People who frequently suffer from chronic pain in their muscles or joints often do not know what treatment they really need. There are tons of treatment available out there, which can make it daunting to figure out which is the right for you, especially with all of the misinformation floating around the internet. More specifically, people are unsure if they should see a chiropractor or a physical therapist. Today, we will be going through some differences between chiropractic treatment and physical therapy, so we can find out which one is the ideal treatment for you.
Understanding the Differences
First and foremost, you’ll have to understand that the way a chiropractic specialist and physical therapist treat patients is quite different. A chiropractor deals with an extremely specialized form of treatment which involves joint manipulation and some muscle release techniques. Some techniques the chiropractor uses are the Gonstead technique and the Cox-Flexion Distraction.
On the other hand, a physical therapist encompasses a much wider range of treatment techniques and can even have the ability to manipulate the spine much like in chiropractic treatment. In addition to this, physical therapists should be able to perform muscle release techniques along with possessing a wide knowledge of core stability exercises for one’s posture, balance and pain relief. On top of that, a physical therapist is able to help perform myofascial release together with the other roles they have, making them a more all-rounded specialist.
That being said, it doesn’t mean that a physical therapist is better than a chiropractor when it comes to treating the different ailments that you may have. It all depends on how much experience and skills that each physical therapist and chiropractor have under their belt along with how comfortable they are at performing a particular set of treatment. A physical therapist may be able to perform spinal adjustments, but you will realize that their techniques are far more conservative as compared to an average chiropractor.
In conclusion, it is best to have a first-hand experience with both a physical therapist and with chiropractic treatment in order to see how satisfied you are with each treatment and how they help with alleviating your condition. From there, you’ll be able to tell just how much of each treatment you really benefit from and adjust your following treatments to suit your needs. It goes without saying that it is best if you find an accredited specialist that has lots of experience in treating your particular condition in order to hasten the process.
