Naprapaths, chiropractors and osteopaths all specialise in examining, diagnosing and treating problems in muscles and joints. They use a wide range of manual techniques, such as joint adjustment and manipulation, massage, trigger point therapy, dry needling and individually tailored rehabilitation.
The focus is on helping a person return to health, with treatment adapted to the patient's movement patterns, lifestyle and needs.
At NIMM, we believe the similarities are far greater than the differences. The differences that do exist are mainly about professional cultures that have developed over time, with different emphases in explanatory models and clinical focus.
Course at NIMM
Four years full time, with the first three years shared by all three courses
Year 4 focus
Sports medicine and manual medicine: injuries, pain and functional problems related to physical activity, load and sport
Licensure in Sweden
After the naprapathy degree and one year of practical service
In Norway
A licensed profession since 2022. Helsedirektoratet assesses applications for licensure
Course at NIMM
Four years full time, with the first three years shared by all three courses
Year 4 focus
Diagnosis and treatment of neck, back and spine-related problems, with coordination of care
Licensure in Sweden
After the chiropractic degree and one year of practical service
In Norway
A licensed profession. Turnus in Norway or practical service in Sweden before licensure
Course at NIMM
Four years full time, with the first three years shared by all three courses
Year 4 focus
Structure, function and a holistic perspective in person-centred care, with particular emphasis on complex and long-term conditions
Licensure in Sweden
Osteopathy is not currently a licensed profession in Sweden
In Norway
A licensed profession since 2022. Helsedirektoratet assesses education and professional experience
The Naprapathy, Chiropractic and Osteopathy Courses at NIMM are four years full time. For the first three years you study alongside students from all three courses: anatomy, physiology, medical subjects, manual medicine and scientific method. You meet patients at NIMM Clinic, under supervision, from the first year. In the fourth year you specialise in your profession.
Naprapathy students deepen their expertise in sports medicine and manual medicine, focusing on preventing, diagnosing, treating and rehabilitating injuries, pain and functional problems related to physical activity, load and sport.
Read more about the Naprapathy Course
Chiropractic students deepen their expertise in diagnosing and treating neck, back and spine-related problems, with evidence-based treatment, a biopsychosocial understanding and the ability to coordinate care at the core.
Read more about the Chiropractic Course
Osteopathy students deepen their ability to integrate structure, function and a holistic perspective in person-centred care, and explore a broad range of manual medicine techniques. Particular emphasis is placed on clinical reasoning in complex and long-term conditions, therapeutic alliance, shared decision-making and the ability to justify osteopathic treatment within multimodal and interprofessional care.
Read more about the Osteopathy Course
What you study each semester is set out in the course curriculum and the unit specifications.
The three professions are regulated in different ways, and the rules differ between Sweden and Norway. In Sweden, naprapath and chiropractor are licensed professions. This means they are subject to Swedish healthcare legislation and supervised by the Swedish National Board of Health and Welfare (Socialstyrelsen). After graduating and completing one year of supervised practical service, you can apply for licensure from Socialstyrelsen. Osteopathy is not currently a licensed profession in Sweden.
The path to the profession
Sweden
Naprapath
Chiropractor
Osteopath
Norway
Naprapath
Chiropractor
Osteopath
The height of each block reflects the length of time.
Naprapath has been a licensed profession in Norway since 2022. The Norwegian Directorate of Health (Helsedirektoratet) has specific rules for naprapaths trained in Sweden, who may need to complete supervised practice.
Chiropractor is a licensed profession in Norway. If you have completed your practical service in Sweden and obtained Swedish licensure, you can apply for Norwegian licensure without doing turnus in Norway.
Osteopath has been a licensed profession in Norway since 2022. A Swedish education does not automatically lead to Norwegian licensure: Helsedirektoratet requires at least one year of full-time work as an osteopath within the last ten years; otherwise, an individual assessment is made.
The rules on licensure can change. Always check what applies before you choose your course.
Naprapathy has particularly strong Nordic roots and is largely built on the Swedish and Nordic healthcare tradition.
Chiropractic is represented at European level by the European Chiropractors’ Union (ECU) and globally by the World Federation of Chiropractic (WFC), which has member organisations in 88 countries and has been a non-state actor in official relations with the World Health Organization (WHO) since 1997. Chiropractic is currently regulated in 20 European countries.
Osteopathy is one of the more established manual medicine professions internationally. It is represented globally by the Osteopathic International Alliance (OIA), which has been in official relations with the WHO since 2018. There are around 89,000 registered osteopaths, and the profession is recognised as a healthcare profession in 16 countries and has a protected title and statutory regulation in 15. In Europe there is also a common standard for osteopathic healthcare, the CEN standard EN 16686, published in 33 European countries.
Because the first three years are shared, the choice is mainly about which specialisation you want and where you want to work after graduating. Think about which patients you want to meet and which problems you want to become an expert in.
Are you drawn to sport, physical load and rehabilitation? Then naprapathy may suit you. Do you want to specialise in the spine and the joints of the body? Then chiropractic may be right for you. Do you want to work with a holistic perspective and complex, long-term conditions? Then osteopathy may be your choice.
Think about where you want to work, too. Licensure differs between the professions and between Sweden and Norway, and this affects where and how you can work after graduating.
What kind of working day do you want to train for?
Would you like to talk about your choice? Book study guidance or come and be a student for a day.
