What’s the Difference Between Chiropractic Care and Physical Therapy?

• What’s the Difference Between Chiropractic Care and Physical Therapy?

Ever wondered about the similarities and differences between chiropractic work and PT? Today, we are clearing the air by answering your top questions. Let’s dive into the topic at hand!

How are they similar?

Chiropractic care and physical therapy are both non-invasive treatments that help with pain management and treating a variety of symptoms. Both rely on moving the body to treat pain rather than medication or a medical procedure. Chiropractors and physical therapists must of course go through years of training in school to receive the correct certifications and experience for their careers.

How are they different?

These two unique modes of treatment function in separate ways and have different end goals. Chiropractors focus primarily on the musculoskeletal and nervous systems, while physical therapists focus on joint function alone. 

While both practices can treat many symptoms, physical therapists mostly help already diagnosed patients recover from injury or illness by helping them increase the mobility and strength of the body. Chiropractors, on the other hand, use spinal adjustments to alleviate pressure on the nerves housed in your spine, optimize functions throughout the body, and treat a variety of issues ranging from high blood pressure to infertility and more. A chiropractor’s patients range in that some individuals use chiropractic care for preventative measures (athletes, for instance) while some use it to experience a holistic approach to healing. 

All in all, these two practices help patients improve their overall health and function of the body using different methods, and to different ends. If you don’t know whether PT or the chiropractor is more fitting for your needs, schedule a discovery call with us! We’d be happy to have a conversation about how we can help.

What makes a chiropractic clinic holistic?

This is a great question. Live Well is a holistic chiropractic clinic because we focus on the patient’s whole body and life experiences rather than just adjusting their spine. We accomplish this by evaluating each patient from their first appointment, learning about their lifestyle, diet, water intake, and much more. Once we’ve evaluated our patients, we provide them with an individualized treatment plan in addition to regular spinal adjustments. By considering their lifestyle, we are better able to identify the root cause of any issues–and then help our patients live their best lives.

Something else that we should add here: Live Well is not a solely pain-based clinic. What we mean by this is that while of course we do help alleviate our patients’ pain over time, that is not our singular focus. If you’re looking to walk in on your first appointment, point to where it hurts, and receive an adjustment without getting an x-ray and other exams first, that is not us. We take our time when it comes to evaluating each patient and starting their treatment. Because you deserve to feel your very best–not just receive a fast band-aid solution!

To learn more about what we do, check out the Services page on our website.