The short version
All five can help with muscle, joint and movement problems. The differences are in training, regulation and where each tends to focus. The person matters more than the title: look for someone who examines more than the sore spot, explains what is going on, and gives you a plan you can follow yourself.
| Profession | Regulated by | Typical focus |
|---|---|---|
| Physiotherapist | HCPC (protected title) | Rehabilitation across the whole body through exercise, movement and manual therapy, including after surgery |
| Chiropractor | General Chiropractic Council (protected title) | The spine and joints, often with spinal manipulation |
| Osteopath | General Osteopathic Council (protected title) | Whole-body hands-on treatment of muscles and joints |
| Podiatrist | HCPC (protected title) | Feet and lower limbs. MSK podiatrists specialise in gait, biomechanics, injury and rehab |
| Sports therapist | Not a protected title. Graduates usually join the Society of Sports Therapists | Sports injury, soft tissue work and getting you back to sport |
Physiotherapist
Physiotherapists treat a wide range of problems, from back pain and sports injuries to recovery after surgery or a stroke. Treatment is usually built around exercise and movement, with hands-on work alongside. "Physiotherapist" is a protected title, so anyone using it must be registered with the HCPC.
Chiropractor
Chiropractors focus mainly on the spine and joints, and are best known for spinal manipulation. Many also use soft tissue work and exercise. They are regulated by the General Chiropractic Council.
Osteopath
Osteopaths take a whole-body, hands-on approach, using massage, stretching, mobilisation and manipulation. They are regulated by the General Osteopathic Council.
MSK podiatrist
Podiatrists are foot and lower-limb specialists, regulated by the HCPC. Some focus on skin and nail care. Others, MSK podiatrists, specialise in how the lower limb moves and loads.
A podiatrist who is confident in MSK and gait is, in many ways, a physio for the lower limb. They assess and treat foot, ankle, and sometimes knee and hip injuries, and help people recover after surgery to those areas, alongside gait analysis and, where it genuinely helps, orthotics.
Sports therapist
Sports therapists specialise in sports injury: prevention, soft tissue treatment, taping and rehabilitation back to training. The title is not protected by law, so check training and membership. Graduate sports therapists usually belong to the Society of Sports Therapists.
Recovering from surgery
Your surgical team will usually recommend or arrange rehabilitation, often with a physiotherapist, and you should always follow your surgeon's protocol. Privately, other MSK clinicians can help too.
We regularly help people recover after foot, ankle, knee, hip and shoulder surgery, including scar tissue problems. Nadine covers foot and ankle, and sometimes knee and hip, rehab. Andy works with all of them.
How to choose
- Foot, heel, ankle or running injuries: an MSK podiatrist, a physiotherapist or a sports therapist.
- Back or neck pain: a physiotherapist, osteopath, chiropractor or MSK specialist.
- Pain in more than one place, or that keeps coming back: someone who looks at the whole body, feet to spine.
- After surgery: follow your surgeon's plan, then choose someone experienced with that joint.
Warning signs come first. Whoever you see, numbness in the groin, new bladder or bowel problems, worsening leg weakness, or fever with back pain need urgent medical care. See the full list.
Where we fit in
At Porch House Clinic, two disciplines work side by side. Nadine is an HCPC-registered MSK podiatrist with an MSc and a special interest in biomechanics. Andy is an MSK specialist (LCSP (Phys)) with a special interest in functional rehabilitation, treating the whole body.
Where the cause is not obvious, our DIERS 4D motion lab measures your spine, pelvis, legs and feet together, so we treat the cause rather than the place it happens to hurt.