How To Choose The Right Chiropractor
It is estimated that Doctors of Chiropractic treat over 27 million Americans annually, with a chiropractic adjustment being performed around 1 million times every business day in the US
There are many known benefits of chiropractic treatment, which has made it such a popular treatment. However, when choosing the right chiropractor you can be overwhelmed with the options, and with the average session costing around $65, it’s an expensive decision to make.
To ensure you get the most from your treatment, take a look at our frequently asked questions. We hope they will help inform you, not simply about how to choose a chiropractor but most importantly, how to choose the right chiropractor.
Tips for Choosing a Chiropractor
A Personal Decision
If you prefer a hands-on approach to healthcare that promotes healing without medications or surgery, chiropractic care may be the prescription for you. Your chiropractor is your partner in spine, muscle and joint health. You depend on your chiropractor’s knowledge and expertise to help you stay healthy or recover from an injury or spine condition. How do you find the best chiropractor who is right for you? Here are some important factors to keep in mind.
Get Referrals
Start by asking your primary care doctor for a referral list of chiropractors. You can also ask family, friends and other healthcare providers for recommendations. Take the time to research the chiropractors’ credentials and experience on Healthgrades.com. As you narrow down your list, call each chiropractor’s office to see if he or she is accepting new patients. If so, ask for an appointment to meet and interview the chiropractor
Research the Chiropractor’s Credentials
Licensure is one of the most important factors to consider when you are choosing a chiropractor. It tells you that the chiropractor has the necessary training, skills and experience to provide chiropractic care. Also confirm that the chiropractor has no history of malpractice claims or disciplinary actions. You can find the chiropractor’s medical school, training hospital, certifications, and malpractice and disciplinary history on Healthgrades.com and state websites.
Consider the Chiropractor’s Experience
Experience matters when you’re facing musculoskeletal or spine health issues. The more experience a chiropractor has with a condition or procedure, the better your results are likely to be. Ask how many patients with your specific condition the chiropractor has treated. If you need a specific procedure, ask how many of the procedures the chiropractor has performed and find out about complication rates—complications the chiropractor has encountered as well as your own risk of complications.
Consider Gender
It’s important to feel comfortable with your chiropractor’s gender because you will need to openly discuss personal information. When it comes to chiropractic care, your own gender is also an important consideration. Chiropractors are becoming more skilled in caring for women and men differently. Ask the chiropractor about his or her recent training and experience specifically related to your condition and your gender.
How to choose a chiropractor
Though there are many great resources for obtaining valuable information to assist you in your search for a chiropractor, it can be overwhelming, particularly if you are new to chiropractic. To help guide you in making an educated choice regarding your health care professional, keep the following five points in mind as you sort through the mass of information.
Honesty and confidence
The first thing to look for in a chiropractic doctor is honesty. An honest doctor has both trust and confidence in each and every one of his patients, and that confidence is a reflection of his pride in providing proper treatment and getting successful results for the patient. A good chiropractor will recommend only the best treatment for your quickest and best results; not-so-good chiropractors will recommend you sign up for a package of long-term treatment even before seeing how you respond to treatment. If chiropractic is not the proper treatment for you, a good chiropractor will have no problem referring you to another health care professional to manage or co-manage your case.
Techniques
There are a variety of techniques and methods of treatment in chiropractic, with no two being exactly alike. Each specific technique can work well with a specific patient, but no single technique will work perfect and heal everyone. This being said, any chiropractor that states her particular technique is superior to others or that absolutely guarantees results should be avoided. Although her techniques may be effective with certain patients, guaranteeing results is actually against the Laws of Chiropractic.
Word of mouth
This is always a great place to start. Positive word of mouth in every profession is a good sign. If you are considering chiropractic for the first time, or considering choosing a different chiropractor, listen to others in your community more than the ads in the phone book, on TV or placed on Facebook. It is easy to look good in a well thought out advertisement, but the right chiropractor for you may be more successfully found by listening to others around you that have experienced chiropractic practice firsthand.
Appropriate examination, diagnosis, and treatment
This is extremely important. Doctors of chiropractic have been through extensive training and education to become health care providers. This training included proper examination, proper diagnosis and proper treatment protocols. If a doctor lacks in any one of these three essential areas, he should not be treating you, period! What does this mean for you? If a chiropractor doesn’t talk to you about your health history and your current condition, doesn’t give you an initial physical examination (checking posture, reflexes, etc.), doesn’t give you a diagnosis regarding your condition, and won’t explain your treatment plan, find another chiropractor.
Helpful Tips for Choosing a Chiropractor
If you are looking for a health care provider that promotes healing without medications or surgery, Chiropractic Care may be the right fit for you. In the field of Chiropractic Care, our main focus in on the cause of your problem
Check Reviews
When deciding which Chiropractic Clinic will be the right fit for you, it is always important to look up reviews of the doctor and clinic before making an appointment.
Research the Chiropractor’s Credentials
Making sure the Chiropractor you are about to see has the proper licensure is a very important factor. It will tell you if the chiropractor has the proper training, experience, and skills to provide chiropractic care.
Ask About Experience
A Chiropractors experience matters when you are facing musculoskeletal or spine health issues. The more experience the chiropractor has with a particular condition or procedure, your results are likely to be better.
Schedule a Free Consultation
The majority of Chiropractors will offer a free consultation so you can meet with them and discuss your injury or pain condition. During your consultation, you will have the opportunity to ask any questions that will help you with deciding if they are the right fit for you
What to Look For When Choosing a Chiropractor
How To Choose The Best Chiropractor For You
Chiropractic is a profession with a wide range of practice philosophies and techniques, which can make it difficult to select the top chiropractor. Because the treatment process involved in chiropractic is a physical process, you should seek a doctor you feel is competent and trustworthy.
What to Look For Before Choosing Your Chiropractor
There are a variety of techniques and joint manipulation styles in chiropractic practice, with no two being exactly alike. Understanding the chiropractor’s spinal manipulation technique, education, and overall style, is vital to your treatment.
Potential Red Flags and Chiropractic Techniques
While on your search for your ideal doctor, it’s also important to look out for unsafe or risky techniques that you may come across while seeking potential candidates. There are a few chiropractor techniques that most chiropractors agree doubtful.
Seeking Medical Treatment at the Chiropractor’s Office
Now that you have criteria to evaluate potential chiropractors and the best corrective chiropractic care, the best thing to do is narrow down your choices. For example, pick around three chiropractic clinics you would like to try or feel you would like to try.
Set up the right time to meet each of the chiropractors (most clinics offer a free consultation,) and ask them questions about your problem areas, will they help with pain treatment, can they help with a slipped disc, and what treatment methods they offer.