Choosing Your Chiropractor

Choosing a Chiropractor is not unlike choosing any other healthcare professional.  It’s a very personal relationship where you truly feel he or she has your best interests at heart.  But there are other things to consider as well because you are essentially advocating for yourself.  Good health is our greatest asset and it should never be taken for granted.  It needs to be earned through daily effort.  Partnering with a Chiropractor can help you achieve and maintain this asset throughout your life.  The key, however, is making sure you chose wisely.

There are many false stereotypes regarding Chiropractors, just as there are for other professions such as lawyers and politicians.  Common sense tells us that we mustn’t judge a book by its cover, but that’s exactly what we do.  We take hearsay and turn it into fact without investing the time to find out for ourselves the truth.  The end result?  Lost opportunity to benefit from the care and expertise from a committed professional.  Rushing to a snap judgement means we’d rather follow what another says.  Relying on unsubstantiated claims can have a negative impact on our lives.  Take, for example, the marketing of several consumer goods over the decades:  Tab, Olestra, nicotine, aspartame, MSG, and GMOs.  We took for granted that because it was available, it was good for us.  Years later we learned we were wrong.

Chiropractors are doctors that specialize in the musculoskeletal and nervous systems.  They practice a drug-free, hands-on approach to healthcare.  With broad diagnostic skills, they are trained to recommend therapeutic and rehabilitative exercises, in addition to nutritional, dietary, and lifestyle counseling.  They are also best known for providing spinal adjustments to help restore joint mobility that causes inflammation and pain.

But what other services does a chiropractor provide?

• Diagnostic imaging
• Nutritional supplements
• Clinical examinations
• Patient education
• Electrical muscle stimulation
• Transcutaneous electrical muscle stimulators (TENS)
• Heat and ice therapy

However, did you know that there are also other value-added services that you should be looking for when choosing your chiropractor?  Here are a few questions to consider as you explore your options:

• Is massage incorporated with treatment?
• What about rehabilitation?
• How much time does the Chiropractor spend with each patient?
• How are patients educated on achieving and maintaining wellness?
• Is decompression as part of the treatment options?

Other ways to educate yourself on the philosophies of a particular Chiropractor is to check social media.  Are there recent testimonials?  Pictures of the practice, the doctor, the other team members?  What about reviews?  What is the general feeling regarding the practice?

When it comes to your health, never settle.  A little homework can go a long way!