty.

The difference between osteopathy and manual therapy

Despite the fact that to get rid of many ailments, people often use medications, the latter do not always help to get rid of the problem. Moreover, all drugs have side effects, adversely affecting human health. It turns out that we treat one thing, and we cripple the other. Therefore, it is not surprising that people who care about their health began to look for a safe alternative to drugs, because it is not for nothing that many doctors say that natural and complete healthy life This is life without drugs.

How can we replace tablets, pills and capsules. Great alternative can be manual therapy and osteopathy. A feature of these areas of manual medicine is the lack of drug treatment. Very often you can hear that manual therapy and osteopathy are synonyms, but this is not entirely true. Of course, both in the first and in the second type of therapy, the main effect on problem areas of the body is through the hands of the therapist, however, if manual therapy is a certain system of influence with the help of hands on the human musculoskeletal system in order to rid him of the disease, then osteopathy is more broad concept. Osteopathy is whole science about how to manage human health. This science considers certain diseases of a person and ways to get rid of them, and the whole human body as unified system, in its inseparable unity of biochemistry, structure and neurophysiology. We can safely say that manual therapy eliminates the symptoms of the disease, and osteopathy allows you to find the cause of this disease, act on this cause to eliminate it, and also prevent the recurrence of health problems.

Let's take, for example, one particular problem and see how a chiropractor and osteopath solves it. Let's say a chiropractor notices mixed vertebrae that lead to severe pain in the patient's back. With hands and certain sequence actions, the chiropractor sets the vertebrae in place, after which the patient ceases to feel pain. But it will take some time, and the pain will appear again. This will happen immediately after the vertebrae move again.

How does an osteopath approach this problem? He immediately considers the whole organism as an integral system and knows that this system can easily adapt to changes of any kind, compensating for them with new “settings” in the position of organs. The osteopath considers the mixing of the vertebrae not in itself, but as a consequence of the presence of problems in the musculoskeletal system.

If the patient has dislocated the foot, the center of gravity will necessarily shift when walking, which can lead to further curvature of the spine. With a curved spine, in turn, the likelihood of displacement of the vertebrae increases. Therefore, from the point of view of the osteopath, manual reduction of the vertebrae will give only temporary relief. To really get rid of the problem, you should understand the reasons that caused the pathology. Therefore, the osteopath will focus on the root cause, eliminate muscle distortions and tension in them, creating all the necessary conditions in order for previously displaced vertebrae to take their place. Only after the vertebrae are in the correct position, the problem will really be resolved, and the patient will stop suffering from constant acute pain. pain.

So, let's consider the main differences in the method of manual therapy and osteopathy, using the comparison method:

1. Direction of impact. As noted earlier, manual therapy combats specific symptoms pain. These symptoms are a consequence, not a cause. Osteopathy is aimed at studying the causes that cause pain and their further elimination.

2. Mechanism of action. Manual therapy involves mechanical impact on the vertebrae in order to eliminate existing functional blocks, often causing pain and discomfort. Osteopathy provides for neurological adaptation mechanisms, thanks to which the correction of organ disorders and the elimination of blocks occur quickly and painlessly.

3. Used methods of influence. To effectively influence the vertebrae, joints and bones of the patient, the chiropractor uses the methods of reduction, indentation and stretching. Osteopathy differs from manual therapy in that the therapist uses predominantly gentle methods of influencing the ligaments and muscles. These include: restoration of micromotion, methods of relaxation, normalization of lymph flow and blood flow.

4. Some of the features of the methodology. Manual therapy is quite fast and effective elimination pain, which, however, later certain time can remind you again. Thus, the patient will have to visit from time to time chiropractor in order to relieve him of repeated pains. A professional osteopath, having eliminated the cause of pain, will help the patient to reach normal level functioning and provide freedom from blocks.

5. The possibility of a return of the disease. Manual therapy relieves a person of pain, but at the same time it cannot guarantee that it will not return again, since the root cause will be preserved. By removing the cause of the pain, osteopathy minimizes the chance of recurrence.

6. Indications. Osteopathy can be applied at any stage of the disease, even at the stage of its exacerbation. It is recommended to use it from the first days of life, while it has no age restrictions. Manual therapy is not recommended for young children with a weak body, as well as people old age. In addition, manual therapy is used exclusively outside the stage of exacerbation.

7. Contraindications. Osteopathy and manual therapy have general contraindications. It is contraindicated to use these directions of manual medicine in case of destructive and degenerative processes in the cartilaginous and bone tissue as well as in the presence of oncological diseases.

