Chiropractors' training lasts three to four years and includes the study of anatomy, physiology, biology and the skeletal system. They believe many health problems are related to imbalances in the musculoskeletal system, so they perform small adjustments to it to correct them and to improve health.
Osteopaths are licensed physicians who treat the body as a whole, and concentrate on preventative medicine and other types of medical treatment focusing on the musculoskeletal system. They can perform surgery and prescribe medication.
Chiropractors earn a professional degree, which they argue is as good as or better than medical school. However, most of their training is confined to the classroom, where they learn theory, adjustment and marketing.
They have to have at least 90 hours of undergraduate education with a GPA of 2.5, although many training programs require a bachelor's degree. Graduates of chiropractic programs, which usually last three years, earn a Doctor of Chiropractic, or D.C., degree.
Some states (but not all) require licensure and continuing education.
The University of Bridgeport, in Connecticut, is the only university in the United States that offers a chiropractic training program.
Most programs require at least 4,200 hours of combined classroom, laboratory and clinical experience, with the last two years focusing on manipulation and spinal adjustment, more clinical experience, orthopedics, neurology, geriatrics and nutrition.
When American physician Andrew Taylor Still founded the practice of osteopathy in the late 19th century, he was disillusioned with the orthodox medicine at the time and worked outside the medical establishment. In the years since, however, osteopathy has found its way into normal medical practice.
The training, practice, credentialing, licensure and reimbursement of osteopaths are the same as other physicians. Like all other licensed doctors, osteopaths receive four years of osteopathic medical school followed by specialty and sub-specialty training and board certification.
The curriculum of medical schools offering osteopathic programs is identical to other programs, with the first two years consisting of classroom instruction and the third and fourth years focusing on clinical rotations. After graduation, students enter residency programs and then a one-year internship at a hospital.