When we see new patients, one of the concerns that is regularly expressed is that they are unsure whether they have come to see the right person. Some patients even tell us that they chose to come and see us because physios ‘work more with the muscles’ they believe that they have a joint problem.
When you are experiencing a new or different sort of pain, I think it’s completely normal to be concerned about whether you have gone to see the correct health care professional – no one wants to waste time or money going to the wrong place, especially when you are in pain!
Trying to figure out who you should go and see can be a really difficult decision, especially when there are many myths around this topic.
Myths such as…
Chiropractors crack your bones back into place
Physios work more with the muscles
Osteopaths do more massage
Physiotherapists just do exercises
Chiropractic is only for back problems
“A good massage might sort you out”
Chiropractors, osteopaths and physiotherapists are the recognised forms of manual therapy and are all protected titles. This means that you must hold the relevant qualifications and be registered with their national governing body in order to call yourself by one of the above names.
Massage therapists, sports massage therapists, personal trainers and osteomyologists also offer treatment for musculoskeletal problems. However, these are not protected titles, meaning that anyone can call themselves by these names without any prior qualifications.
What is the difference between a chiropractor, an osteopath and a physiotherapist?
The difference between the professions is less pronounced now than it was at their inception in the 18th century.
The best way to describe the differences would be that they have slightly different approaches to tackle the same kind of problems.
In modern terms, there’s actually very little difference between the professions and they now practice in largely similar ways. The most obvious difference would be in the way they administer treatment. Chiropractors and osteopaths tend to lean more into using joint manipulations whereas this is less commonplace with physiotherapists.
BUT, if a patient of mine does not like joint manipulation or it’s an inappropriate treatment for them, then I wont do it and i’ll do something that they’re more comfortable with.
It’s fair to say that chiropractors, osteopaths and physiotherapists now have more similarities than they do differences.
Regardless of who you see, your therapist should be concerned with:
- diagnosing the problem and why it has happened
- ruling out anything nasty or the need for further investigation
- educating you on the topic
- administering treatment to help manage the symptoms
- showing the patient techniques to help them manage their problem long term (this is called self-efficacy)
If they’re all similar, how do you know who is best for your problem?
In short, all three of the professions have the capacity to help you. However, what is important is for the patient to choose the practitioner who feels right for them.
My advice would always be to pick the person and not the profession.
There is huge variance between professions and between each individual practitioner. So it doesn’t make sense to ‘only see physios’ or ‘only see chiropractors’ because each practitioner will work in a slightly different way.
In fact, you might find a chiropractor who you really like who actually works very similarly to the typical physiotherapist.
Despite this, what is of the highest importance, is that you have a good working relationship with the practitioner who is treating you and that you trust what they are saying.
We call this relationship the therapeutic alliance.
Having an effective therapeutic alliance with your practitioner is a consistent predictor of a higher chance of recovery (Ferreira et al 2013), (Holmes et al 2023).
So simply choosing one profession and sticking with them doesn’t always make sense.
A better approach would be to find a practitioner who you feel you can trust and who you are happy to work with, regardless of what profession they are from.
Conclusion
In conclusion, as long as the person you are working with has adequate qualifications to help you, then selecting who to see based on who you feel you have the best relationship with is the best way to choose your practitioner.
All manual therapy professions are equal (chiropractor, osteopath and physio).
If you’re not happy with the person you’ve most recently seen, e.g chiropractor, that doesn’t mean that all chiropractors are now off limits.
Selecting your practitioner based on who you feel most comfortable with and who you trust is the best way to go – and this is also proven in scientific research!
To find out more about our team of experienced chiropractors and support team at our Diss clinic, discuss starting treatment or to book an appointment, call 01379 650020 or email us today.
