What is the difference between Chiropractic and Osteopathy?

Both treatment options involve holistic spinal adjusting but there are variations in philosophy and treatment applications. The philosophy behind osteopathy is that pain and disease is caused by a disruption to normal blood flow whereas chiropractic is based in the philosophy that pain and disease is caused by abnormal function of the central nervous system which includes the brain, spinal cord and spinal nerves.

Osteopathic joint adjustments are termed long lever in that they contact slightly further away from the joint of interest whereas chiropractic uses short lever adjustments so contact is closer to the joint in question.

Chiropractors are trained to take x-rays as well as to read x-rays and MRI's which is not a mandatory part of the osteopathic training.