Become an Osteopath

Osteopathy is a system of diagnosis and treatment for a wide range of medical conditions. It works with the structure and function of the body and is based on the principle that the well-being of an individual depends on the skeleton, muscles, ligaments and connective tissues functioning smoothly together.

To an osteopath, for your body to work well, its structure must also work well. So osteopaths work to restore your body to a state of balance, where possible without the use of drugs or surgery. Osteopaths use touch, physical manipulation, stretching and massage to increase the mobility of joints, to relieve muscle tension, to enhance the blood and nerve supply to tissues, and to help your body’s own healing mechanisms. They may also provide advice on posture and exercise to aid recovery, promote health and prevent symptoms recurring.

You can set up your own practice as soon as you graduate and run your own business, you can work as associate part-time working for someone else whilst you build up your practice, this usually happens. You could go onto the graduate Physician's Associate course in Swansea which takes a further two years, or you could go onto a graduate Medicine course for a further four years. Osteopaths in England can work in the NHS as osteopaths, more and more jobs are becoming available within the NHS as Osteopaths or First Contact Practitioners.

You need 3 A levels, one of which must be A level (or equivalent) in P.E or Biology, the other 2 A levels can be in any subjects. The Welsh Baccalaureate is also accepted. For a full and comprehensive breakdown of our entry requirements you will be able to find these on our course page.

No they are different branches of manual therapy, but they are not the same.

• Technique Used

Osteopaths diagnose their clients using various techniques such as palpation, touch, and observation. Once they have identified the problem areas, they use massage to release and ease muscles, and articulation to move your joints through their natural range of motion. Chiropractic treatment on the other hand uses hand-held devices and various types of body scan to identify problem areas. Some of the techniques used by chiropractors include high-velocity thrusts to the spine, stretching muscles in different directions, and loosening stiff joints to increase range of motion. However, both treatment methods may use gentle or forceful techniques based on the needs of each patient.

• Health Condition and Symptoms

Chiropractors focus on specific treatments and manipulative techniques based on the alignment of the spine. They treat joint and muscle pains, pinched nerves, lower back pains, and other issues within the nervous system. Chiropractic treatment holds the belief that adjusting the vertebrae of the spine helps to relieve pain and other symptoms affecting the central nervous system. Osteopathy aims to treat the body as a whole and thus solves a broader range of problems compared to chiropractic treatment.

• Duration of Treatment

Chiropractic treatment is relatively short since it involves a specific adjustment based on the current symptoms of a patient. Treatment may last 10-20 minutes and patient may be seen twice  a week. Osteopathic sessions may last 30 minutes and patients are usually seen once a week. The difference in duration of treatment occurs as a result of the diagnostic procedures and method of treatment used in both practices.

Four years full time study. You can find out more about the modules and how the course is taught on our Osteopathy, MOst course page.

Osteopaths’ patients include the young, older people, manual workers, office professionals, pregnant women, children and sportspeople. Patients seek treatment for a wide variety of conditions, including back pain, changes to posture in pregnancy, postural problems caused by driving or work strain, the pain of arthritis and minor sports injuries.

In the first year £25,000, this can then rise to £35,000 - £40,000 within 3 years. 10% of osteopaths earn more than £100,000, especially if you run multiple practices.