It is interesting to know that manual therapy originates from osteopathy. The manual therapy system was developed back in the 50s of the last century by Karl Levit, a scientist and doctor from the Czech Republic, who analyzed many methods and techniques of osteopathy, choosing only the most effective ways effects on muscles and manipulations on joints. The combination of these methods served as the basis for manual therapy, which was widely popular among physiotherapists, orthopedists and neurologists.

In his original form manual therapy included not only manipulative treatment techniques, but also methods for diagnosing the condition of the patient's body. However, with the spread of manual therapy in the vastness of the USSR, it began to change greatly, and not at the very better side. Doctors began to use only manual methods of influencing painful areas body, stretching the muscles and adjusting the vertebrae. They were not too interested in the causes of the problem, because the main thing for them was the elimination of the consequences. Manual therapy sessions are valued for their short duration, because in order to set the vertebrae, the therapist only needs 5-10 minutes. Sometimes the patient even felt relaxation during the therapy, he had a release of the “hormone of joy” into the blood.

The main disadvantage of manual therapy is the omission of the problem of the disease from the therapist's view. As a rule, the therapist exercises a manipulative effect on limited areas of the spine, in the functional blocks of the spinal motion joints. However real reason pain in the spine is often hidden in the state of the internal organs, their spasms and displacements, and therefore the pain returns again. Thus, the patient has to visit the chiropractor several more times. This shortcoming is eliminated by osteopathy, which focuses on eliminating problems, and not just consequences.

It is also worth noting that from year to year osteopathy and manual therapy are getting closer. Methods and techniques of osteopathy are increasingly used by chiropractors, and vice versa. After all, despite the numerous differences, both methods have something in common, namely the elimination of pain with the help of hands. Perhaps it was thanks to this “general” that chiropractors became the first practitioners of osteopathy in our countries. Osteopathic techniques such as soft tissue articulations, muscle- energy technology and muscular-fascial relaxation are now very actively promoted as manual therapy techniques.

In the end, we note what advantages osteopathy has in comparison with manual therapy:

1. Osteopathy is highly effective in curing the patient from diseases by influencing their causes.

2. In addition to eliminating functional blocks that prevent a person from living normally, osteopathy provides a general improvement of the body. In addition to the problem in one specific organ, the osteopath manages to improve the condition of other organs and parts of the body.

3. The very process of exposure in osteopathy is soft and completely painless for the patient.

4. By eliminating the cause, the likelihood of the disease returning is reduced to a minimum.

5. Ability to use osteopathic methods to treat patients of any age - from infants to the elderly.

6. Osteopathy diagnoses and eliminates problems not only in the musculoskeletal system, but throughout the body. This is very important, because true reason diseases of the musculoskeletal system can be hidden in any other part of the body, and if this part of the body is not diagnosed in time, the causes of the problem are not determined and acted upon, this can lead to a relapse.

But most importantly, the possibilities of osteopathy are much wider than manual therapy. If manual therapy uses approximately 100 manual techniques, then in osteopathy there are more than 3500 of them, which include all manual therapy techniques. That is why an osteopath can always play the role of a chiropractor and, if necessary, adjust the patient's vertebrae, while not forgetting to eliminate the cause of the disease.

It is worth noting that, despite all the differences and similarities between manual therapy and osteopathy, these two areas are not opposed to each other. Moreover, their methods are often used together, which allows to achieve maximum treatment efficiency.

My readers know that in the treatment of the sick shoulder joint I got hooked on osteopathy. Muscovites have heard something about osteopathic specialists, but in the regions this doctor remains a curiosity. At the same time, the osteopath looks very similar to a manual therapy specialist. What is the difference between these two directions?

The only similarity between a chiropractor and an osteopath is the work with hands with a problem area. In manual therapy, this is called "trust" - twisting the joints so that they give out a click. That is, you come to an appointment with a specialist and almost immediately he starts working with your joints, working mechanically. It's not the most pleasant treatment. The osteopath also uses this method, but very selectively and very limited. This is what the two specialists have in common, but there are much more differences, and they are fundamental.

For example, to learn manual therapy, it is enough to complete a training course lasting 4 months. It takes 12 times more time to get an osteopath diploma - 4 years. Thus, even by the time of training it is clear that the chiropractor is still very far from being an osteopath.

In addition, the osteopath owns various techniques, including the approach to the problem itself. This is best seen at the reception. A chiropractor quickly moves on to "trasking" and the number of sessions to solve a problem can be in the tens - 10-15-20 sessions, for example, to get rid of back pain. The osteopath usually copes in several sessions (about 5) and the appointment begins with a conversation. That is, the osteopath does not try to influence all points of the body at once, first, through a survey, he finds out the patient’s problem, finds out the cause, you need not only to find the problem area, but also to understand what led to this - trauma, imbalance in the work of internal organs, psychological condition patient or something else.

