Do I visit a gp, osteopath, physio or chiropractor??

OR
BTEC in a subject such as Sports Science or Health and Social Sciences

Well it just gets better.

Here's the link:

lso.ac.uk/a-career-in-osteopathy/

The standard entry requirements to study osteopathy at the London School of Osteopathy are: Min 2 A'levels with one being a science subject. Science subjects include PE and Psychology.

Oh good.

I would see an osteopath
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/osteopathy/safety/#:~:text=By%20law%2C%20osteopaths%20must%20be,renew%20their%20registration%20each%20year.

"Osteopaths complete a 4 or 5-year honours degree programme (bachelor's or master's), which involves at least 1,000 hours of clinical training. Some osteopaths are qualified to PhD level."

I've had this recently after I injured my shoulder. The osteopath worked wonders at helping sort out the afflicted shoulder & my tense, painful upper back. My neck needs further work apparently.

Do you mean your chiro went to medical school and got a medical degree and then retrained as a chiropractor?

I’d go to a good Pilates instructor for a one to one session, or see a sports physio, one with the best reviews you can find. In the meantime probably see a gp and await a referral , just in case it escalates and you need a referral for long term physio or imaging or anything, as this can all be expensive. I’ve seen so many osteopaths , chiropractors, physios etc and pretty much all have been pointless and made little difference , I guess it depends on how resolvable the issue is.
The only thing that make a difference to my back pain are my long term commitment to Pilates and the gym, and a tens machine which I can’t be without.

@Inanu we can self-refer to a physio in our GP's practice, you might find that you can do that locally

Never got any joy with a physio - waste of time for me NHS - had to wait 6 months for the appointment - what worked for me was an amazing Osteopath who also treated the dancers of The Royal Ballet - money well spent

I had an acute back pain, so painful at one point I couldn't get off the loo! A few sessions with a chiropractor sorted it out and I've not had any further issues 18 months on. They're not all quacks.

Go to an osteopath! My friend is a trained osteopath and if I hurt my back she straightens me up really quickly. I have an appointment every 6- 8 weeks and no ongoing issues. My friend even kept me fully functional throughout my 4 pregnancies. She has even treated my children. A good osteopath is defo worth the investment

I’d go to a well recommended osteopath

A GP will probably refer you to a physio but be warned the waiting list is very long for an NHS one. I had to wait around six months to see one for ongoing back pain/sciatica. To add insult to injury, they cancelled my appointment half an hour before it was due! If you can afford it, go private.

What do you mean by "my chiro has an MD"? What is an MD?

And then you say "And she worked as a trainee with physio and chiro for years too. Which a doctor/physio would do.". Which makes no sense.

Except my chiro has an MD and is therefore entitled. And she worked as a trainee with physio and chiro for years too. Which a doctor/physio would do.

I would still always say check qualies and recommendations as I'm aware there are quacks out there.

In our area you can self refer to physio without seeing a GP first. So I would Google and see if that's possible for you.

If you have health cover or can pay a private physio can be really good to.

Absolutely do not see a Chrio they can cause serious damage.

I would self refer to Physio and in the meantime find a sports medicine practitioner to do an appraisal and sports massage.

I’d be inclined to see either a physio or a sports massage therapist.

Nope. Osteopath is a quack as well.

Physio, I have this musculoskeletal problem. It takes time to develop, & time with the right exercise programme to resolve.

chiropractors aren't regulated. Anyone can call themselves a chiropractor.

Where I live, you can self refer to a physio. Can you do that?

I've used an osteopath with really good results, but I went to someone who was recommended by several people I knew

Physio, OP. They should be your first port of call. They will refer you back to GP if needs be. In our area we have 'first contact' physios, and they do diagnostics, order scans etc. if needed.

No to chiro, osteo, etc.

They do not have 5 years of 'medical' training. They have years of quackery learning and then call themselves doctors with absolutely no legal entitlement to do so.

Everyone except the chiropractor is a registered healthcare professional, who has to complete relevant qualifications and register with N appropriate body.

I see an osteopath every two weeks for muscle and joint issues caused by EDS. I’ve found that seeing him is the difference between me being mobile and not. He’s also a sports therapist so DH sees him for gym injuries. I would also see your GP though, you may need a scan to make sure there isn’t anything underlying.

Well that's probably just the placebo effect, including dopamine and endorphins. You may as well be throwing your money into a field.