How To Find The Right Chiropractor For You

Choosing a chiropractor, particularly for those new to chiropractic care, can be a difficult task. There are a wide variety of chiropractic techniques and approaches to patient managment. Unfortunately, many first-time chiropractic patients are turned off by an experience with a chiropractor whose approach was not in line with the patient's desires and/or expectations. When one's first exposure to this form of healthcare is not what they had hoped for, it is common for the prospective patient to assume that all chiropractic treatment is the same and therefore dismiss chiropractic as a potential treatment option for them. This is unfortunate, because a large number of people who avoid chiropractic treatment altogether could benefit tremendously from the right "style" of chiropractic, and in fact might get superior health benefits to what can be achieved with any other form of treatment.

To find the right chiropractor, there are some simple steps that the individual can take to dramatically improve the chances of having a good experience and good clinical outcome. It may actually be easier to begin with discussing the things not to do when searching for a chiropractor.

What many people do when they first decide to try a chiropractor is they look in some sort of directory, such as the yellow pages, their insurance provider list, or they search online for the closest chiropractor. Because those new to chiropractic don't realize the vast differences in technique and patient management philosophies among chiropractors, the initial choice of a chiropractor usually comes down to considerations such as location, insurance coverage, and cost per visit. In actuality, these are probably the least important considerations overall in determining whether a given chiropractor is going to be a good choice for a given individual.

The most important factor to consider when choosing a chiropractor is probably the treatment methods that he or she utilizes. The primary treatment that makes chiropractic different from other types of health care is the "spinal adjustment", which is also called "spinal manipulation", and there are many different ways that this treatment can be performed. These ways range from moderately forceful manual thrusts that produce cracking noises from the joints to low-force methods that may be performed using an instrument that gently "taps" on the joints, or uses wedges to reposition the body to allow gravity to correct joint alignment. There are also techniques that are somewhere in-between in terms of the force applied that use special "drop" tables that have sections that drop down when the adjustment thrust is made to help "bump" joints back into aligment and proper mobility.

The forceful manual techniques may produce some brief discomfort, and they are generally not a good approach for patients with fragile bones (such as from osteoporosis), or for those patients who are fearful and have difficulty relaxing for the treatment. Even so, when appropriate, these methods tend to provide faster relief of pain and other symptoms than the low-force methods. A chiropractor who is experienced with manual adusting techniques (such as Diversified or Gonstead technique) is often a good choice for younger, generally healthy patients who are not afraid of feeling and hearing their joints pop. Older patients and those who are anxious about the treatment will typically find that a chiropractor who uses a low-force method (such as Pro-Adjuster, Activator, or Sacro-Occipital Technique) or a medium-force method (such as the Thompson drop-table method) a better choice.

In addition to the spinal adjusting technique, chiropractors may offer a variety of other treatment methods, such as electrical muscle stimulation, ultrasound, massage, and rehabilitative exercise. Depending on the methods used, the total treatment time and cost per visit can vary dramatically from one chiropractor to another. While longer visits do not always translate into better results, in many cases, a chiropractor who spends more time per visit will require fewer visits. This can be a big consideration for both time and out of pocket expense.

A second major consideration is the doctor's philosophy and approach to patient management. Some chiropractors primarily provide treatment for symptomatic relief, while others believe in providing some degree of rehabilitation of underlying problems, and still others do long-term treatment to permanently correct skeletal alignment as much as possible. The differences in these approaches are considerable when it comes to the frequency and duration of treatment prescribed and the patient's out of pocket cost for treatment.

Before choosing a chiropractor, it is recommended that you decide what your goal of treatment is. Do you want to invest the necessary time and money to improve your condition as much as possible, or do you simply need someone to "patch you up" so you can get on with your life for now? There really is no right or wrong choice, just what is best suited to your needs at this point in time.

Once you have a good idea of what you are looking for in terms of treatment methods and your goal for the duration and outcome of your treatment, you are much better prepared to interview and choose a chiropractor who is right for you. At this stage, it is suggested that you phone or visit at least a few chiropractors before you choose to go forward with the initial evaluation. The majority of chiropractors will speak with you be phone or meet with you for a free consultation in person. While it does take some time and work to choose the right chiropractor, the results of making a careful selection can be well worth the effort.