If you’re trying to tackle pain, heal from injury, or improve mobility, you may be considering physical therapy vs chiropractic care.
But which is best? After all, both improve physical comfort, bring the body back into alignment, and reduce pain.
But although the benefits of physical therapy and chiropractic care may be similar, they use different pathways to get results.
Let’s take a closer look.
What is Physical Therapy (PT)?
Think of physical therapy (PT) and you probably visualise stretches, strength exercises, and injury rehab. And yes, these are foundational to the benefits of physical therapy.
But good PT goes beyond rehab to take a holistic approach to rebuilding patients after surgery, illness, or injury.
For example, at Rebalance Physical Therapy & Wellness, we also focus on mental and emotional health. Why? Because your mind and body don’t exist in isolation!
Our PTs provide an integrated treatment approach to deliver the best results for our patients.
What do physical therapists do?
A physical therapist is a licensed professional who uses different tools and techniques to assess the patient’s individual needs and then create a bespoke treatment plan.
Your PT (not to be muddled up with your Personal Trainer, who may have referred you to us after that unwanted gym injury) will treat conditions such as:
- Sports injuries
- Post-surgery rehab
- Post-stroke rehab
- Joint pain and arthritis
- Chronic mobility and pain issues, including conditions such as Parkinson’s.
The physical therapy plan might focus on rebuilding strength, coordination, balance, and/or flexibility. It might focus on all areas for a full body upgrade!
What are common physical therapy techniques?
These include:
- Specific exercise programs
- Hands-on techniques (called manual therapy)
- High-tech treatments, like cold laser therapy, ultrasound, and hot/cold therapies (but don’t worry, no ice baths here!)
- Posture work, balance exercises, injury prevention, and ergonomics.
What does Rebalance Physical Therapy offer?
At Rebalance Physical Therapy, we are completely committed to the ‘whole body’ approach and customized care. We magnify the benefits of physical therapy with highly specialized techniques such as:
- Craniosacral therapy
- Dry needling
- Graston Technique
- Hypropressives (ladies, these are a game changer postpartum!)
- Medical therapeutic yoga
- Myofascial release
- Trigger point release
- Visceral manipulation
The starting point is a thorough and individualized assessment of your needs, so your PT can create a bespoke treatment program.
What Is Chiropractic Care?
Chiropractic care focuses on neuromuscular disorders. Chiropractors deliver a range of techniques to manipulate and realign the spine.
Chiropractic treatment can alleviate neck and back pain, headaches, joint pain, car accident injuries, and sciatic pain conditions.
Chiropractic care is sometimes portrayed on social media as violent back-cracking. (You may have seen the TikTok theatrics!)
But in reality, skilled, professional chiropractors avoid forceful manipulations and focus on gentle, targeted programs to bring patients back into alignment.
What are chiropractic techniques?
Chiropractic care techniques include:
- Gait analysis and movement mechanics using digital technology and professional analysis.
- Spinal manipulation and adjustment
- Soft tissue therapy, including shockwave therapies
- Joint manipulation
- Lifestyle advice.
Choosing Between Physical Therapy Vs Chiropractic Care
The choice of physical therapy vs chiropractic care comes down to:
- Your symptoms: To improve strength, function, and movement, the benefits of physical therapy are proven. PT also tends to be the first port of call for musculoskeletal issues. For spinal realignment and nervous system issues, chiropractic care may be a good route.
- Your goals: If you’re looking to heal from a running injury, by strengthening the muscles around the knees and improving your gait, try physical therapy. If you have back pain from misaligned vertebrae, consider chiropractic care.
- Your preferences: You may naturally have a preference! People who like active, exercise-based programs tend to appreciate the benefits of physical therapy. Patients who need instant relief from pain may like to try gentle, hands-on chiropractic care.
Can Patients Combine Both?
Yes! It needn’t be a case of physical therapy vs chiropractic care, especially for complex cases like sports injuries or chronic pain. Some patients get superb results by combining both practices.
Discover the Benefits of Physical Therapy
To find out more about the benefits of physical therapy and see whether Rebalance Physical Therapy can help you, please get in touch with our friendly team.
We offer a full range of holistic physical therapy services to treat both chronic and acute conditions from our offices in Philadelphia.
You can also schedule a complimentary 15-minute consultation if you have any queries you’d like to ask before booking an in-person appointment. We look forward to welcoming you to Rebalance Physical Therapy!
