Physical therapists and chiropractors are healthcare professionals who focus on restoring strength, function, and flexibility as well as reducing pain without surgical or pharmaceutical intervention. How they accomplish these goals is different, but there are some striking similarities.
What Is Physical Therapy?
Physical therapy is performed by a physical therapist. They focus on improving mobility, strength, and flexibility through targeted exercise and manual therapy. You may see a physical therapist after surgery or an injury for functional rehabilitation (getting you back on your feet again) and to prevent future injuries. Over time, you may even experience a reduction in pain.
Unlike a chiropractor, a physical therapist is more general, meaning they work on your spine as well as your limbs. However, they don’t diagnose conditions. Patients are often referred to physical therapists as part of a progressive treatment plan to help them rebuild their strength and function over time.
What Is Chiropractic Care?
Chiropractic care is performed by a chiropractor. They focus on diagnosing and treating musculoskeletal disorders, particularly in the spine, and work with both chronic and acute conditions, treating sudden and long-term conditions to improve your overall physical well-being.
Using manual techniques like spinal manipulations and joint manipulations, a chiropractor applies gentle thrusts to your spine to correct spinal misalignment to improve your nervous system function, alleviate pain, and reduce inflammation throughout the body.
Chiropractors often use diagnostic imaging to guide their care. They’re licensed to order x-rays, MRIs, or CT scans to assess your spinal alignment, identify any structural abnormalities, and rule out any conditions that may interfere with your chiropractic treatment.
How Are Chiropractors and Physical Therapists Similar?
Despite the differences in how chiropractors and physical therapists work toward achieving treatment goals, there are some similarities and even overlap between these healthcare professionals.
Advanced Educations
Most physical therapists have a Doctor of Physical Therapy degree (DPT), a three-year program, while chiropractors have a Doctor of Chiropractic (DC), which is a three- to four-year program. Most physical therapists and chiropractors must pass a board or licensing exam to practice in their state.
Manual Therapy
Physical therapists and chiropractors take a hands-on approach to treating patients. Both perform joint manipulation and joint mobilization, soft tissue work, and myofascial release to improve flexibility and reduce muscle tension. It’s also common for both to use heat and cold therapy during their treatments.
Non-Surgical Interventions to Treat Pain
Another similarity is the focus on patient education and guidance on movement, standing, and ergonomics, to ensure patients move correctly and reduce the risk of further damage. They may also prescribe home exercises so you can continue your care at home.
How to Choose Between Physical Therapy and Chiropractic Care
In some respects, choosing between physical therapy and chiropractic care comes down to your preferences, budget, and insurance coverage. Interestingly, one study found that people with low back pain experienced similar outcomes with either modality.
While both are equally good for patients with:
what’s important is getting the care you need when you need it. So, how do you choose?
When to Choose Physical Therapy
Physical therapy may be best if you:
- Had an orthopedic injury
- Are trying to rebuild your strength and flexibility after a surgical procedure or trauma (like a car accident or sports injury)
- Have chronic pain that makes it hard to walk or sit
- Want to strengthen your muscles
- Have a chronic condition (like multiple sclerosis or parkinson’s)
When to Choose Chiropractic Care
A chiropractor can make the most sense if you have:
- Headaches or migraines
- Whiplash
- Spinal stenosis
- Scoliosis
- Pregnancy-related pain
- Shoulder pain
- Hip pain
When to Choose Both
Sometimes your best bet is to see a physical therapist and a chiropractor. This one-two approach works collaboratively, reducing your pain and restoring your spinal alignment while improving strength, flexibility, and mobility.
Flourish Chiropractic Spa Can Help
Perhaps the best way to think of the differences between physical therapy and chiropractic is that physical therapists rebuild the function while chiropractors treat the structure. While that alone shouldn’t guide your decision, it’s a good place to start.
If you’ve decided that chiropractic care is best for your situation, contact Flourish Chiropractic Spa today. Our knowledgeable, compassionate team will collaborate with you to design an individualized treatment plan that can reduce your pain, restore mobility, and improve your overall well-being.
