I threw my back out three years ago moving furniture. Spent six weeks doing physical therapy exercises – got a little better but still had this nagging ache. Finally went to a chiropractor. Two adjustments later, I felt better than I had in months.
Here’s what I learned: I needed both. The physical therapy strengthened my core, but my spine was still misaligned. The chiropractic care fixed the alignment, but without the PT exercises, I would’ve just injured it again.
Now I practice in Sea Girt NJ, and I see this all the time – patients who need both approaches but are only getting one.
What Each One Actually Does
Chiropractic care fixes alignment problems. Your spine gets out of whack, puts pressure on nerves, causes pain. Adjustments get everything back where it should be. Usually feels better pretty quickly.
Physical Therapy & Chiropractic Care For Pain Management
Physical therapy is about building strength and teaching your body to move correctly. Exercises, stretches, retraining how you lift or sit or move. Takes longer but prevents problems from coming back.
Most people think they have to pick one. That’s like asking whether a car needs an engine or wheels. You need both.
Why Together Works Better
Let’s say you hurt your lower back at work. Your spine’s misaligned and the muscles are all tensed up. Chiropractor adjusts it, pain goes down. Great.
But if your core is weak and you’re still lifting wrong, you’ll just hurt it again next month. That’s where physical therapy comes in – strengthens those muscles, teaches you proper form.
I’ve treated athletes who got adjusted but didn’t do their PT exercises. They felt better temporarily but kept re-injuring themselves. And I’ve seen people do months of physical therapy without addressing the underlying alignment issue – they got stronger but still hurt.
How It Actually Works
Usually starts with chiropractic care because you’re in pain and need relief now. Few adjustments over the first week or two, pain starts coming down, you can move better.
Once you’re not in acute pain, we add physical therapy exercises. Start simple – basic stretches, easy strengthening stuff. Nothing that’s gonna set you back.
Over the next few weeks, chiropractic visits spread out – maybe once a week instead of three times. Physical therapy ramps up – harder exercises, more functional movements.
Eventually you’re doing mostly PT with occasional chiropractic tune-ups. Then you graduate to just maintaining it yourself with the exercises and stretches you’ve learned.
Real Example
Had a patient named Mike who came in with shoulder pain he’d had for almost a year. Already did two months of physical therapy with minimal improvement.
I examined him and his mid-back was completely locked up. That was restricting his shoulder movement no matter how much he strengthened it. Started with adjustments to free up his spine.
Two weeks later his range of motion was way better. Then we added rotator cuff exercises and scapular stability work. Six weeks in, he was pain-free and back to playing softball.
He needed both. PT alone wasn’t enough because the structural problem was still there. Chiropractic alone wouldn’t have been enough because his shoulder muscles were weak.
The Coordination Thing
Best case scenario is when both providers are in the same office and actually talk to each other. They can coordinate your treatment, adjust things based on how you’re responding, make sure nothing conflicts.
If you’re seeing separate people, make sure they know about each other. I’ve had patients where the PT was doing one thing and the chiropractor was doing something that worked against it. Not on purpose, they just didn’t communicate.
Ask both providers if they’re willing to coordinate your care. Good ones will say yes immediately.
What Insurance Covers
Most insurance covers both chiropractic care and physical therapy, but there are usually visit limits. Maybe 20 PT visits per year, or 12 chiropractic visits.
If you’ve got limited coverage, talk to your providers about how to use it strategically. Maybe intensive treatment for a few weeks, then space out maintenance visits. Some people pay out of pocket for occasional tune-ups between insurance-covered phases.
It varies a lot by plan. Check yours before you start so you know what you’re working with.
Your Part in This
Combined treatment means more appointments and more work on your end. You’ve got exercises to do at home, stretches to maintain, probably some lifestyle modifications.
This isn’t passive treatment where you show up and get fixed. You’re actively participating in your recovery.
The patients who do their home exercises and follow the plan get way better results than those who just show up for appointments and don’t do anything between visits.
When You Really Need Both
If you’ve been doing one approach for weeks without much improvement, that’s a sign you might need the other piece added.
Had chronic or recurring injuries? Probably need both. Something keeps causing the problem to come back.
If your pain is complicated – like it radiates down your leg, or you’ve got weakness along with pain, or multiple areas hurt – integrated care usually works better.
Simple acute stuff sometimes resolves with just chiropractic. Tweaked your back, get adjusted, it’s fine. But anything that’s been going on for more than a few weeks likely needs both approaches.
Finding the Right People
Look for providers who don’t trash-talk the other discipline. If a chiropractor tells you physical therapy is worthless, or a PT says chiropractic is fake – run. That’s ego, not evidence.
Good providers recognize the value of both and will coordinate care or refer you to someone who provides what they don’t.
Some practices in Sea Girt NJ offer both under one roof. That can be convenient and ensures better coordination. But even separate providers work fine if they communicate.
What Actually Happens
Your chiropractor will examine your spine and joints, do adjustments, maybe use some soft tissue techniques. Usually pretty quick appointments – 15 to 30 minutes.
Physical therapy sessions are longer – 45 minutes to an hour. Assessment, exercises, maybe some manual therapy, teaching you proper movement. More hands-on training.
Between appointments you’re doing your PT exercises at home. Maybe icing or heating as directed. Following activity modifications so you don’t aggravate things while healing.
It’s more involved than just getting adjusted or just doing therapy. But that’s why it works better.
My Take After Years of This
I’ve seen hundreds of patients over the years. The ones who commit to integrated care consistently get better results than those who only do one thing.
It’s not always necessary. Some problems resolve with just adjustments. Some respond fine to PT alone. But complex or stubborn issues? Almost always need both.
Your body is interconnected. Structure affects function, function affects structure. Treating just one piece leaves the other unaddressed.
If you’re dealing with persistent pain that hasn’t responded to one approach, consider adding the other. You might be surprised how much faster you improve when you address all aspects of the problem.
Pain management works best when it’s comprehensive. Stop thinking “chiropractic OR physical therapy” and start thinking “chiropractic AND physical therapy.” That’s where real recovery happens.