Whether you have an injury, health condition, or just want to improve your overall health, it can be overwhelming to choose the best option among a sea of different treatments. It’s recommended to always talk to your doctor about your treatment options, as they will give you helpful suggestions based on your specific needs. If physical therapy and chiropractic care are mentioned, you may be wondering what they are and how they are different. Keep reading to discover the differences between these two popular drug-free and non-invasive treatments.
Physical Therapy vs. Chiropractic Care
When it comes to physical therapy (or physiotherapy) and chiropractic care, both are designed to treat and manage pain and stiffness in the body. Physical therapists and chiropractors both are health experts with years of specialized training. Of course, there are also key differences between the two. Let’s take a look below.
Physical Therapy
A physical therapist or PT helps improve a patient’s ability to regain function and mobility, as well as reduce pain. In turn, this helps improve their overall quality of life. A primary goal of this therapy is for patients to achieve the highest level of mobility as possible. With better mobility, patients will find it easier to function in their daily life. Physical therapy involves evaluating a patient’s needs, creating a personalized treatment plan, guiding the patient with performing specific stretches and exercises, and educating the patients about tips to maintain an active, healthier life.
Physical therapy typically includes:
- Evaluating a patient’s needs, such as their pain, flexibility, and mobility
- Performing exercises, stretches, or hands-on manipulation treatments to help strengthen a patient’s muscles and thus, boost mobility
- Educating patients about proper posture and injury and pain prevention tips
- Using heat or cold therapy and other techniques to reduce pain
- Maintaining a wellness treatment plan to improve the patient’s overall health
How many physical therapy sessions you need will depend on your health condition and how fast you regain function and mobility. In general, patients will notice an improvement after a few sessions. Since this is a drug-free and non-invasive treatment, you will not experience rapid pain-relief like you do with pain-relief medications. However, these medications have unpleasant side effects and only temporarily mask symptoms of an underlying condition.
Like other health professionals, physical therapists are required to earn a doctorate degree in physical therapy (DPT) to become licensed. PTs can work in a variety of settings, like hospitals, outpatient clinics, sports facilities, rehabilitation centers, schools, and even businesses. These professionals can specialize in PT, such as sports injury.
Why Physical Therapy?
Physical therapy is a great treatment for patients that:
- Have limited mobility due to an accident, injury, recent surgery, or health condition
- Have pain related to mobility
- Want to maintain or improve their mobility
- Need to build strength and address the challenges of a health condition, such as osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease, stroke, or COPD
Chiropractic Care
Chiropractors are licensed health professionals with doctorate degrees who use a hands-on approach to reduce pain and inflammation, as well as treat the root cause of a patient’s pain through specific manipulations of the body. A main goal of chiropractic care is to allow the body to heal itself naturally with the help of chiropractic adjustments. Like PT, chiropractic is a drug-free and non-invasive treatment that is safe, gentle, and effective for people of all ages. Chiropractic focuses on the musculoskeletal and nervous systems.
Chiropractic care typically includes:
- Evaluating a patient’s symptoms based on a physical exam and tests
- Performing adjustments to specific areas of the body like spinal manipulations designed to reduce pain and inflammation, as well as prevent pain and injury
- Discussing other types of treatment with patients
- Recommending specific exercises to strengthen muscles, reduce pain and inflammation, and maintain lasting health and wellness
Like physical therapy, how many chiropractic adjustments you need depends on your health condition and how quick you start to notice significant benefits. Typically, patients will notice an improvement after a few sessions. Chiropractic is also a drug-free and non-invasive treatment, so you will not experience rapid pain-relief like you do with pain-relief medications. However, these harsh medications have unpleasant side effects and only temporarily mask pain symptoms.
Chiropractors are required to earn a doctorate degree to become licensed. They can work in a variety of settings, like hospitals, outpatient clinics, sports facilities, rehabilitation centers, schools, and even businesses. These professionals can specialize in different types of chiropractic care, such as sports and vehicle injury or prenatal and pediatric care.
Why Chiropractic?
Chiropractic care is a great option for patients that:
- Have back, neck, or joint pain
- Have migraines or headaches
- Have mental illnesses, such as anxiety or depression
- Want to maintain or achieve lasting health and wellness
- Need to identify and treat an underlying health condition that is impacting their quality of life
- Want to avoid using harsh drugs or invasive surgeries
Which Therapy Is Best For You?
The therapy that is best for you will depend on your specific health goals, budget, and lifestyle. Depending on your health needs, you may find that a combination of physical therapy and chiropractic care is a great way to achieve better health and wellness, as well as improve your mobility and flexibility and reduce or remove any pain, discomfort, or stress. As always, talk with your doctor to determine the best type of therapy for you. Physical therapy focuses more on how the body moves and functions and uses exercises, stretches, and hands-on manipulation to help you regain function and mobility. On the other hand, chiropractic focuses on treating disorders of the musculoskeletal and nervous systems and uses various manipulations and adjustments to help your body heal itself as it was intended.
We hope you enjoyed this week’s article discussing the differences between physical therapy and chiropractic care. If you are interested in chiropractic, contact your local Portage chiropractor at West Michigan Chiropractic. Let us help you live life to your fullest potential!