Chiropractic & Physical Therapy Perspectives
- Physical Therapy International Service
- 2 days ago
- 3 min read
Authors: Anna Norton, Ella Bonner, and Livi Kovach
Physical therapy and chiropractic care are two healthcare professions that are sometimes confused because they both help treat pain and improve movement without surgery. While they can be very similar, they approach patient care in different ways. Chiropractic care mainly focuses on the spine and nervous system, using spinal adjustments to restore alignment and relieve pain. Physical therapy takes a broader approach by focusing on movement, strength, flexibility, and overall function throughout the entire body. Understanding these differences can help patients make more informed decisions about which type of care is best for their specific condition.
Chiropractors and physical therapists both require doctoral degrees to practice. Undergraduate study and degrees are required before entry into each respective program. However, their educations differ in the focus of the curriculum, the program length, and the clinical training involved. The chiropractic curriculum is centered around learning spinal anatomy and neurology to be able to conduct manual adjustments, while the physical therapy curriculum focuses on learning kinesiology, exercise physiology, and biomechanics to be able to design and implement therapeutic exercises for patients. Chiropractic doctoral programs are four years long, and physical therapy doctoral programs are three years long. Along with the core curriculum, each program features specific clinical training. Chiropractic students undergo clinical hours centered around reading x-rays, administering hands-on adjustments, and conducting physical examinations. Physical therapy students undergo clinical hours focused on exposure to a wide variety of fields (outpatient clinics, hospitals, acute care, etc.) and education on treatment for orthopedic, neurological, cardiopulmonary, and other conditions. Overall, although both chiropractors and physical therapists practice with a doctoral degree, there are many educational differences between the two professions.
You can often see physical therapists and chiropractors working together in the same areas of healthcare such as sports, pediatrics, and neurological patients. For example in sports, physical therapists can work on returning to play after an injury and regaining strength where a chiropractor will work to mobilize a joint immediately. In pediatrics, a physical therapist will help to develop motor skills where a chiropractor will work on posture and correct spinal alignment for growth. Again, it depends on the ailment of the patient that will determine what provider is best for their care!
A chiropractor is more for acute ailments where you need that immediate relief. Although, if you have a chronic condition, it is best to see a physical therapist as they are working to provide solutions to an ailment that is a longer duration. A chiropractor will use spinal adjustments while a physical therapist will use exercises to work on strength and mobility. A chiropractor will treat a lot of spinal ailments or spinal related ailments where a physical therapist is treating a wider range of injuries pertaining to joints, muscles, and other chronic pain. Overall, if your pain needs to be relieved immediately and is acute, a chiropractor may be best where if it is a chronic condition where the pain needs to be decreased for a long period of time, physical therapy may be the best option.
Although physical therapists and chiropractors both work to reduce pain and improve a patient's quality of life, they have different training, treatment methods, and areas of focus. Chiropractors primarily treat conditions related to the spine and nervous system through manual adjustments, while physical therapists focus on restoring movement and function through exercise, education, and rehabilitation. Depending on the patient's injury or condition, one profession may be more appropriate than the other, and in some cases they can even work together to provide the best possible care. Understanding the differences between these professions allows patients to choose the treatment that best fits their needs.
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