If you suffer from back pain and are looking for an alternative to pain meds, chiropractic services can help. The practice itself dates back to 1895, so it is older than a lot of modern medicine. Chiropractors are extremely educated in the human body, specifically neuromuscular function.
Chiropractic is usually referred to as complementary and alternative medicine. This is because everyone’s body reacts differently to different treatments. There is no magic bullet for pain, and any good chiropractor will tell you that.
The key is finding a good local chiropractor who you can trust. Just like the relationship with any doctor, communication is important. This guide should help you find a chiropractor who understands what your needs are.
Finding a Good Chiropractor
Finding a good chiropractor is a challenging job because some of them are involved in unscientific practices. It’s a good idea to consult a chiropractor and learn about their practice. The first step to begin your search is through a telephone interview. A simple interview is good for exploring the chiropractor’s history and his attitude towards his work and patients.
Here are some important tips that can prove to be helpful in your search.
Look for These Signs
It’s best to look for a chiropractor who follows conservative methods of treatment. There are a number of ways to treat musculoskeletal issues and back pain. The most effective tip is to ask your own doctor to recommend chiropractors for your needs.
It would be great if your chosen chiropractor is also a member of an official board. For example, the Colorado Academy of Manipulative Therapists (CAMT). Your decision shouldn’t solely depend on this alone because the number of chiropractors in this group is small. CAMT follow science-based techniques to tailor therapy, which makes it very reliable.
Qualifications
All chiropractors must undergo over a decade of education of training, though. In some cases, chiropractors may even have a higher education than your average general practitioner.
This is partly due to the numerous specialties that chiropractors can learn. Even a chiropractor does not go into these specialties, they need a doctorate. This is just for basic musculoskeletal treatments.
Primary treatment is, of course, spinal adjustment, accompanied by a list of supportive therapy. Typical lists of recommendations include ice packs, ultrasound treatments, use of heat, and stretching. These treatments are very similar to the suggestions by physical therapists.
Apart from that, they may also ask you to follow a certain home exercise plan. This is the most commonly prescribed plan for treating lower back pain, neck pain, and shoulders.
Red Flags to Watch For
Stay away from chiropractors who try to get the patients into lengthy treatment contracts. Don’t listen to anyone who makes claims about curing diseases. Look at for anyone who disparages scientific methods of treatment.
This is something you’ll usually encounter with a chiropractor who focuses more on holistic areas.
Avoid chiropractors who frequently suggest or perform x-ray examinations. You need to be aware of the fact that a large majority of patients don’t require going through these tests. Be careful with full spine x-ray examinations. Frequent, large doses of radiation could be dangerous.
Stay away from chiropractors who prioritize homeopathic medicines and dietary supplements. These are fine for supplementing, not for treating the disease. Usually, physicians and dietitians are the most reliable source of getting dietary advice anyways.
Chiropractors who sell medicines or products in their offices aren’t reliable. These people should be totally avoided.
Avoid chiropractors who push any of these treatments without explanation:
- Allergy testing
- Applied kinesiology
- Colonic irrigation,
- Magnetic and bio-magnetic treatments
- Bio-Energetic Synchronization Techniques (also known as B.E.S.T)
You need to be aware of the fact that the majority of chiropractic treatments have certain types of risks involved. Some common treatments such as neck and spinal manipulation involve sudden movements. This can also result in serious or permanent injuries.
Such treatments carry great risks when compared to conservative methods or medicine. It’s best not to use such treatments unless the doctor indicates that you have exhausted all options.
Look for Reviews
Your searches should be for a local chiropractor, not national brands. This isn’t to say that these chiropractors are less trustworthy. It’s just more convenient to begin your searches locally.
Start researching chiropractor reviews. The more reviews, the better. You’ll probably never find a chiropractor with perfect marks. That’s okay because not everyone will see the results they are looking for.
You can speed up your search by trying to plug in the name of your location + service. For example: “Structural Corrective Chiropractic + Redmond, WA”
This will narrow down your results based on location, so you can figure out the closest.
Best Choices for Local Chiropractor
I spent some time researching good chiropractors in the United States and my search concluded for me to go to Structural Chiro. Although, it is located in Redmond, its known all around the US. I am going to list down few reasons why this clinic is the best local chiropractor for me.
The patient reviews clearly reveal the quality of the treatments offered by them.
If you search through the internet, you’ll come up with hundreds of different chiropractic clinics, but that doesn’t mean that all those clinics are equally reliable. Experience is such a top priority for me.
This clinic happens to have a chiropractor with decades of experience and a massage therapist. Those are two big important factors for my physical therapy.
If you need help narrowing down the best choices for a chiropractor near you, you can use our search. Just plug in the type of business you need and your zip code. With thousands of businesses in our database, you’re sure to find what you need.