How Physiotherapy Complements Chiropractic Care in Calgary

(Integrative Care at Chinook Chiropractic & Physiotherapy)

Healing and pain relief take on a whole new dimension when physiotherapy is combined with chiropractic care. In a city like Calgary, where winter weather, active lifestyles, and daily stresses inevitably accumulate on our bodies, an integrative care plan is typically the key to faster healing. Chinook Chiropractic, Physiotherapy, Massage, a local Calgary clinic, is an excellent example of this hybrid model with qualified chiropractors and experienced physiotherapists, massage therapy (and Naturopath) are all under one roof.

In this post, we'll examine what physiotherapy is, when you might need it, and how it works. We'll also answer some of the most common questions – "Physiotherapy is for what?", "Can physiotherapy cure vertigo, sciatica, back pain, or arthritis?", "Is there physiotherapy near me that works with chiropractors?" – and highlight how physio and chiropractic together can accelerate recovery, improve movement, and reduce pain.

Let's take a look at how physiotherapy complements chiropractic care, especially for Calgarians who prefer the best of both worlds in health care.

What Is Physiotherapy and When Do You Need It?

Physiotherapy, or "physical therapy" as it's otherwise known, is a health profession committed to restoring your movement, function, and overall physical condition.

Physiotherapists are experts at human movement – they assess the way your nerves, joints, and muscles work and create a personalized treatment regimen to reduce discomfort and maximize movement. If you're curious about what physiotherapy is for, the response is: it's for rehabilitating injury, alleviating musculoskeletal discomfort, enhancing flexibility/strength, and facilitating your body to regain normal function post-stress or injury.

You should visit a physiotherapist in Calgary when you find yourself experiencing occurrences like:

• Accidents or Injuries: Sprained ankle, whiplash in car accidents, sports injuries (a pulled muscle or a torn ligament) - all of them can be treated with physio. A physiotherapist helps in leading safe therapy and exercises to repair these.

  Chronic Pain or Stiffness: Conditions like chronic back pain, tension neck and shoulder strain due to working on a desk job, or repetitive strain injuries (e.g. tendinitis) are usually managed with physiotherapy. The goal is to decrease pain, restore joint range of motion, and strengthen the surrounding muscles.

• Post-Surgery Rehab: After orthopedic procedures (knee or spinal surgery, for instance), doctors often recommend physio. Physio reintroduces motion gradually without causing issues with the scar tissue, and it rebuilds strength so that you recover faster.

• Balance or Vestibular Issues: If you find yourself dizzy, having problems with your balance, or experiencing vestibular disorders, you might find specialized physiotherapy helpful (see below).

• Mobility Problems or Aging Concerns: Maybe you’ve noticed it’s harder to reach, bend, or walk without discomfort. Physiotherapy can help older adults stay active, improve joint flexibility, and maintain independence by addressing these mobility issues.

• Arthritis and Joint Conditions: People with arthritis often use physiotherapy to reduce joint pain and stiffness through guided exercises and therapies. We’ll discuss how physio can help arthritis in detail below.

In short, physiotherapy is needed whenever your body isn't functioning or doing its best because it's in pain, hurt, or because of illness. A Calgary physiotherapist (like Chinook Physiotherapy) will evaluate your situation, answer any questions you may have, and work with you on a plan to get you feeling and moving better.

How Does Physiotherapy Work and What Are the Benefits?

Physiotherapy works by a combination of hands-on treatment, specialized exercises, and instruction to alleviate the root of your pain or mobility problem. If you visit a physiotherapist the following is what you can generally expect:

• Assessment: Your condition will initially be evaluated by the physiotherapist. This involves an interview regarding your symptoms and your health history and a physical examination (assessing your posture, movement of your joints, muscle strength, reflexes, etc.). This detective work determines what is causing your pain or impairment.

• Treatment Techniques: Your physio may use some, all, or a combination of the following depending on the evaluation. This may include manual therapy – hands-on interventions such as joint mobilization or soft tissue massage to reduce tension and facilitate increased joint motion. It often also includes therapeutic exercises – lengthening tight tissues and strengthening weak muscles to reduce imbalances. Modalities such as heat/ice, ultrasound, TENS (electric stimulation), or acupuncture/dry needling are also employed when required to reduce pain and inflammation.

