Do I need Osteopathy or a Sports Massage?

The world of manual therapy is a confusing one. It’s confusing to manual therapists let alone those of the general public who have had no training in the human body and probably don’t really understand what exactly they all do. You want to take care of your body without resorting to medication, but deciding which therapy you need can be difficult.

Generally, the main difference between therapies will be the therapist themselves. Seeing someone with a high level of anatomical knowledge and skill will be a different experience to seeing a therapist who sticks to a set routine and treats everyone the same. A relaxation massage therapist will have far less training than a sports massage therapist who will have less training than an osteopath. But what happens when it is the same therapist offering sports massage and osteopathy? The line gets very much blurred.

So to help you understand each therapy, here is a little background on the professions.

The difference between sports massage and osteopathy

In the UK, Massage Therapist is not a protected title – anyone can call themselves a massage therapist therefore the training and style of massage varies enormously. You may come across holistic massage therapists, deep tissue massage therapists, no hands massage therapists, sports massage therapists, remedial massage therapists and so many more. Whilst there are organisational bodies that therapists can opt to belong to, there is no obligation and so a massage therapist can develop their own style and treatment. Even the term ‘Sports Massage’ means different things to different massage therapists. Some will purely treat sports people, whilst others will apply the techniques to any individual needing a deep tissue treatment.

Osteopathy on the other hand is a regulated profession, and no therapist may call themselves an osteopath without being registered with the General Osteopathic Council (they must be trained to degree or Masters level which takes 4-5 years). What this means is that all osteopaths must practice according to a code of practice standards, and they may be investigated should they be shown not to be working by these standards. Osteopaths will still develop their own individual style of working so you will find osteopaths to be very different, but they will be working towards the same principles.

So how do the treatments differ?

Osteopathy is a complete system of diagnosis, treatment and overall management. It is a way of looking at the body, making connections and then using this detailed knowledge to treat the body using manual techniques. These techniques aim to release restrictions in soft tissue and joints, improve nerve and blood supply and aid lymphatic drainage. Techniques can include massage, joint articulation, joint manipulation, stretching and many other more gentle techniques, and these won’t just be focused on the area of your pain. As well as hands on work, osteopathy also includes identifying other factors that may be influencing or maintaining your pain such as postural habits, activities, diet and even your thoughts – yes the way you think can play a large part in how your brain interprets your pain. So an osteopathy appointment will involve a lot more than hands on treatment. We will be discussing your lifestyle and there will be continuous assessment to make sure we are still on the right track. The aim is to get to the cause of your problem. For these reasons, you will normally need a course of treatments and this will be discussed at your first appointment.

It is the in depth knowledge and advanced palpation skills (sense of touch) of an osteopath that will often make the treatment unique from other therapies. People who have pain that won’t go away on its own are the main type of patients that seek osteopathy. However, some chronic conditions for which there is no cure such as osteoarthritis, can benefit from some of the gentle techniques used in order to maintain day to day function and reduce pain.

A sports massage treatment on the other hand will not include such an in-depth assessment. Whilst I will take a case history and carry out a short assessment, we will get started on the massage treatment fairly quickly. The focus is much more on the treatment than a diagnosis. Techniques will include light and deep massage, deep friction, stretching, and other techniques to release soft tissue tension. If you have been experiencing some minor niggles during sport or have a pre-diagnosed injury, sports massage is recommended to aid healing and prevent further injury. It is also great as a maintenance treatment to address tensions before they develop into something more serious. A massage treatment is also recommended if you have ongoing muscle tension, perhaps from a prolonged posture at work.

That being said, I cannot switch off my ‘osteopathic brain’ during your sports massage appointment. I am happy to give advice, identify any imbalance or have a look at any minor injuries. And we will normally discuss exercises you can do to help. It is important to remember that the above just refers to treatment with me. Other therapists offering sports massage may differ in their approach so it is always important to find out as much as you can before your treatment.

I hope this helps a little in choosing which treatment is suitable. If you are still confused, please don’t hesitate to email me to ask a question.

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