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Physio or Chiro?
A lot of people find it difficult to know if they should see a chiropractor or a physiotherapist for their ailments. One is not better than the other, they just do different things.
Physiotherapists are the people you want to see for rehabilitation after surgery or an accident. They work more on the soft tissue—muscles, ligaments, bursa, and tendons. If you’ve strained a muscle (like a torn hamstring), sprained ligaments (like a badly sprained ankle), or have tendonitis or bursitis … physiotherapists can help you rehab the soft tissue so it heals properly (without adhesions etc).
Chiropractic specialises in the spine, particularly the joints of the spine. Chiropractors free up restricted joints that cause muscle spasm, inflammation, or nerve irritation. Think back pain or neck pain, headaches, or sore stiffness in the spine. But when chiropractors improve the function of the spine it can also reduce irritation to the nerves that pass through the spine, so chiropractic can also have some really nice general health and well-being benefits (as well as improvements in sciatica and arm/hand pain, pins and needles or numbness).
So, what if you have muscle pain in the spine? Here it gets a little harder to choose. If there was a traumatic onset, like a whiplash, then go and see a physio. If it’s more chronic, like too many hours in front of the computer, then it’s likely that the muscles are tight because you have restricted joints in the spine, so a chiropractor is a good choice. (In general… traumatic onset of cause—physiotherapist. Chronic, long term onset or cause—chiropractor.)
I personally also have a keen interest in shoulders, feet, elbows and wrists. ie the joints of the extremities as opposed to the muscles of the extremities. I used to have a lot of shoulder problems so have studied them extensively. If in doubt, feel free to give me a call to discuss your case.
