What is better for lower back pain chiropractic therapy or physical therapy?

Which would be the best therapy for your back pain? Massage or Chiropractic?

  • Which would be the best therapy for your back pain? Massage or Chiropractic or Physiotherapy or Accupuncture? http://www.massage-glasgow.org

  • Answer:

    All three of these disciplines have the potential to be very effective for somebody experiencing back pain. Determining which one specifically is best suited is dependent on a few factors. Firstly, the generic term 'back pain' encompasses many spine related conditions and etiologies. Secondly, the skill of the practitioner and the methods they apply. Some practitioners are specifically skilled in on area or discipline which may be very effective for some conditions and not as effective as others. I think most experienced practitioners usually excel in a few areas of expertise and don't try to wear a lot of different hats. Is it bone pain, nerve pain, referred pain, repetitive stress injury, the list could go on. I have yet to see any spine related disorder that did not involve nerve, muscle and joint at a minimum. I can assure you if you find a particular practitioner who is excellent at what they do, you will get some form of relief. I know in the Chiropractic profession there are over 200 techniques alone. Also, most experienced practitioners recognize that there is a lot of benefit from the "team" approach to many problems. Hence why we see most professional sports teams ALL now have a physio, chiro and masseuse on board. Ask friends or colleagues if they have a referral source, or call the registration boards, they are a good place to start. Once you find a good practitioner, I am sure they have others they work with that are just as good. I have yet to meet any other professionals who don't want the best results for their clients. I have worked with excellent practitioners in all three of the other professions.

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Other answers

As most are saying here, a combination is probably warranted. Massage can do a lot more than most Chiropractors may admit. If your pain is largely do to impacted nerves, I would go to a massage therapist. It is common for people 40 and over who may have sat too many hours in an office chair to have impacted nerves. If the source of the pain is related to your spine, a Chiropractor may be what you need. The good news is, most Chiropractors almost always have a massage therapist on hand, so I would make an appointment with a trusted Chiropractor first and see what helps.

Fitness Republic

as several posters have said, any should help you. if it is muscle the massage therapist would be the place to start. if it is not muscle a good massage therapist will suggest a chiropractor for you or maybe an osteopath. the ID ten T who told you chiropractic is a scam has no idea what he is talking about.

fretochose

Acupuncture is very effective if the practitioner is competent. Esp when coupled with electricity: once the needles are in the doc adds low voltage electricity, the result is wonderful !!! It does not hurt at all. I also suggest OTC patches with capsicum (Not the ones with menthol which are useless)

bluePumpkin

I think it would depend on the source of your back pain. However, sometimes the different therapies can work together. For example the massage could loosen the muscles for when you get adjusted by the chiropractor. Good luck! All those options are good. Do what is best for you. Maybe try each.

Falcon22

Massage will work on your muscles if its bone problems you have then you need a chiropractor, physio is to do with massage and exercise and acupuncture will only work on "blockages" in your meridian line.

liz

As long as you don't have a serious back injury, massage will do fine. Chiro is a scam (and can be dangerous) and acupuncture is basically pointless (ha, I made a funny!). Physiotherapy is a bit over the top unless your doctor prescribes it.

dave

Pain relief and exercise, with physiotherapy as back up if needed.

Dr Frank

As a major sufferer for over 20 years (now cured) I recommend you get fit. Mobility is the cure to back pain, however if you are acute, medication plus physio can help, Go to http://www.backpainbookcase.com I have written articles on this. Best regards Pauline

paulinec10

Depending on the seriousness of the pain, you could try some Feldenkrais exercises, but maybe first check if you don't have a hernia. Whatever exercise you do and whatever your state, do the exercises slow and with much awareness, then they will be very effective and will give you the joy of starting to understand something about the body and awareness. You can add some Jin Shin Jyutsu protocols and meditation can be beneficial too. The good thing about these techniques is that they can eventually point you to the actual cause of the pain. It's then up to you if you want to stay attached to the cause. Good luck.

omoikane

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