I am a doctor who works along with other doctors and body workers in San Francisco CA. I have had neurosurgeons come in for care, physical therapists, occupational therapists, surgeons and many other health professionals.

I have had a few patients coming in after seeing a physical therapist who have told me that their physical therapist adjusted their joints. My eyebrows often raise and my head tilts in response. Physical Therapy study is very different from Chiropractic study and manipulating joints is something chiropractors study from the first semester of classes and is highly focused on.

Physical Therapy in San Francisco CA

Here is an example of a classes required for a Physical Therapy degree: According to the GW School of Medicine & Health Services: I see not a single class on spinal analysis or joint manipulation.

Fall I Semester I

• Functional Anatomy
• Foundations of Examination
• Foundations of Interventions
• Professional Issues in Physical Therapy Health Care
• Management I
• Clinical Conference I

Spring I Semester II

• Applied Physiology
• Therapeutic Modalities
• Teaching in Physical Therapy Practice
• Neuroscience in Rehabilitation I
• Research in Practice
• Clinical Conference II
• Integrated Clinical Experience I
• Movement Science I

Summer I Semester III

• Movement Science II
• Neuroscience in Rehabilitation II
• Clinical Medicine in Pharmacology
• Clinical Conference III
• Interprofessional Community Practicum

Fall Semester IV

• Management of Musculoskeletal Dysfunction I
• Medical Imaging
• Management of Neuromotor Dysfunction
• Prosthetics and Orthotics
• Clinical Conference IV
• Research Seminar
• Integrated Clinical Experience II

Spring II Semester V:

• Management of the Musculoskeletal Dysfunction II
• Management of the Pediatric Client
• Management of the Aging Adult
• Management of Cardiopulmonary Dysfunction
• Management of Integumentary Dysfunction
• Clinical Conference V

Summer II Semester VI

• Clinical Education Experience
• Clinical Conference VI
• Women's Health

Fall III Semester VII

• Clinical Education Experience II
• Professional Issues in Physical Therapy Health Care
• Management II
• Capstone Seminar
• Health Promotion and Wellness

Spring III Semester VIII

• Clinical Education Experience III

From the first quarter of chiropractic education, chiropractors are taught how the bones move, how to administer an adjustment based on how the bone is not moving. The focus is on safe, effective spinal manipulation and how those treatments help ignite the nervous system.

Chiropractors have spinal, muscle and joint analysis for the full four years of training.

I have no problem with physical therapists helping with recovery exercises and helping with healing modalities. I just think adjusting the joints should be saved for the chiropractic community who have been trained (and continued to be trained) on how the joints move and how to manipulate the joints safely.