Chiropractic vs Physical Therapy | Skare Spine Rochester, MN

Difference Between Physical Therapy and Chiropractic Care

If you’ve ever dealt with pain, stiffness, or an injury, you’ve probably asked yourself this question or been asked it by a friend or family member:

“Should I see a physical therapist or a chiropractor?”

It’s a fair question. Physical therapy and chiropractic care are often talked about as if they’re competing services, when in reality they share many similarities and often overlap in their goals. Both professions exist to help people move better, feel better, and get back to doing the things they enjoy.

That said, they are not the same, and understanding the differences can help you make a more informed decision about your care.

In this article, we’ll break down:

What physical therapy is and when it’s a good choice
What chiropractic care is and when it’s a good choice
Where they overlap
Where they differ
And how Skare Spine & Performance blends the best of both worlds into one cohesive approach

What Is Physical Therapy—and When Is It a Good Choice?

Physical therapy (PT) focuses on restoring movement, strength, and function after injury, surgery, or periods of pain or dysfunction. Physical therapists are movement specialists who assess how joints, muscles, and movement patterns work together and how they may be contributing to pain or limitation.

Common Goals of Physical Therapy

Physical therapy is often centered around:

Improving strength and muscle endurance
Restoring joint range of motion
Improving balance and coordination
Re-training movement patterns
Reducing pain through movement and load management

PT care frequently involves:

Therapeutic exercises
Stretching and mobility work
Balance and stability training
Gait (walking) retraining
Education on posture, body mechanics, and activity modification

When Physical Therapy Is a Great Choice

Physical therapy is often an excellent option when:

You’re recovering from surgery (joint replacement, ligament repair, etc.)
You’ve had a significant injury like a fracture or severe sprain
You need structured rehab to rebuild strength and confidence
You’re dealing with neurological conditions affecting movement
You need progressive, long-term reconditioning

Physical therapy shines when the primary goal is rebuilding capacity over time and addressing muscular weakness or movement limitations that developed after injury or surgery.

What Is Chiropractic Care and When Is It a Good Choice?

Chiropractic care focuses heavily on the relationship between the spine, joints, nervous system, and overall movement. Chiropractors are trained to assess joint motion, spinal mechanics, and how restrictions or dysfunction in those areas affect pain and performance.

While chiropractic care is often associated with spinal adjustments, modern chiropractic, especially in sports and rehab-based practices, extends far beyond that.

Common Goals of Chiropractic Care

Chiropractic care often emphasizes:

Restoring normal joint motion
Reducing mechanical stress on the nervous system
Improving spinal and joint function and motion
Reducing pain and stiffness
Improving movement efficiency

Chiropractic care may include:

Spinal and extremity adjustments
Joint mobilization
Soft tissue therapy
Movement assessment and correction
Exercise and rehab programming

When Chiropractic Care Is a Great Choice

Chiropractic care is often an excellent option when:

Pain seems to be coming from the spine or joints
You feel stiff, restricted, or “locked up”
You have neck pain, back pain, headaches, or joint pain
Movement feels off, even if imaging is normal
You want to address the source of pain, not just symptoms
You want to avoid having to enter the medical system in the traditional way.

Chiropractic care often excels at restoring motion and reducing mechanical irritation, which can create faster relief and better movement early in the care process.

Similarities Between Physical Therapy and Chiropractic Care

Despite how they’re sometimes portrayed, physical therapy and chiropractic care share a lot of common ground.

Both professions:

Focus on improving function and quality of life
Address musculoskeletal pain and injuries
Use evidence-based approaches
Emphasize patient education
Aim to reduce reliance on medications and surgery

In fact, many of the exercises, assessments, and treatment principles used in modern chiropractic care closely resemble those used in physical therapy.

The real difference isn’t about which one “cares more” or which one is “better.” It’s about where the emphasis starts and how care is structured.

Key Differences Between Physical Therapy and Chiropractic Care

While there is overlap, there are important distinctions that can influence which approach is best for you.

1. Starting Point: Motion vs. Strength

Chiropractic care often starts by restoring joint and spinal motion that may be restricted or dysfunctional.
Physical therapy often starts by strengthening muscles and improving movement capacity over time.

Both matter, but the order can be critical. Trying to strengthen on top of restricted joints can slow progress or lead to frustration.

2. Joint-Specific Treatment
Chiropractors are extensively trained in:

Spinal joint mechanics
Extremity joint adjustments (shoulders, hips, knees, ankles, wrists)
Motion palpation and joint assessment

Physical therapists may address joints but often rely more heavily on exercise and manual therapy than on specific joint adjustments.

3. Care Structure
Traditional physical therapy often:

Follows standardized post-operative or diagnosis-based protocols
Requires referrals depending on insurance
Is limited by visit caps

Chiropractic care is often:

More flexible in care frequency
Focused on clinical need rather than insurance rules
Built around longer one-on-one visits in private practices

4. Insurance and Time Constraints
In many settings:

Physical therapy sessions can be shorter and shared between multiple patients
Treatment options may be dictated by what insurance reimburses

This isn’t a criticism of physical therapists—it’s a reality of the healthcare system.

The Skare Spine & Performance Approach: The Best of Both Worlds

At Skare Spine & Performance, we don’t believe in choosing sides.

We believe the real question isn’t:
“Physical therapy or chiropractic?”

It’s:
“What does your body actually need right now?”

An Integrated, Function-First Model

Our approach blends:

The joint and nervous system expertise of chiropractic care
The strength, rehab, and movement principles of physical therapy
Modern sports medicine and performance-based training

We start by asking:

Where is motion restricted?
Where is stability lacking?
What movement patterns are breaking down?
Why is your body compensating the way it is?

Not Just Pain Relief—Real Change

Pain relief matters, but it’s not the finish line.

Our goal is to help you:

Move better
Build strength and resilience
Understand your body
Reduce the chance of the problem coming back

That often means:

Hands-on treatment to restore motion
Targeted rehab and strength training
Education so you know why you’re doing what you’re doing

One Clinician, One Plan

Instead of bouncing between providers, you work with a clinician who:

Assesses
Treats
Rehabs
Progresses your care

Everything is integrated into one clear plan, tailored to you.

So…Which One Is Right for You?

The honest answer?

It depends—and it shouldn’t have to be either/or.

If you are looking for better movement, chiropractic care may be your answer
If you want to build strength and capacity over time, then physical therapy may be your answer.

At Skare Spine & Performance, you don’t have to choose.

We meet you where you’re at, identify what’s holding you back, and build a plan that helps you move forward whether you’re dealing with pain, recovering from injury, or trying to stay active long-term.