During his appointment, the osteopath listens, probes and interrogates the patient. And the treatment is carried out very precisely, easily and at the right amplitude, since the joint may not hurt in all positions, which means that you need to find the plane of pain and work immediately in it.

As for technique, in addition to the limited trust technique, the osteopath uses soft tissue, which is reminiscent of massage, as well as balancing. For me, balancing was the strangest thing - the osteopath puts his hands on his legs, head, pelvic area and closes his eyes. Visually, nothing happens, but tangible processes occur in the body. How do they do it? Actually, this is one of the indicators of the quality of work of osteopaths - you should feel changes in the body when it does this. What is it for? So the osteopath looks at where the disturbances in the body are, where the failure is and what is not working, and tries to help restore the balance. Here it all reminds oriental medicine. But this is the main difference between an osteopath and a chiropractor - he approaches treatment in a complex way and should help the body return to normal, debug processes or find hidden reserves. Our body has all this, but it needs a push. And this effect is not only on the skeleton, but also on the internal organs, vascular and other systems. The osteopath picks up the rhythms and connections in the body and must issue exact reason Problems.

As a result, if after the first appointment the chiropractor asks you to come literally the next day, then the waiting time between sessions with an osteopath can be from a week to a month. During this period, the body itself should begin to recover, and it does not need additional interventions. This is reflected in the patient's wallet - a month of appointments or a couple of times a month?

In addition, the osteopath also preventive treatment so that the problem does not return and the patient can avoid other problems. Here you will be offered a different rhythm of life, walking, eating, etc. Medicines will be available only when it is urgently needed and there is simply no time to wait, this usually happens when acute injuries when the patient cannot wait because of pain. But, if you do not start, then you can cure a lot and not only musculoskeletal.

Everything I have said may sound implausible and even unscientific, but here I am, and good effect eat after every session.

And manual therapy - two areas in medicine that are very popular. Their techniques are used to treat many diseases. What are the differences between these areas and what helps to restore health more effectively?

The main difference between osteopathy and manual therapy is different approach to determine the cause of disease. Manual therapy suggests that they arise due to problems with the spine. Osteopathy has a broader approach and aims to restore the body's ability to self-correct. The body is seen as complete system, all parts of which are interconnected with each other in a certain way. Osteopathy assigns a large role to the nervous system, primarily to the brain and spinal cord.

With her normal operation existing diseases can be eliminated and the functioning of the body, both the spine, internal organs and all other systems, can be properly adjusted. Thus, the difference between osteopathy and manual therapy is more high efficiency the first direction, because has great potential, i.е. indications for the treatment of many diseases.

What is the difference between osteopathy and manual therapy in the training of specialists?

Osteopathy training requires much more time than manual therapy. To become a doctor in this specialty, you need to get the appropriate education. international standards. It is based on a deep study of biomechanics and the interaction of body systems.

The basic course of osteopathy involves an average of three years of study and the development of more than 2 thousand techniques. To become an osteopath, you need to get a higher medical education, and then undergo additional retraining in the specialty - osteopathy.

Information about practicing doctors is contained on the websites of the Russian Higher School of Medicine, etc. educational institutions who conduct osteopathic education that meets international standards. This helps to prevent the appeal to specialists who are not qualified to provide high-quality osteopathic care.

What is the difference between an osteopath and a chiropractor?

The professions of osteopath and chiropractor have only recently been associated with private appointments, alternative medicine. The approval of new specialties by the Ministry of Health makes it possible to make a choice in favor of various doctors and relatively new techniques.

Specialists usually combine several approaches, mainly performing manipulations on the vertebrae and other joints of the body to correct posture, relieve pain, improve function, and unlock the body's natural healing potential.

What is manual therapy?

Chiropractic (aka chiropractic) is a medical specialty that focuses on the relationship between building blocks body - the spine and its influence on the function of organs and systems.

The term "manual therapy" comes from the Latin "manual" - manual exposure. In the United States, the term "chiropractic" is used, which combines two Greek words cheir (hands) and praxis (practice), - any treatment performed by hand.

A chiropractor is a person with a higher medical education who has received a diploma in orthopedics or neuropathology.

Before the reduction of the vertebrae, the specialist will definitely examine the patient, require an x-ray or MRI, so as not to harm during the session.