• Education and Guidance: A large component of physiotherapy is educating you in what to do and how to avoid problems. Your physio may train you in correct ergonomics (so your workspace does not destroy your neck), teach you home exercises to continue getting better between sessions, or provide guidance on pacing activities so that you minimize flare-ups. This enables you to be more in control of your rehabilitation.

Benefits of Physiotherapy: The outcome of physiotherapy can be transformative. Some of the most significant benefits are mentioned below:

• Relief from Pain: Physio techniques eliminate pain caused by injury or long-standing disease. For example, manual therapy frees tight muscles or stuck joints, typically providing relief instantaneously, while exercises reduce inflammation and nerve pressure over a period of time.

• Increased Mobility and Strength: If you are struggling to move an area (e.g., a "frozen" shoulder or a stiff lower back), physiotherapy will enhance your range of motion over time. Strengthening weak muscles also provides increased support to your joints – i.e., you can move more easily and with more stability.

• Faster Rehab and Recovery: Following your injury or surgery, physiotherapy assists in recovering faster and more fully. They monitor you in achieving flexibility and regaining strength without risking any further harm, and this can get your daily activities started sooner than recovery by rest alone. You'll relearn body's movement in a way that enables you to heal effectively and avoid re-injury.

• Prevention of Future Problems: Physio isn't just about injuries at the time – it's preventative too. By correcting posture issues, muscle imbalances, or dysfunctional movement patterns now, you're reducing the risk of more serious injuries in the future. For instance, a physio might work on lifting or running to eliminate stress from certain joints.

• Avoiding or Delaying Surgery: In some cases, physiotherapy can actually avoid surgery (e.g., repairing a tear in the knee meniscus through special exercises). Even when surgery cannot be avoided, conducting physio before surgery (pre-hab) typically leads to better post-surgery outcomes.

Physiotherapy is a natural, active form of healing in general. In contrast to swallowing a pill to mask pain, physio actually corrects the issue by improving the function of your body. Physio teaches you exercises and techniques that make you fit in the long term. And when combined with other treatments like chiropractic, the benefits can be doubled – as we will find out shortly.

Conditions Physiotherapy Can Help

Physiotherapy is very versatile. Let's look at some specific conditions and questions people generally have – such as vertigo, sciatica, back pain, tinnitus, plantar fasciitis, and arthritis – and look at how physio can help each:

Back Pain and Sciatica

Lower back pain is the most common reason why people seek out chiropractors and physiotherapists alike. Sciatica, a type of back-related issue, occurs when the sciatic nerve (running from your lower spine down the back of each leg) is irritated or compressed, causing pain that can radiate into the leg. If you’ve ever felt a sharp, shooting pain from your buttock down the back of your thigh, that could be sciatica. So, what can physiotherapy do for back pain and sciatica?

Physiotherapists assist in relieving back pain by improving the mechanics of your spine and reducing pressure on nerves. They can use gentle mobilizations to improve spinal movement, teach you core-strengthening exercises to stabilize your back, and show you stretches to relieve tight muscles (such as tight hamstrings or hip flexors that often lead to lower back strain). For sciatica, there have been studies that have shown that some stretches and exercises are able to relieve the nerve pressure and relieve the pain. Even physical therapy tends to provide immediate relief for sciatic pain by strengthening muscles that assist in keeping your hips and spine stabilized, relieving pressure from the sciatic nerve as well as improving mobility. With specific exercise, physio not only takes away the present discomfort but also addresses issues such as muscle imbalance or joint fixation, eliminating future re-occurrences​ (HingeHealth.com).

For example, your physio might educate you in McKenzie exercises or nerve glides with a proven success history of eliminating sciatica discomfort.They'll also work on posture and core control – because if your spine is strong and straight, it's less likely to compress the sciatic nerve. The majority of patients with chronic back pain find that the combination of physiotherapy and chiropractic gives them the best result: the chiropractor adjusts to straighten out the spine and take pressure off the nerves, and the physio session then follows up with releases in the muscles and exercises so your back stays aligned and strengthens. This one-two punch can really speed relief for back pain patients.

