There are many similarities among the principles of Osteopathy and massage. Namely the importance of the circulation of blood and lymph, and the recognition of structure and function being interrelated. However, these two fields often go about enacting these principles in very different ways.
A massage therapist (RMT) tends to apply techniques on the body as a whole, aiming to have a systemic effect with some time spent on specific areas of restriction.
Osteopathy, on the other hand, tends to focus entirely on the areas of restriction and traces them along their lines of functionality. Often, more time is spent in Osteopathy on the evaluation and motion tests to determine the primary restrictions of the body. Osteopathy usually feels more subtle than massage, since its goal is to listen to the tissues and supply precise amount of force necessary to release them.