Ever woken up with a bit of pain and thought, “I need to see a physiotherapist… or maybe a chiropractor”? In this article, we’ll compare physiotherapists and chiropractors, discussing how they can help with pain and other symptoms without the need for surgery.
At first glance, they might seem quite similar since both focus on improving mobility and reducing pain, but their approaches to care are quite different. Whether you’re a health professional referring a patient or someone with pain, it’s helpful to know what each role entails.
Similarities in Goals, Differences in Approach
Physiotherapists focus on helping patients recover from injuries, while chiropractors emphasize spinal adjustments and alignment. Both professions aim to restore physical function and minimize pain, and they’re essential not just for athletes but for anyone who wants to stay active. Depending on your condition, one might provide more immediate relief than the other.
Physiotherapists’ Focus
Physiotherapists prevent and treat movement-related problems. If you need help after an injury, experience chronic pain, or want to improve how your body operates, they’re the professionals to see. They use exercise techniques, hands-on therapy, and electric therapy to enhance the body’s performance. A lot of physiotherapy work is performed on specialist electric massage tables designed to be repositioned to perform massage therapy.
Physiotherapists take a broad approach, focusing not only on problem areas but also on the connections between different parts of the body. This helps them identify the root cause of issues, rather than just treating symptoms.
Chiropractic Focus
Chiropractors focus on correcting the alignment of bones and joints, particularly the spine. Misalignment can cause issues with both muscles and the nervous system. Chiropractors use spinal adjustments to reduce nerve irritation and create an optimal environment for healing.
Education: Physiotherapists vs. Chiropractors
Both chiropractors and physiotherapists require extensive education. Physiotherapists typically complete a three-year undergraduate degree, while chiropractors study for four to five years to earn their Doctor of Chiropractic. Both paths involve rigorous training to provide essential care for pain and movement disorders.
Treatment Methods in Physiotherapy
Physiotherapists use passive and active stretching, exercises, and joint mobilizations to treat patients. Passive stretching helps improve flexibility and reduce pain, while active stretching and exercises strengthen muscles and enhance mobility. Joint mobilization is particularly beneficial for those with arthritis or restricted movement after injury.
Optimizing Physiotherapy Sessions
Physiotherapists often create treatment plans with fewer but more impactful sessions to ensure progress. Combining targeted exercises, manual therapy, and advanced techniques during each session allows for quicker improvement. It’s not about how often you see the physio, but the effectiveness of each visit.
Physiotherapists vs. Chiropractors in Practice
Physiotherapists typically work within larger healthcare systems, receiving referrals from doctors and specialists, while chiropractors often operate private practices. This difference influences how they market themselves. Physiotherapists maintain professional ties for referrals, while chiropractors may engage more directly with the community to attract clients.
When would I go to a physiotherapist or chiropractor?
If you have recently suffered a sports injury or have chronic pain, it may be difficult to decide if you should see a physiotherapist or a chiropractor. Both professionals have a slightly different approach to health care, but both can be very effective in certain cases.
Physiotherapists are generally a good bet for sports injuries, while chiropractors are a popular choice for spinal issues. Physiotherapists are typically better at treating something like tendonitis, while a chiropractor would ease the pain of a slipped disc. Sometimes, your symptoms may overlap, which is why it’s useful to know when to see both. If you can’t tell if your symptoms are muscle-related or spinal, it’s best to start by seeing a doctor to receive a referral.
How physios and chiros complement each other
By working together, physiotherapists and chiropractors are able to provide more effective treatment for complex injuries, such as multiple whiplash injuries or cross injuries. Depending on the situation, it may be necessary for the patient to experience both the physiotherapy and chiropractic treatment to feel full benefits.
Cross-referral (where healthcare professionals refer a patient to another type of healthcare professional) is important. The patient will receive better care if the two systems are implemented, as well as different results compared to if they had only received one type of treatment.
What does a physiotherapist treat?
A physiotherapist can treat a wide range of injuries, including but not limited to: musculoskeletal injuries, post-surgery recovery, chronic pain, sports injuries, workplace injuries, problems caused by age and conditions that result from poor posture.
Physiotherapy also helps people suffering from mobility issues. If you have inherently weak muscles, a physiotherapist will develop a plan for you to strengthen the muscles that don’t want to work. This could involve strength training and stretching alongside physiotherapy treatments. The goal is to help people to improve their overall function and movement in their body.
What does a chiropractor treat?
Chiropractors are mostly well-known for treating low back pain, neck pain, and headaches. Those who visit a chiropractor for treatment occasionally begin with a condition that relates to one of these parts of the body. This is because chiropractic care focuses on spinal health.
For example, people who suffer from sciatica often have treatments with a chiropractor to alleviate their symptoms. This is because the condition is linked to the nerves that run down the spine and out into the legs.
What happens when you visit a physiotherapist?
A physio session will usually start with a diagnosis. This is where your physiotherapist will have a chat with you about your condition and then test their findings. From there, they will develop a plan that works for you.
This could involve hands-on treatment, exercises, education or a rehabilitation programme. The treatment will likely involve some form of hands-on therapy alongside a guide for you to follow in between sessions. If your treatments are helping and you are improving, the physiotherapist may progress your exercises and gradually challenge your body to help you grow stronger.
What happens when you visit a chiropractor?
The first time you visit a chiropractor, the first thing they will do is to check your spine and see how it feels. They will ask about your medical history and then they will diagnose your issues. The chiropractor may ask for further tests or x-rays to understand your whole body better.
When they have a complete understanding of you and your body, they will begin treatment. Typically this will be hands-on therapy of some form, and usually, if you have visited the chiropractor with a problem, the chiropractor will want to see you again for follow-up appointments.
What are the benefits of physiotherapy?
Physiotherapy treatment is often designed to work over a long period of time, which means that not only are the issues that you have been resolved, but you’re also less likely to experience them again afterwards.
The process of working with a physiotherapist is usually a slow one, as you’ll work on strengthening weak spots in your body and that can be quite gradual. It is also important to remember that some conditions or illnesses may not be treatable with physiotherapy alone, so you may need to see a combination of healthcare professionals to manage your condition.
What are the benefits of chiropractic care?
Chiropractic care can help to relieve pain very quickly, which is good news for anyone suffering from things like back or neck pain. Chiropractic care is all about spinal health, so if you’re suffering from weakness in your spine or pain that you can no longer manage, then it’s going to be one of the best treatments for you. However, if you are suffering from something that doesn’t involve your spinal health, then it’s unlikely to help you. If you find that regular adjustments help you, then you might need to carry on seeing a chiropractor for the rest of your life in order to keep your body happy and healthy.
How can you prevent injuries and chronic pain?
Physiotherapy is all about getting to the bottom of why you’re experiencing problems and working to find a solution that stops the pain from returning. As with any injury, it is best to work with a physiotherapist suggested exercise and stretching regime to keep your body moving and build up strength to fight off the pain.
If you have weak muscles, they may not do their job very well, which can cause you more stress, bad posture and cause pain. A chiropractor works with your spine to make it strong and flexible. Regular check-ups are a the best way to prevent pain or problems from returning, and will help you maintain your mobility.
Wrapping up, which should I choose?
I’m a little bias and lean towards physiotherapy because I’ve personally had a lot of soft-tissue injuries. If you need to commit to seeing only one, I would suggest starting with a physio unless you’ve got issues that you know aren’t muscular. In that case, start with a chiropractor.
