What Is The Difference Between Osteopathy And Massage Therapy?

Often people are confused about whether to go for Osteopath in Perth or consult a massage therapist for their recurring pains and muscle tensions. This leads to the need for the discussion of how different osteopathy is from massage therapy. Getting the wrong treatment for your pain can elevate the pain and worsen the situation. The introduction of a new therapy type once in a while has increased the confusion even more. Although the major goal of every therapy is to serve the same purpose, advancements lead to perplexities. If you are among those people who are confused between massage therapy and osteopathic massage in the UK, here is all you need to know to determine the difference

What is Osteopathy?

Based on the well-being of an individual’s bones and body structure, osteopathy is the process of detecting and treating by different massage techniques including stretching and moving the joints and muscles of the patient. Physical manipulations and stretching are commonly used by osteopaths to treat pains that are not getting any better otherwise. Because there is limited evidence present about the effectivity of this treatment, it is better to seek advice from a specialist before an osteopathic massage.

What Is Massage Therapy?

Massage therapy is used for increased activeness, body relaxation and reduction of stress. These are some of the major causes that lead to different body aches like normal neck pain, joint pain, muscle sprain, or back pain. Massage therapy is almost an ancient and proven way to reduce body pain with the use of oils and the pressure of hands. The therapist knows the main points and put pressure on them to relieve pain. Massage therapies are extremely beneficial not only for muscle pain but also for general fitness.

Difference Between The Treatments

Many people confuse and osteopathy massage with general massage therapy. However, both are quite different from each other. Let us see how:

Osteopathy Is A Course While Massage Is Occasional

Osteopathy is a complete course in which the osteopath will diagnose the issue and get a complete medical history of the patient. He will use special medications during the massage instead of any aromatic oils. While massage therapy only includes different type of massages, osteopathy includes different techniques such as massage, pressure manipulation, joint articulation, and other ways to regulate your blood circulation.

Performing Osteopathy Requires Diploma Or Certificate

You may have visited many massage centres, but not all of them are obliged to carry a message diploma certificate. On the other hand, osteopathy is a complete medical study where you learn about the anatomy and physiology of the human body to identify the real problem. Different colleges and universities in the UK offer diplomas in osteopathy and health sciences. The osteopath is required to complete the diploma before he starts practicing osteopathy.

Massage Is Often For Relaxation Purpose

Another major difference between osteopathy and massage is that you do not need to suffer from any pain to go for a massage. While deep tissue massage and sports massage are to treat injuries and muscle sprain, people mostly take massage therapies for relaxation. Work stress or sitting for long hours make their body feel tired.  Sports massage therapy helps them regain their energies.