How To Select The Best Chiropractor

Chiropractic manipulation is a recognized and popular pain relief treatment, with an estimated 6% to 12% of the U.S. population seeking chiropractic care each year, according to a 2007 study. Given the current U.S. population (more than 306 million people), that could mean anywhere from 18 million to 36 million visits to a chiropractor in 2009.

Because chiropractic is a profession with a large variety of practice philosophies and techniques, selecting a good chiropractor can be a challenge.

This article outlines 6 key areas to ask questions to a chiropractor and provides guidelines for what to expect with chiropractic care. It also highlights some red flags that may indicate questionable approaches by a chiropractor.
Considerations for Choosing a Chiropractor
When looking for a chiropractor, a good place to start is to ask your primary care physician or spine specialist for the names of chiropractors who appear competent and trustworthy. It also helps to ask friends, co-workers and neighbors for recommendations.
Exercise caution however, because one person’s definition of a good chiropractor may be quite different from another person’s definition. In general, if multiple resources recommend the same chiropractor, chances are good that the chiropractor is reliable.

First Chiropractic Exam Video

While recommendations can be valuable, it is also important to find a chiropractor who can meet an individual’s specific needs. This article includes guidelines of questions to ask when interviewing a chiropractor that can help assess the skills, qualifications and style of the chiropractor. Before starting treatment with a chiropractor, it is usually best to conduct a telephone interview or request an office consultation to find out more about how the chiropractor practices.
There are many different chiropractic techniques for treating a person. Some doctors of chiropractic adjust with their hands, while others use various instruments.
Additionally, some chiropractors adjust deeply and strongly, while others have a lighter touch. Some patients prefer the immediate feeling of relief offered by the “joint popping” type of manipulation while others cringe at the mere thought and request a low-force chiropractic technique.
In short, the chiropractic technique is a very individual preference by both the chiropractor and the patient.
Sample Chiropractic Technique Questions
Many of these questions about chiropractic care have no right or wrong answer, but having a better understanding of the chiropractic technique will allow the patient to better assess if there is a good fit, and/or will allow the patient to do further research about the specific chiropractic techniques.
Which chiropractic techniques does the chiropractor use and why?
Does the chiropractor use his or her hands or an instrument for the chiropractic manipulation?
Does the chiropractor employ deeper, joint-popping adjustment or a low-force adjustment?
How much experience does the chiropractor have treating similar types of problems as the patient’s? More experience that is relevant to treating the patient’s condition is better than little or no experience.