If you’ve ever had a sore back, neck or knee, there’s a good chance you sought some kind of treatment for it — most likely from a physiotherapist, chiropractor or osteopath.
The distinction between the three can be extremely confusing at the best of times.
Without knowing too much, it can seem these allied health professionals practise much the same thing: non-invasive, drug-free, manual techniques, which aim to improve physical health and wellbeing.
But scratch the surface and you’ll find claims and counter-claims about which method is most likely to work for you.
So who and what do you believe? We take a closer look at each profession to find what they do and how their approach differs.
Physiotherapy
Physiotherapists specialise in the diagnosis, management and prevention of movement disorders.
The aim of physiotherapy is to rehabilitate and improve a person’s ability to move and function, and physios use their expertise in anatomy and physiology to assess and treat people with a range of health conditions.
While physios are mostly known for their treatment of sporting injuries and neck and back pain, they also work with premature babies, people recovering from stroke, those with brain or spinal cord damage, and people with conditions like Parkinson’s disease, arthritis, osteoporosis and cystic fibrosis.
Physios use a combination of manual therapy, movement training and physical and electro-physical agents. According to the Australian Physiotherapy Association, a physio “helps repair damage, reduce stiffness and pain, increase mobility and improve quality of life”.