I'm having back pain and am not sure whether I should see a RMT or a chiropractor. How can I tell?
Melissa K. emailed us at expert@sweetspot.ca, and chiropractor Sarah Mickeler answered:
We all suffer from aches and pains at some point in our lives, and sometimes it can be really tough to know what kind of treatment is right for us.
It is commonly assumed that chiropractors only deal with backs. This is not true! They are muscle/bone/joint/tendon/ligament doctors. They can effectively treat your sprained ankle, your tennis elbow, your aching hip or your arthritic knee – as well as your low back pain, neck pain and headaches.
If you think your pain is purely muscular, if it’s something you have experienced before and you have had good results with a RMT, then seeing a RMT is likely the right treatment for you. However, it’s important to realize that chiropractors diagnose and RMTs do not. RMTs can make suggestions of what the problem might be and may be relatively accurate thanks to their considerable training, but they are not trained or licensed to accurately diagnose your injury.
If you have a new complaint, if you’re not quite sure where the pain is coming from, or if it feels like it’s perhaps a little more structural (bony) than muscular, consult a chiropractor. They can give you a diagnosis and suggest a management plan, which may include referring you to a RMT.
Lastly, I often tell my patients that bones don’t move themselves. Bones are attached to muscles, tendons and ligaments, which will assist in moving it out of alignment. Some chiropractors will use soft tissue therapy as well as other specialized techniques in an effort to reduce the muscle tension before dealing with the bones involved. If you feel like you need a little more attention with the muscular component of your complaint, seek out a qualified RMT who can assist you, or ask your chiropractor if they have a treatment available for your muscles as well as your joints.
Dr. Sarah Mickeler is one of Toronto's leading authorities on health and fitness and the treatment of common musculoskeletal complaints. She treats neck pain without the use of manual neck adjustments and uses manual therapy, soft tissue therapy, physiotherapeutic modalities such as IFC and Ultrasound and in-office and home stretching techniques to return her patients to optimal health.
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