A Comparison of Chiropractic Vs Physical Therapy

While there are many overlapping areas of expertise between chiropractors and physical therapists, there are essential differences. The chiropractor is the expert in spinal manipulation and the correction of spinal subluxations.

Chiropractors practice the art of manipulation daily and are often trained in numerous methods of adjusting the spine. The very fact that physical therapists embrace spinal manipulation and want to be able to provide this service as well demonstrates how effective spinal manipulation is for relieving various musculo-skeletal conditions.

The problem is that physical therapists often do not achieve the mastery of correcting spinal alignment in a week-end course. Physical therapists do not provide manipulative therapy with the frequency that chiropractors do nor have they had the same number of hours or years of training in adjusting techniques. Would you rather see a generalist or a specialist when it comes to adjusting your spine?

Chiropractors are also trained to diagnose your problem through physical examination and radiology. Chiropractic care focuses on the whole being not just an injured part. Chiropractors are trained in anatomy, physiology, pathology, public health, nutrition, physiotherapy and rehabilitation. An average of 4,820 hours of combined classroom, laboratory and clinical experience is completed prior to graduation.

Physical therapists complete an average of 3,398 hours of classroom and clinical study prior to graduation. They are trained in stroke rehabilitation, cardiorespiratory and post-operative orthopedic rehabilitation. They work with patients suffering from brain damage and other disabling conditions.

Both chiropractors and physical therapists have national licensing examinations. Both professions have residency and internships. Board certification is also required in both fields. Doctors of chiropractic must complete a four year undergraduate degree before completing the four year full-time doctorate of chiropractic program. Three academic years are required for a doctorate in physical therapy and two years for a master's degree. In other words both professions are well trained in what they do. Both professions can also specialize in areas of orthopedics, spinal cord injuries, pediatrics, geriatrics and other specialties.

Some treatment techniques which overlap include manual therapy techniques ranging from soft tissue mobilization to therapeutic exercises, neuromuscular re-education and gait training.

While there are many similarities chiropractors stand apart from physical therapists with their training in diagnosis and their expertise in spinal manipulation. Chiropractic patients were found to be more satisfied with their back care after four weeks of treatment than were medical patients. Results from observational studies suggested that back pain patients are more satisfied with chiropractic care than medical care. Additionally, studies conclude that patients are more satisfied with chiropractic care than they were with physical therapy after 6 weeks.