Vertigo and Dizziness

If you've ever experienced vertigo (that awful spinning sensation or extreme dizziness), you may be amazed to discover that physiotherapy can address that too! Specific vestibular physiotherapy is employed to assist in the treatment of vertigo, disturbances of balance, and dizziness resulting from inner ear disorder or other balance system disorders.

Calgary even has physiotherapists with advanced training in vestibular rehab – including at Chinook’s clinic or nearby centers – because these conditions are more common than you’d think.

So, physiotherapy for vertigo – how does that work? Often, vertigo (such as in BPPV – benign paroxysmal positional vertigo) comes from crystals in the inner ear being out of place, which confuses your balance signals. A vesti­bular-trained physiotherapist can perform exercises like the Epley maneuver to move those crystals and dramatically reduce vertigo attacks. He or she also offers balance exercises and gaze stabiliza­tion drills that relearn your brain and inner ear to communicate correctly. According to the University of Calgary Sport Medicine Centre, vestibular physiotherapy is a known research-based management of many dizziness and balance disorders​ (sports-med.ucalgary.ca). This suggests that there is strong evidence that making specific head, eye, and body movements in front of a physio can fix or largely sort out vertigo problems.

When having vestibular physiotherapy, you might be making head movements in one direction, increasing flexibility in your neck, or standing/walking exercises that challenge your balance (safely). Over time, these exercises reduce symptoms like spinning, instability, or nausea by helping your nervous system get used to the issue.If your dizziness is related to neck stiffness or tension (sometimes called cervicogenic dizziness), the physio will also treat those neck joints and muscles.

Many Calgary patients dealing with persistent dizziness have found relief through this kind of physiotherapy. It’s a specialized service, so you’d likely see a physio at a clinic that offers vestibular rehabilitation (such as Chinook Chiropractic & Physiotherapy). The bottom line: you don't have to tolerate vertigo – physiotherapy can restore balance and quality of life.

Tinnitus (Ringing in the Ears)

Tinnitus refers to hearing a sound or ringing within the ears where there is no external source of sound. It's a challenging condition because it has a number of different causes (broken ears, too much noise exposure, etc.), but one of them is less well known and is related to the neck or jaw. This is called somatic tinnitus – where issues in the cervical spine (neck) or the jaw (TMJ) are some of the reasons for ringing in the ears.If you notice that your tinnitus changes when you turn your jaw or neck, or if you have ear ringing and neck pain, a physiotherapist can help.

Physiotherapy for tinnitus? Sounds odd, but here's the connection: tight muscles, joint dysfunction, or poor posture in the neck can affect nerves and blood flow to the ear. Some research has shown that exercises and manual therapy to the neck will produce symptom relief in tinnitus for certain patients. As an example, a clinical trial concluded that cervical (neck) physical therapy may be helpful for subjective tinnitus complaints in patients with tinnitus and neck symptoms. Basically, by enhancing the mobility of the neck and decreasing muscle tension (using methods such as gentle mobilizations of the neck joints, correction of posture, and stretching/strengthening of the muscles of the neck), the aberrant signals that were causing the ringing in the ears can be soothed.

During a physiotherapy treatment for tinnitus, you may be given neck massages, myofascial release, and exercises to enhance your posture of the neck. If jaw tension is the problem, physios are also able to sort out TMJ movement and teach relaxation exercises for your jaw. While not all tinnitus will be able to be cured with physio (as some tinnitus is purely an inner ear issue), it's a worthwhile avenue to try – especially if you also have neck stiffness or a history of neck trauma.

In Calgary, you can discuss this with a physiotherapist or chiropractor who sees temporomandibular (jaw) or cervicogenic conditions. Clinics like Chinook can use chiropractic adjustments (to have your neck vertebrae working properly) with physiotherapy muscle techniques for a holistic solution. It's just another example of how these two careers work well together: the chiropractor addresses alignment, and the physio addresses soft tissue and exercise – both hopefully decreasing symptoms even in an illness like tinnitus.

