Physical Therapists vs Chiropractors

You have suffered a personal injury and are now faced with navigating what can be a very confusing network of medical providers. If you have sustained a “soft-tissue injury,” primary care physicians and specialists alike will often refer you for either physical therapy or perhaps chiropractic treatment. While both have their merits, there are a few things to keep in mind.

Both physical therapists and chiropractors are highly educated and receive extensive hands-on training (pun intended.) Physical therapists tend to focus on proper body mechanics and strengthening the muscles that support our joints and spine. Chiropractors perform spinal adjustments to maintain good alignment which they believe improves the functioning of other systems in the body.

Some people swear by chiropractors and believe they could not obtain the same pain relief from any other source. With that said, chiropractic treatment is considered a form of alternative medicine which is based on pseudoscientific ideas. A wide diversity of ideas exists among chiropractors, and it is difficult to standardize their treatment.

Physical therapy, on the other hand, is more closely-aligned with Western medical care and theory and relies on established scientific principles, research, and testing. 

For this reason, insurance companies seem to view physical therapists as more credible than chiropractors and consequently, place more value on physical therapy treatment. 

What an injured person should do, however, is seek the treatment they feel most comfortable with and the one that works best for them. Any doctor worth his salt will say that not everything about the human body can be explained and that no two people will respond to medical treatment in exactly the same way. 

If you would like more information about how insurance companies view an injured person’s medical treatment, please call Spencer Law Group and schedule a free consultation.