Is physical therapy like massage therapy or chiropractic care?
In reference to massage therapy, a PT can and will often administer massage-like techniques called soft tissue mobilization, but massage therapists cannot administer PT. The PT you receive therefore may include soft tissue mobilization but will include much more education, exercise and the use of other modalities. Chiropractic care differs quite a bit in the sense that a Chiropractor relies heavily on performing joint manipulations. Chiropractors typically will see a patient for much longer than a physical therapist for continued joint manipulations or “adjustments” whereas a physical therapist will rehab the injury or painful area and then instruct the patient in a Home Exercise Program for continued care. A physical therapist with specialized training can effectively perform many of the physical adjustments that a Chiropractor utilizes.
We all address the many different tissues in the body that may be contributing to your pain or dysfunction, but we may apply different techniques to accomplish our goals. For example, a physical therapist may opt not to manipulate the spine, but instead might use small muscle contractions by the patient to achieve the same results. We also involve active exercises as part of virtually every program, encouraging your body to help take care of the problem as it was designed to do.
Various types of massage are sometimes a portion of our treatment if your condition would benefit from it. We never use massage as the only type of treatment for a condition and many times it is not what we believe the patient would benefit from the most. At Everybody Physical Therapy we also use several forms of manual therapy during our treatments. We do not perform high velocity thrusting (manipulations) like many chiropractors do. Our goal is to get the patient pain free and independent as soon as possible so that they don’t need continued therapy. We feel that this is best accomplished with the inclusion of exercise to improve strength and flexibility so that the body can heal itself.
At Sandy Physical Therapy, we may use massage as part of our treatment to decrease pain, but generally will not rely on massage alone to help our patient’s condition improve. We may also use other modalities such as electric stimulation, ultra sound, or heat/ice. After symptoms begin to decrease, we instruct our patients in exercises for range of motion, strength, endurance and posture to help them return to full function. Some physical therapists have received additional training that allows them to perform many of the physical adjustments chiropractors use. However, traditional physical therapy and chiropractic care differs quite a bit. Chiropractors rely on joint manipulations to decrease pain. Often, chiropractic care continues for several months and may extend for years. A physical therapist relies on massage, modalities, manipulations, and individualized exercises in their treatment plan. Once this is achieved, treatment focuses on teaching a patient methods they will be able to