Plantar Fasciitis (Foot/Heel Pain)

Plantar fasciitis is a painful and sore condition causing heel pain, typically felt with first steps in the morning or after standing for a long period. It's a consequence of inflammation in the plantar fascia, a band of connective tissue on the underside of your foot. If you're feeling that burning heel pain, physio can be a salvation for relief.

A physiotherapist will typically start by assessing your foot mechanics – how you walk, your ankle range of motion, and even knee/hip alignment (because issues up the chain can stress your foot even more). Treatment for plantar fasciitis usually involves hands-on therapy and exercises. For instance, the physio may perform calf muscle stretches and foot stretches with you, as tight calves and Achilles tendon may cause heel pain. Indeed, studies indicate that both strengthening and stretching exercise regimens, including stretching the Achilles tendon, can significantly decrease pain and enhance walking in individuals with plantar fasciitis​ (CHOOSEPT.COM). Your physio will also use hands-on methods: they might massage the region over the plantar fascia, perform myofascial release on the calf and foot, or use ultrasound or laser to stimulate tissue healing.

Physiotherapists also usually treat plantar fasciitis by having an amalgamation of hands-on treatment to the foot, certain exercises, and stretches. Physiotherapists will tape your foot, recommend suitable shoes or orthotics, and get you doing specific exercises aimed to ease tension along the plantar fascia (CHOOSEPT.COM). Following the exercises can actually speed up healing and your physiotherapist will guide you on when to use ice, how to modify activities, and even night splints to keep the fascia stretched gently overnight if required.

In Calgary, where people are on their feet hiking, running, or even simply walking at the massive Chinook Centre mall, plantar fasciitis is not unusual.A mix of chiropractic and physio will also help here: a chiropractor can assess if any joint misalignment of the foot or ankle joints is causing the strain (and, if needed, realign them), while the physio deals with soft tissue and flexibility of muscles.By both addressing alignment of joints and tension of muscles, the heel is left in the best possible conditions to heal.The good news is that with appropriate care, plantar fasciitis will resolve and you can quite literally get back on your feet without discomfort.

Arthritis and Joint Pain

Arthritis is a broad term for joint inflammation, typically resulting in pain, stiffness, and loss of movement. Everyone would love to know: can physiotherapy cure arthritis? The answer is yes – physiotherapy is actually a cornerstone of the treatment of arthritis and joint pain. Whether you have an osteoarthritis (wear-and-tear and age-related, typically in hips, knees, or hands) or an inflammatory arthritis (e.g., rheumatoid arthritis), it is extremely important to stay active and have your joints moving.

A physiotherapist helps by creating a safe exercise routine tailored to your limitations and abilities. The goals of physio for arthritis are usually to improve joint mobility, strengthen the joint surrounding muscles, and teach you how to reduce stress on your arthritic joints.

Arthritis physiotherapy, according to the Arthritis Foundation, is aimed at improving the mobility and restoring the function of affected joints, improving strength to support the joints, maintaining flexibility in the long term, and preserving the ability to perform daily activities​ (ARTHRITIS.ORG).

Many people with arthritis also see a chiropractor to ensure their spine and other joints are well aligned, which can reduce compensatory strain. For instance, arthritis in one hip can make you walk differently and throw your spine out of alignment – a chiropractor can address that, while physio addresses the hip strength and flexibility. Together, they help you stay as active as possible.

The key is that physiotherapy can certainly help to ease arthritis by decreasing pain and stiffness and improving your joint function. It's a matter of learning how to move your body in healthier patterns and maintaining the stabilizing muscles strong. Calgary’s fluctuating weather (those cold winters and even the chinook pressure changes) can sometimes aggravate joint pain – having a trusted physiotherapist and chiropractic team means you have support to get through flare-ups and maintain an active lifestyle year-round.

Combining Physiotherapy and Chiropractic for Faster Recovery

As we’ve highlighted in each section above, physiotherapy and chiropractic care often complement each other beautifully. But how, precisely, does this work, and why should you both employ them? Let's put it into perspective: 

A chiropractor is an expert in the nervous system, spine, and alignment of the musculoskeletal framework. They perform adjustments (spinal manipulations) to realign joints that are out of place, taking pressure off the nerves, easing pain, and restoring motion to the joints in a healthy functioning manner. Chiropractic care is marvelous for things like joint restriction, spinal misalignment, relief from acute pain, and that wonderful feeling of everything "lining up" perfectly. 

