I had an interesting and productive meeting with some osteopathic researchers yesterday. One thing that came up was misconceptions in both professsions about the other.
They said that osteopaths viewed chiropractors as more “alternative”. They were a little surprised when I said that chiropractor’s hold that view of osteopaths.
Both knowing and having worked with a few osteopaths in the past and currently, in my opinion the professions are almost identical in composition. They both have a majority of practitioners who practice in an evidence informed way treating musculosketetal (MSK) conditions. There is also a vocal minority who practice in an “alternative medicine” fashion. The MSK majority in both professions are very similar, and IMO, there are certainly more similarities between myself and some osteopaths than myself and some chiropractors.
I have an osteopath working for me, because we provide spinal care at the practice in fact we are going through a major rebranding exercise of the service we provide. It should be live in a few weeks at http://www.spinaljoint.com
When you talk about differences you are talking about how chiropractors market their services. Most chiropractors would subscribe to the WHO definition of chiropractic. So one might ask do chiropractors treat MSK conditions or provide spinal care. If a practitioner treats conditions he might prescribe drugs for that problem, but is that chiropractic? Is there any chiropractic association in the world that wants prescribing right besides the BCA. The BCA is again taking the view of a few of its members and acting in a way that has ramifications for all registered chiropractors. If BCA chiropractors believe their patients will benefit from drugs why not refer them to the GP and its free.
By: Richard Lanigan on April 21, 2010
at 1:48 pm
The BCA balloted it’s members and 74% said they would like to have the right to train for prescribing rights.
It’s up to the GCC to take it further.
If I have the basic training to enable me to go on a course to prescribe should I be denied the right to do so if I choose? No-one is forcing anyone to do the course, just the right to do so if they choose.
Is any soft tissue work chiropractic, or prescribing exercises, or giving nutritional advice, or dry needling, or applying cold or heat etc etc? I would say that chiropractors are trained and experienced in providing all of the above as part of their care. I don’t view medication any differently to anything else that might aid a problem resolve, or for that matter decrease pain.
Some chiropractors say that if you do anything else but “adjust” the spine it isn’t chiropractic. I would rather use my training, knowledge of research, experience and patient preference to make a decision about what may help a patient’s problem resolve best.
By: Richard Hollis on April 21, 2010
at 3:36 pm
Richard
PS It’s quite interesting that using the same information we agree on what EBC is but how we apply it and what we think is best for the future of chiropractic is different.
Maybe I shouldn’t be surprised though, as you also choose to support Arsenal, despite the evidence.
By: Richard Hollis on April 21, 2010
at 4:25 pm
[...] discussed the difference between osteopaths and chiropractors here. Eddie Izzard does it hilariously here amongst other great [...]
By: Chiropractors Directory - Find Local Chiropractic Care for Back Pain and Spinal Health on May 13, 2010
at 12:21 pm