What are the benefits of osteopathy?

Question

What are the benefits of osteopathy?

Answer 1

I have heard an interesting story that the inventor of Osteopathy, and D.D. Palmer, the inventor of Chiropractic, were well acquainted with each other and studied under the same people, before they started their respective fields.

They have a lot of the same goals, stated somewhat differently, and their is not a lot of harmony between the two, probably because they are tilling the same row.

Try each and decide for yourself.  Most of it probably comes down to the skill of the individual practitioner, so I think you can never say one is "better" than the other.

Answer 2

http://www.osteopathy.org.uk/about_osteo...

Answer 3

Basedoc

'I have heard an interesting story that the inventor of Osteopathy, and D.D. Palmer, the inventor of Chiropractic, were well acquainted with each other and studied under the same people, before they started their respective fields.'

###Andrew T. Still and D.D palmer were well aquainted. I beg to differ that they studied under the same people before starting their respective fields.

A.T. Still had already started practicing osteopathy and had established a school in Kirksville Missouri. Palmer was one of his STUDENTS and went on to form Chiropractic and his subluxation theory.###

Ref: The lengthening Shadow of Dr. A. T. Still - Hildreth

'They have a lot of the same goals, stated somewhat differently, and their is not a lot of harmony between the two, probably because they are tilling the same row.'

###Yes i agree we do have similar goals and tend to treat similar types of patients so a lot of the rivalry is rather childish and unnesesary. In the UK some prominant figures in the 3 professions have talked about merging them into one.

'Try each and decide for yourself. Most of it probably comes down to the skill of the individual practitioner, so I think you can never say one is "better" than the other.'

###I kind of agree with that. I do think the osteopathic model is better ( But I am very biased being a Non us trained Osteopath) but that doesn't mean that all Osteopaths are Osteopthic in thinking. Some would be chiropractic in thinking or physio-therapist. in the US they are nearly all allopathic.

I do think a good Osteo, Physio and chiro will likely all use similar techniques and will be thinking out side of the box to the best interests of their patients. Indeed try either. We are all different and have our own ways of trying to achieve the same goals. Some use a lot of manipulations, some use articulation and muscle stretching + soft tissue techniques, some do cranial techniques and others do a combination of all of these.

There is no one size fits all as every patient is different.

Answer 4

Osteopathic treatments can help with numerous skeletal conditions such as:

*Headaches / Migraines

*Neck / Back Pain

*Arm / Leg Pain

*Joint Problems

*Disc Problems

*Traumatic Injuries

*Muscle Weakness

*Stress / Fatigue

The list goes on...Osteopathic manipulation and chiropractic adjustments are very similar in technique and the differences lie in the practitioner and philosophy.  There are studies being done to see if manipulation can help with other issues such as asthma, blood pressure,  and other internal related problems.  Other than that, osteopaths and chiropractors are well versed in "whole" body care and focusing on treating the "person" and not the disease or disorder.