A physiotherapist, on the other hand, is an expert in muscle function, exercise therapy, and rehabilitation. Physio is great at addressing the soft tissue component of an injury (muscles, tendons, ligaments) and re-teaching your body again through exercise and functional movement.They excel at guiding you through recovery exercises, correcting muscle balance, and teaching you healthy movement patterns.

If you combine the two, what you have is holistic therapy that addresses your condition both structurally and functionally. For example, if you've got chronic back pain with stiff and misaligned spinal joints and weak core muscles – seeing only one practitioner would only give halfway relief. But seeing a chiropractor to unblock those jammed joints and a physio to strengthen your core and calm tight muscles has all aspects of the problem are being treated together.

Here, at Chinook Chiropractic, Physiotherapy, Massage in Calgary, the team takes this integrative approach. You could have a visit where the chiropractor begins with adjustments on your spine or other joints, and then the physiotherapist follows with a soft tissue release and certain exercises – all on one visit. This synergy can lead to benefits such as: 

• Quicker Recovery: Treating both alignment and muscle issues simultaneously will allow for recovery to happen quicker. For instance, a chiropractic adjustment could immediately reduce nerve irritation in the case of a pinched nerve, while exercising with physiotherapy shortly afterwards will build strength in proper movement. This equals less time suffering and back to activity sooner. 

• Greater Mobility and Stability: Chiropractic care gives you immediate improvements in joint mobility (often, you'll feel you can move better after an adjustment). Physiotherapy then follows up on that by improving the strength and suppleness of muscles, so the greater range of motion is well-supported and maintained. Not just do you perform better, but the new stability also keeps these joints from becoming stuck again. 

  
  

• Less Pain and Lasting Relief: The two treatment approaches together can really knock on the head the level of pain. Chiropractors treat the pain at the source (i.e., relieving a jammed nerve or freeing a wedged joint), and physios treat the secondary issues (tight tissues or inactive stabilizing muscles) that, left unaddressed, would bring back the pain. Patients find that relief from pain acquired by an adjustment will "hold" longer if enhanced by physiotherapy – longer intervals of comfort between visits. 

  
  

• Personalized Care: The big advantage is the collaborative insight and vision. With a chiropractor and physiotherapist assessing your condition, you have two specialist insights. In the case of Chinook Chiropractic & Physiotherapy, for example, the clinicians compare your improvement with each other. With the cooperation of the team, no rock remains unturned – you feel like you have a joint coach and a muscle coach who collaborate to produce the optimal outcome for you. 

  
  

Many patients in Calgary seek out clinics that offer both services precisely for this one-stop-shop convenience and combined expertise. If you’ve ever searched for “physiotherapy near me” or “chiropractor near me” and you’re overwhelmed by choices, consider choosing a clinic that offers integrated therapy. The convenience of going to one place for all of these therapies is wonderful (particularly in our frigid winters – less driving about!) but importantly, the integration can yield higher quality results for your health.

Finding Quality Physiotherapy (and Chiropractic) Near You in Calgary

It should be apparent by now that physiotherapy can be used to heal a variety of issues – ranging from sciatica and back pain to vertigo, tinnitus, foot pain, and arthritis – and that the combination of chiropractics with it increases the advantage. So, if you are in the Calgary area searching for "where can I receive good physiotherapy near me?" Well done! 

Calgary is home to many excellent therapists, but a standout option in SW Calgary is Chinook Chiropractic, Massage, Physiotherapy and Naturopath. Our clinic, conveniently located in CF Chinook Centre, provides you with physiotherapy, RMTs and Chiropractors to holistically help you stay healthy or recover from pain.

Simply put, physiotherapy and chiropractic are better together. Whether you're recovering from a new injury, living with long-term pain, or just want to move and feel your best, try both. Our friendly staff at Chinook Chiropractic, Physiotherapy, Massage in Calgary are ready to help you return to doing what you love – without the pain. 

If you're ready to get on with it, don't hesitate to call us or book your appointment by clicking here.

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