No they are different branches of manual therapy, but they are not the same.
Osteopaths diagnose their clients using various techniques such as palpation, touch, and observation. Once they have identified the problem areas, they use massage to release and ease muscles, and articulation to move your joints through their natural range of motion. Chiropractic treatment on the other hand uses hand-held devices and various types of body scan to identify problem areas. Some of the techniques used by chiropractors include high-velocity thrusts to the spine, stretching muscles in different directions, and loosening stiff joints to increase range of motion. However, both treatment methods may use gentle or forceful techniques based on the needs of each patient.
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Health Condition and Symptoms
Chiropractors focus on specific treatments and manipulative techniques based on the alignment of the spine. They treat joint and muscle pains, pinched nerves, lower back pains, and other issues within the nervous system. Chiropractic treatment holds the belief that adjusting the vertebrae of the spine helps to relieve pain and other symptoms affecting the central nervous system. Osteopathy aims to treat the body as a whole and thus solves a broader range of problems compared to chiropractic treatment.
Chiropractic treatment is relatively short since it involves a specific adjustment based on the current symptoms of a patient. Treatment may last 10-20 minutes and patient may be seen twice a week. Osteopathic sessions may last 30 minutes and patients are usually seen once a week. The difference in duration of treatment occurs as a result of the diagnostic procedures and method of treatment used in both practices.