Physiotherapy or Chiropractic treatment for low back pain or other conditions – which is best for you?

Low back pain is the number one reason people attend either a Physiotherapy or Chiropractic clinic. To fully understand which is best you have to consider both types of treatment. There are pros and cons to visiting a chiropractor or physiotherapist, and the more information and research you have about this subject, the more equipped you are to make important decisions regarding your back problem.

Physiotherapists and Chiropractors, tend to focus on the spine and the alignment of vertebrae (to improve nerve flow) as the primary means to promoting health and healing in the body. The spine consists of the vertebrae, which are bone segments that protect the spinal cord, and the individual nerve branches stemming from it. These nerve branches exit between the bones, conveying important messages between the brain and the rest of the body. Because the vertebrae shift and move with everyday activity, they can misalign and interfere with the nerve messages travelling among them. This interference causes problems, and frequently low back pain, or even throughout the body. In conclusion a Chiropractors main goal is to improve nerve flow. The primary treatment technique is manipulation of the spine (gentle pushes on the spine), but massage, ice therapy, and trigger point therapy is also commonly used.

What is Physiotherapy and what does a Physiotherapist do?

Physiotherapy, (commonly called physical therapy), refers to a wide range of treatments as well as diagnostic tests that can help treat conditions, diseases, and injuries through targeted muscle development and physical guidance. Physiotherapy commonly uses modalities such as ultrasound therapy, LAZER, interferential, massage, and trigger point therapy. Some physiotherapists will also manipulate the spine, but unlike Chiropractic it is fair to say this is not their primary treatment technique. Essentially, the goal of the Physio is to promote health and healing through improving blood flow in the body.

In Stourbridge, neither Chiropractic or Physiotherapy should be considered superior, and the truth is both a chiropractor and a physiotherapist both use soft tissue techniques and manipulation in their treatments. The biggest difference is in their approach to treatment and their philosophy to care. As an example; if a patient suffered from low back pain or neck pain, a Chiropractor would use gentle manipulation and massage to help the body heal. A Physio would commonly use exercises, and soft tissue work, as well as possibly ultrasound. As a generalisation, a Chiropractor’s goal is to improve nerve flow and blood flow, and a Physiotherapists goal is to improve blood flow.

What conditions can be helped by Physiotherapy or Chiropractic?

Both Chiropractic and Physiotherapy are considered suitable treatments for Chronic low back pain, Acute Low Back Pain, Acute Neck Pain, Cervicogenic Headaches, Chronic Neck Pain, Migraine headache prevention, and sciatica.

Physiotherapy and Chiropractic is available locally in Stourbridge, or Wollaston , Pedmore, Oldswinford, Amblecote, Hagley, Kingswinford, Wordsley, Kinver, Dudley, Birmingham, Wombourne, Wolverhampton, and Kidderminster. Living with low back pain, or indeed any pain is never normal. A simple consultation is all that is needed to establish if you can be helped or not. At Wollaston Spinal Health we do not accept any patient into care that we don’t think we can help.

Common spelling mistakes for “Physiotherapist” include phseotheapist, fisiotherapist, Phiziotherapist, fisio, Pysiotherapist, Phisiotherapy, phisiotherapist.