Chiropractor Vs Physical Therapist
This is a complicated topic. There is definitely some crossover between the chiropractor and physical therapist professions. Anytime you are looking for a healthcare provider it is important to know what you want and what each profession offers. The challenge when comparing a chiropractor to a physical therapist is that they are all different. I don’t just mean a chiropractor vs a physical therapist but chiropractors compared to chiropractors and physical therapists compared to physical therapists are very different.
Some chiropractors do essentially no physical therapy in their office while others utilize physical therapy which is essential to stabilizing and maintaining a patient’s spinal correction. Typically structural chiropractors will employ physical therapy exercises unique and different from other chiropractors and physical therapists. These types of physical therapy exercises may be utilized second only to a chiropractic adjustment.
The biggest mistake people make when trying to decide to go to a chiropractor or physical therapist is that they are all the same. It’s important to do your research. Your first step is to determine what kind of doctor you want. Don’t be afraid to read their websites thoroughly. Schedule a consultation and meet with any potential chiropractic doctors or physical therapist to get a better idea of what their treatment focus is and how their office runs.
I have to say that when I originally set out right this blog I didn’t think it would be that difficult. I was wrong. Sure there are some differences and similarities between chiropractors and physical therapists but I figured I would be able to easily highlight the primary distinguishing characteristics. I was wrong. It was not easy. There are certainly a few but the more I kept writing and reading and researching the more I came to realize that there are just as many differences within the professions themselves. Overall, I found more similarities than I had anticipated.
Physical therapy has a broader spectrum of treatment that goes more in hand with the medical model. Treatment is based more on the muscles and movement. Physical therapists also seem to have more experience creating exercises and therapy for patients with specific diseases i.e. Chiropractors focus their treatment on the rehabilitation of the spine. Within this chiropractic paradigm there are many variations and to be honest, this is one of the weaknesses of the chiropractic profession.
The main distinguishing factors really boil down to this.