Who Should I See For What Injury?

In the second part of our series on who to see for treatment, we will look at some alternative therapies.
And now for some alternative therapies 
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A chiropractor is a health care professional focused on the diagnosis and treatment of neuromuscular disorders, with an emphasis on treatment through manual adjustment and/or manipulation of the spine.

The medical establishment hasn't always been accepting of this profession and some are wary of chiropractic care. 
 
There are sports-trained chiropractors out there.
 
Most will watch you walk or run to identify risk areas that can lead to injuries. Then they'll press on or around joints, which can alleviate pain and strain on surrounding muscles and joints.

Best for Back pain; injuries that may not be responding to other methods

Not for Traumatic injuries like fractures or torn ligaments

A Naturopath is a primary health care provider of naturopathic medicine.
 
He or she uses complementary and alternative therapies along with mainstream medical practice, with the goal of treating underlying causes of disease while stimulating the body's own healing abilities.
 
Best for understanding issues around your well-being.
 
Not for Sports Injuries.

An Osteopath uses a form of drug-free non-invasive manual medicine that focuses on total body health by treating and strengthening the musculoskeletal framework, which includes the joints, muscles and spine. Its aim is to positively affect the body's nervous, circulatory and lymphatic systems to function together.
 
Best for aches in the head, back, neck, heel/foot pain, repetitive strain injury
 
Not for broken bones, torn muscles 

Acupuncture improves the body's functions and circulation and promotes the natural self-healing process by stimulating specific anatomic sites - commonly referred to as acupuncture points, or acupoints. The most common method used to stimulate acupoints is the insertion of fine, sterile needles into the skin.
 
Best for muscular pain including headaches, stress.
 
Not for broken bones, structural alignment issues.

A Homeopath has historically been used by people to maintain health and treat a wide range of long-term illnesses. 
 
Homeopathy is based on the idea that "like cures like." That is, if a substance causes a symptom in a healthy person, giving the person a very small amount of the same substance may cure the illness. In theory, a homeopathic dose enhances the body's normal healing and self-regulatory processes.
 
Best for long-term items such as allergies, atopic dermatitis, rheumatoid arthritis, and IBS. Also used it to treat minor injuries, such as cuts and scrapes and muscle strains or sprains.
 
Not for broken bones or torn muscles

In part 3 we will look at nutrition services and massage therapists.
 
Julia.