By Tim Darcy Ellis

There’s an old narrative that physiotherapists and chiropractors don’t get along. You’ve probably heard the clichés — chiro hates physio, physio hates chiro, and never the twain shall meet. In my experience, it’s all a load of utter nonsense. The truth is far simpler: good practitioners, whatever their background, have far more in common than anything that might divide them. We’re all trying to help our patients, we’re all searching for the most effective treatments, and we’re all doing our best to communicate, collaborate, and ensure the people in our care get the results they need.

Some of my greatest teachers in my early years were chiropractors. As a physiotherapy student and a young graduate, I devoured the books of Leon Chattow — still one of the early influences that shaped my hands-on skills and clinical reasoning. Throughout my career, I’ve been fortunate to work alongside excellent practitioners across chiropractic, exercise physiology, massage therapy, acupuncture, and dry needling. Like every profession, each field contains exceptional clinicians and, inevitably, a few less-than-exceptional ones. That’s not a chiropractic problem or a physiotherapy problem — it’s a human one.

What matters most is communication. When we share our thoughts, compare findings, and exchange ideas openly, patients benefit enormously. That’s something I appreciate deeply about working with Cody and Liam at Combined Clinics in Darlinghurst. They are strong, skilled, thoughtful practitioners with loyal followings — earned through years of providing appropriate, effective treatment and genuine care. Our conversations are always healthy, always curious, and always centred on what will best support the person in front of us.

I remain firmly grounded in my profession. Physiotherapy is built on a proud tradition — a profession forged in the aftermath of the First World War, when soldiers returned with devastating physical injuries and overwhelming trauma. From those beginnings, physiotherapy has grown into a field dedicated to rigorous research, ongoing education, and continually refining our practice in line with evidence. I stay closely connected to AHPRA, the NSW Registration Board, and the standards that protect the quality and integrity of our work.

At the same time, I see chiropractic as a profession with an equally deep lineage — originating in bone-setting traditions that long predate modern medicine. For centuries, people relied on these practitioners, not because the profession had a polished title, but because the work was effective and grounded in experience. Today, contemporary chiropractors bring a combination of that tradition with modern assessment, clinical thinking, and hands-on expertise.

The way I see it, physiotherapists and chiropractors are not competitors — we are complementary. Both professions have enormous value to offer the community. Both professions help people move, heal, and regain confidence in their bodies. And when we work together, the outcomes are simply better.

That’s why I feel proud to work in a truly multidisciplinary environment at Combined Clinics in Darlinghurst. We buck the old narrative. We collaborate, we share knowledge, and we learn from one another. Most importantly, our patients receive integrated, thoughtful care — which is exactly how modern healthcare should function.

Collaboration isn’t a threat to professional identity; it’s an enhancement of it. Physiotherapists and chiropractors absolutely can be friends — and in my experience, when they are, everyone wins.