Chiro or PT? Why choose one over the other?

I truly believe that it can be half a dozen of one/6 of the other. With a Chiro make sure that he/she went to a traditional school and not one of the really weird ones. I once had a guy tell me he could cure my asthma. Look for some one who went to one of the Palmer Colleges, either in Davenport, IA or Hiwaii(sp). they tend to be rahter conservative with what they think they can do. make sure that if a medical doctor tells you you have to have stero9ids that there is no ohter choice.

I had to make this decision recently myself with a knee matter. I did visit an orthopedist to rule out something broken, ripped or busted. After my 10 minutes of quality time with him, where I was told nothing was broken and to not run for 6 weeks and take advil, I decided to give my pal a chiro a try. I was highly skeptical but I was completely satisfied. The care and customer service of their staff was awesome. I went for about 5 weeks, 1-2 times weekly. The hardest thing was getting over my negative feelings about the profession but now I'm a believer. I don't think one is better than the other, just that I had a very positive experience. I'm training pain free and much harder now. "Pelvic pop" sounds kind of bad. Might want to go see an MD for something popping around in your pelvis.

I was highly skeptical but I was completely satisfied. The care and customer service of their staff was awesome. I went for about 5 weeks, 1-2 times weekly. The hardest thing was getting over my negative feelings about the profession but now I'm a believer. I don't think one is better than the other, just that I had a very positive experience. I'm training pain free and much harder now. That's my thing...I have seen several chiros and haven't found one that does anything for me. Most are into other stuff too and that turned me off a bit. Lots of people seem to have been helped by chiro care though. I guess it's finding the "right" one.

I have used both. My first time at the chiro was last summer when I had pains in both shoulders. I was skepticle but am now a believer. He worked wonders on me and have been pain free since. I think it also helps that I know the chiro and also train with his daughter on the uss team. So he knows what I put my body thru. I have to say that PT's are good also but they work on developing the weaker muscles etc. I was told that my chest/shoulders are very developed but yet my back muscles were weaker. I thought to myself but I am a butterflier, how can that be. So, I have been doing numerous exerciser to fix that problem. Of course, I need to listen to my PT because she is my wife! I sometimes get tired of the "I told ya so" commets :-) Greg What exercises are you doing for your back, Greg? I have the same issue, especially with the rhomboids. I haven't done PT in 2 years and wouldn't go back unless I had had surgery. I didn't find that PT cured my shoulder tendonitis or helped with respect to muscle tightness or imbalance. Both of those problems were helped substantially by my chiro doc who is certified in ART therapy. My chiro was also the one who diagnosed by labrum issues and sent me for an arthrogram. Ortho and PT -- nope; got it wrong. So, in my view, ART > PT, especially for tendonitis and muscle/soft tissue work. But the RC exercises usually prescribed by PTs help hold your RC together as well and I do them fairly regularly.

I have done both for different reasons. I started going to a chiro about 6 weeks ago for headaches. While there I told him about my shoulder hurting again (previous tendonitis which I did PT for) after 900 yds of fly at practice! He did some PT type things on it and it's getting better already. I was also looking at re-do of surgery I had on emy wrist. He did some things and now the wrist is 99% better. My chiro is a sports medicine guy as well as being chiro trained (used to be DC United's Chiro). In his office he has PT equipment. Maybe you can find one that is both sports med and chiro that will help more. PS Headaches which were once daily are now down to once every 5 days or so :applaud:

Both! Depending on the problem, is who can help you. I learned a lot from PT, and I use a chiropractor. If you read up on this, it helps understand why chiropractic works and has a lot of basis. But find a good one, look for recommendations from patients.

I have used both. My first time at the chiro was last summer when I had pains in both shoulders. I was skepticle but am now a believer. He worked wonders on me and have been pain free since. I think it also helps that I know the chiro and also train with his daughter on the uss team. So he knows what I put my body thru. I have to say that PT's are good also but they work on developing the weaker muscles etc. I was told that my chest/shoulders are very developed but yet my back muscles were weaker. I thought to myself but I am a butterflier, how can that be. So, I have been doing numerous exerciser to fix that problem. Of course, I need to listen to my PT because she is my wife! I sometimes get tired of the "I told ya so" commets :-) Greg Wow! You have the best of both worlds.

I prefer Chiro over PT. I don't have the patience for PT and I like the results from the Chiro. My Chiro specializes in Sports - we chat often about modifying strokes and/or changing technique for other sports to prevent injury. So many times damage occurs because the joint is not moving or being used correctly. Then, when resistance/force/strength are added/applied coupled with repetitive "bad" motions - it's no wonder things break down. In my humble opinion, it is about modification, moderation, & listening to your body.

I have done both for different reasons. I started going to a chiro about 6 weeks ago for headaches. While there I told him about my shoulder hurting again (previous tendonitis which I did PT for) after 900 yds of fly at practice! He did some PT type things on it and it's getting better already. I was also looking at re-do of surgery I had on emy wrist. He did some things and now the wrist is 99% better. Alison, really 900 yards fly and you're surprised your shoulder hurt??? Last night I did 60 yards of fly and my whole body hurt. :whiteflag:

If you can find a chiropractor who is certified in ART (Active Release Technique), that's probably your best bet. From www.activerelease.com: "ART is a patented, state of the art soft tissue system/movement based massage technique that treats problems with muscles, tendons, ligaments, fascia and nerves. Headaches, back pain, carpal tunnel syndrome, shin splints, shoulder pain, sciatica, plantar fasciitis, knee problems, and tennis elbow are just a few of the many conditions that can be resolved quickly and permanently with ART. These conditions all have one important thing in common: they are often a result of overused muscles." You can search for a provider on the above web site. I found 10 of them in the Raleigh area. Anna Lea