Correction of the spine, from the standpoint of manual therapy, is important because muscular system, organs, sensations are coordinated by the sympathetic nervous system. Behind the scenes this direction called "vertebrology". Typically, manual therapists use various techniques:

• physiotherapy;
• massage;
• ice and warm compresses;
• electrical stimulation;
• relaxation techniques;
• hydrotherapy;
• rehabilitation exercises;
• nutritional supplements and vitamins;
• nutritional advice.

employed by the state or private clinic a chiropractor may be called a vertebrologist or a chiropractor. Most often, he received a specialization as an orthopedist.

The main two methods of manual therapy:

• joint manipulation;
• manipulation with soft tissues.

The release of the joints from the blocking factor is a manipulation that is carried out quickly and abruptly. The key to its safety is the installation of the body in correct position. Manipulations should be painless. Mobilization is an increase in mobility in the joint area to achieve its freedom. Stretching is also a mobilization technique, and manipulation is also a type of mobilization.

Massage techniques are the manipulation of soft tissues: muscles, ligaments, tendons and fascia. They also combine stretching, mobilization, post-isometric relaxation, trigger point work, and dry needles to work the neuromuscular circuits.

A chiropractor can use soft tissue techniques: massage, lymphatic drainage, mobilization, scar and adhesion mobilization, myofascial release, strain-countertrain, active release techniques, Feldenkrais, Graston. Joint techniques: mobilization and manipulation, muscle energy techniques, Mulligan methods, trusts.

Bone cutting without a higher medical education is, first of all, a danger to the patient. Most massage therapists use traction techniques without fully understanding the biomechanics of the joints. That is why there are cases of exacerbations and complications after sessions. Modern chiropractors prefer soft techniques.

What does manual therapy treat?

IN modern medicine manual therapy, which combines the achievements of neurology, orthopedics, neurophysiology, differs from the traditional work of a chiropractor. Techniques quickly restore the range of motion in the joints, relieve their pain, relax muscles, and improve posture. Manual with a reasonable approach helps to reduce the number of prescribed medications or refuse them.

From the point of view of manual therapy, tension and displacement of bones compress the nerves in the affected areas, which provokes symptoms in the limbs, organs

The nervous system is the information highway of the body, protected by the vertebrae.

The main reasons for visiting a chiropractor:

• back pain;
• neck pain;
• headache;
• whiplash injuries;
• dislocations and sprains;
• repeated mechanical injuries of the joints;
• arthritis and arthrosis;
• limited mobility in the back, shoulders, neck, or limbs.

Several sessions are required to correct the condition of the musculoskeletal and nervous system– about 5 to 12. An appointment with a chiropractor relieves pain and helps the body get new reserves for recovery. Session Benefits:

1. Improves mobility in the neck, shoulders, back and torso.
2. Posture corrected.
3. Headaches, neck and back pains go away.
4. Eliminate muscle and articular damage, arthrosis is prevented.
5. The biomechanics of movements improves and the flexibility of the joints increases.
6. Correction of posture and orthopedic problems of the foot.

The chiropractor restores the range of motion of the joint and the motor stereotype. The main difference between an osteopath and a chiropractor is that the doctor eliminates the causes of joint blockage, muscle and ligament pain. The lower structural level of osteopathy restores the musculoskeletal system.

Principles of osteopathy

Osteopathy is medical direction which recognize the important relationship between body structure and function.

Experts consider the relationship of the skeleton, joints, muscles, nerves, blood vessels, connective tissue and internal organs as a single system

What is the difference between an osteopath and a chiropractor? The difference in approaches is opened by the main principles:

1. Interaction between structure and function. The goal of the osteopath is to restore blocked movement structural unit(organ, vessel, nerve, muscle, bone, ligament). Without innervation, the organ and muscle, which determines the stability of the joint, cannot work.
2. The body is one, and disturbance in one place causes symptoms in another. The osteopath understands that loss of mobility in the foot can cause back pain, neck pain, headaches, and stomach problems.
3. The body has a self-regulating mechanism, resists external factors aggressive environment - climate change, microbes, gravity. The osteopath gives the body a resource for self-healing.

Many changes in the body are irreversible, such as fibrosis, sclerosis, deformation of cartilage and bones. Because osteopathic session only relieve symptoms organic change. The peculiarity of the method is the treatment without drugs, the impact on the cause of the pathology.

Osteopathy includes several areas:

• structural - works with the musculoskeletal system, vertebrae, joints, muscles - removes pain, reduces stiffness and improves posture;
• visceral - improves mobility, blood supply and innervation of internal organs, cures chronic diseases;
• cranial - work with the mobility of the bones of the skull, their sutures, membranes and cranial nerves, reduces headaches, affects the integrity of the central nervous system.

This division allows us to understand that a chiropractor and an osteopath are not the same thing.

What is the similarity?

