Who should I see about back pain?
If you’re dealing with back pain or a backache and wondering who the right person or professional is to see, a chiropractor, physiotherapist, or osteopath? You’re not alone. It’s become a minefield!
With the endless amount of conflicting advice and opinion on the internet. What even are the differences between them? Why are some practitioners so different even though they are both Chiropractors?
As a chiropractor, I get asked this all the time. And the honest truth is: the best person to help your back pain is you, supported by a practitioner you trust, regardless of their job title. Here's how to choose that person.
What’s the Difference Between Chiropractors, Physiotherapists and Osteopaths?
With modern research, the gaps between professions have significantly narrowed, even more so between practitioners who are evidence-based. There is only so much research being published, and we all follow it.
The main differences lie in two areas:
1. The name and origins of each profession
2. The practitioners who are traditional to the roots of each profession and practitioners who practise more alternative techniques (think of craniopathy/craniosacral therapy)
Red Flags to Watch Out For & Green Flags That Suggest You’re in Good Hands
Ok, so you’re looking a website or social page and still can’t figure if they could be a good option to help your back pain. These are the some of the red and green flags that I, as a Chiropractor, would look out for when choosing a practitioner of any kind:
Red Flags:
🚩Package deals or no clear pricing advertised.
• This is unfortunately becoming more popular as a way of getting patients to buy into long packages of care, sometimes 10 treatments at a time, most of which you may not even use.
• Having pricy treatment plans can often lead to more appointments which you may feel obliged to use as you have already paid for them, however this can often lead to delayed referrals for further investigations or a second opinion.
🚩If it sounds too good to be true it probably is.
• Lookout for references to helping health conditions such as asthma or organ-related problems through manual therapy, there is no good evidence to prove these claims.
• Try to find if they reference their claims, if they do and the study is from a book published in 2003... I would be looking elsewhere for treatment.
🚩They say that you will need to see them every month to stay feeling good
• Messaging like this is unhelpful and potentially harmful, practitioners should be empowering you to be in control of your own health and not making you reliant on them to fix you.
Green flags:
🟩 They prescribe you exercises, movement or stretching to do outside of your appointments, that progressively get harder
• Mechanical problems such as sprains or strains require mechanical solutions like load management, progressive overload and range of motion exercises at a minimum and we have known this for a while now.
🟩 They readily collaborate with other healthcare professionals
• A multidisciplinary approach can often produce better outcomes for patients, it's also important for practitioners to acknowledge the limit of their scope of practise.
🟩 They use an evidence-based approach that aligns with your unique needs and goals
• Putting your health and physical needs at the heart of the treatment plan whilst using research-backed techniques to get you back to what you love doing.
🟩 They are part of a professional association
• In the UK, it is a legal requirement to be part of a professional association in order to be able to practise as a practitioner (e.g. Chiropractors must be part of the GCC).
• Being part of these associations requires a minimum amount of continual professional development.
Final Thoughts
I would not have a preference of one profession over another, I truly believe the best person to help your back pain is yourself, closely followed by a practitioner that you trust, have a good connection with and puts you in control of your recovery (irrespective of their job title).
So don’t get caught up on titles. Trust your instincts, look out for red and green flags, and work with someone who supports your long-term health.