What Is the Difference Between Chiropractic Care and Physical Therapy?
The initial step for patients seeking to get pain relief encompasses deciding on which type of professional they should see for their specific problems. To make such a decision, they need to understand the difference between a Chiropractic Care and Physical Therapy. While some consider these areas of medicine to be one in the same, they are actually two, separate professions with different focuses. It is sometimes difficult to distinguish between the two because they treat similar conditions, though chiropractic care often covers more physiological ailments. So if you are deciding whether to go to a chiropractor, it will be important for you to know the differences.
Treatment Philosophies
During treatment, chiropractic care and physical therapy take slightly different approaches for similar ailments. Chiropractors focus on conditions of the musculoskeletal system, the nervous system, and their subsequent effect on the rest of the body. Our Bellevue chiropractors help relieve patients of back pains, headaches, joint pains, arms, and neck pains. They examine, diagnose, treat, and offer lifestyle counseling for their patients. Chiropractors use spinal manipulation to restore mobility in body parts experiencing tissue damage, which relieves pain in most patients, including relief from muscle tightness, allowing for faster healing.
Physical therapists, on the other hand, treat people in pain or those with physical impairment. They assess the pain and assign a plan of exercises to help the patient get better. They use this information to come up with customized rehabilitation programs for conditions caused by aging, diseases, and injury, though that is the extent of their goals. They often don’t consider the fullest, subsequent healing that can take place because of a properly aligned spine.
Difference in Goals
The goal of chiropractic care is to correct the spine and other alignment problems in the body, reduce pain, and encourage the body’s natural ability to heal itself. It is mostly recommended for the following complaints:
- Back pain
- Joint and arm pains
- Headaches
- Neck pain
Chiropractors have their own treatment methods to curb the above pains and patient complaints. Some of these treatment methods include:
- Joint mobilizations
- General exercise
- Electrical stimulation
- Relaxation techniques
- Lifestyle Counseling
Physical therapists, alternatively, look to help patients move efficiently and provides strengthening exercises, flexibility exercises among others to facilitate faster healing. While similar to chiropractic in a way, this is their specialized focus, while chiropractic, as was demonstrated, focuses on a lot more.
The Difference in Clinical Expertise
Even though both chiropractors and physical therapists are both professionals in diagnosing and treating their patients, they have some differences in their areas of practice. Our Bellevue chiropractors are specialists when it comes to spinal adjustment and manipulation. They use the knowledge of the musculoskeletal system to develop therapeutic modalities and exercise regiments to treat their patients.
Physical Therapists are often well-acquainted in human movement and the refurbishment of movement-related processes. A general physical therapy practice, however, doesn’t maintain the belief that their expertise can heal other maladies, however.
Our Chiropractic Office: A Better Choice
At OPRI Health, we are confident that our services can lead you to better health and healing. Whether you have back or neck pain or are concerned about other underlying, chronic conditions, schedule an appointment with us today to discuss your options.