Manual therapy came to Russia in the form of chiropractic. The doctors worked directly on the vertebrae with crude trust techniques. The impact took little time, and, when it hit the cause of the pathology, it gave quick result. The frequency of complications was high, since changes in the joints are often secondary. They are associated with impaired muscle function, which lose their normal innervation, blood supply. The vertebrae can change positions due to the tension of the ligaments of the internal organs, spasm of the aorta.

Osteopathy since the time of the ancestor Andrew Taylor Still refocused on soft techniques. In contrast to the approaches that prevailed among chiropractors, the treatment was longer and more careful, had a low percentage of complications.

The similarity of osteopathy and manual therapy (bone-setting) lies in the fact that both directions:

• refer to manual techniques - work with hands;
• require higher medical education;
• apply manipulations on the joints and spine;
• affect joint mobility, flexibility, strength and posture;
• give the body a resource for recovery;
• free from constriction.

What is the difference between an osteopath and a chiropractor? Works with a variety of factors that violate the integrity of the structure - something that all types of holistic medicine take care of.

In Russia, in 1965, the International Federation of Manual Medicine was created. The active development of directions began in the 80s, when the eponymous scientific society. In 1992, it was renamed the All-Russian Association, which in 1993 became the International Federation.

Organizations help conduct research, develop training programs for specialists, gain experience and develop new methods.

The difference between areas in medicine

To understand the difference between specializations in medicine, you need to bring and reveal some terms:

1. Orthopedics is a medical branch that studies congenital and acquired as a result of injuries and diseases of the pathology of the musculoskeletal system. It focuses on the diagnosis, on which the method of treatment depends. Heals disease.
2. Vertebrology is a branch of medicine that studies the pathology of the spine. Focused on recovery normal function vertebrae, as well as tissues and systems related to them functionally. Has not received official status.
3. Osteopathy is a medical branch whose work is aimed at finding and eliminating osteopathic dysfunction - the mechanical root cause that led to an imbalance in the body.
4. Manual therapy is a method of treatment based on giving mobility to the vertebrae and joints. Although the term chiropractor may be a doctor who has chosen to work with soft osteopathic techniques.

The differences between approaches are becoming increasingly blurred. Therapists learn more soft techniques, but that doesn't make them osteopaths.

Manual therapy ceases to “manipulate with the bones”, but covers work with muscles, fascia, less often internal organs

It is necessary to understand how an osteopath differs from a vertebrologist - focus. The osteopath will look for the cause of the lesion not only in the spine, and pay attention not only to the location of the vertebrae, the state of the ligamentous and muscular apparatus.

If you understand the terms osteopath and orthopedist: how do the approaches differ? An orthopedist deals with anomalies of the musculoskeletal system, congenital or acquired (after an injury or during life): changes in the shape of the bone, underdevelopment, fusion of the vertebral arches, wedge-shaped vertebrae. Osteopath based on clinical diagnosis orthopedist, gives the body the opportunity to correct or correct dysfunction. A complete fix is ​​possible if we are talking about subluxations, violation muscle tone. An orthopedist working in a polyclinic makes a diagnosis by directing to diagnostic procedures determines the treatment plan. Osteopath - works with his hands, because the session will differ radically in that the impact occurs on the spot.

How do you decide which doctor to visit?

The choice of a specialist depends on the purpose of the appointment. If you suspect congenital anomalies development skeletal system, as well as their pathological influence on existing symptoms worth a visit to an orthopedist. Its scope includes: visible deformities of the joints, limbs, spine or limitation of mobility. In the future, the orthopedist may recommend a massage therapist, osteopath or a competent chiropractor. Pledge good treatment- knowledge of the diagnosis. With children's clubfoot, flat feet, we first go for an orthopedic consultation, we exclude bone anomalies. You may need to see a neurologist if other symptoms are present. Only then, with the results of examinations, we go to an osteopath.

A chiropractor must know what he is working with. With back pain, we first determine their nature. The neuropathologist sends for an MRI, orthopedists - for an x-ray. The chiropractor is indicated for limiting flexion and extension of the spine, problems with turns in the neck, thoracic region.

The osteopath has the most wide list indications, working not only with the musculoskeletal system. Depending on the qualifications and experience of the doctor, the results may vary. A qualified osteopath works with nerves, blood vessels, lymphatic system, muscles and joints - affects the internal mechanisms of dysfunction.

at the Academy of Child Development. Prof. V.L. Andrianov* osteopaths identify and eliminate the causes of pathologies. Therefore, they work with diagnoses and symptoms with which patients turn to orthopedists, chiropractors. The use of soft techniques allows you to work effectively without complications with children and pregnant women.