Q: What conditions can chiropractic treat?
A: Chiropractic can treat many conditions, visit this page to see just some of them:
Q: How do I select a doctor of chiropractic?
A: One of the best ways to find a doctor of chiropractic (DC) is by getting a referral from a trusted friend, family member, colleague, or another healthcare provider. You can usually find us through your favorite search engine on the internet, be sure to check out the reviews/location/hours for each. Most chiropractors are willing to see you for a consultation before care to answer any questions.
Q: Is chiropractic treatment safe?
A: Chiropractic is widely recognized as one of the safest nondrug, noninvasive forms of health care available for the treatment of neuromusculoskeletal complaints. Although chiropractic has an excellent safety record, no health treatment is completely free of potential adverse effects. The risks associated with chiropractic, however, are very small. Many patients feel immediate relief following chiropractic treatment, but some may experience mild soreness, stiffness or aching, just as they do after some forms of exercise. Current research shows that minor discomfort or soreness following spinal manipulation typically fades within 24 hours.
Neck pain and some types of headaches are treated through precise cervical manipulation. Cervical manipulation, often called a neck adjustment, works to improve joint mobility in the neck, restoring range of motion and reducing muscle spasms, which helps relieve pressure and tension. Neck manipulation, when performed by a skilled and well educated professional such as a doctor of chiropractic, is a remarkably safe procedure.
Some reports have associated high-velocity upper neck manipulation with a certain rare kind of stroke, or vertebral artery dissection. However, evidence suggests that this type of arterial injury often takes place spontaneously in patients who have pre-existing arterial disease. These dissections have been associated with everyday activities such as turning the head while driving, swimming, or having a shampoo in a hair salon. Patients with this condition may experience neck pain and headache that leads them to seek professional care at the office of a doctor of chiropractic or family physician, but that care is not the cause of the injury. The best evidence indicates that the incidence of artery injuries associated with high-velocity upper neck manipulation is extremely rare—about one to three cases in 100,000 patients who get treated with a course of care. This is similar to the incidence of this type of stroke among the general population.
If you are visiting your doctor of chiropractic with upper-neck pain or headache, be very specific about your symptoms. This will help your doctor of chiropractic offer the safest and most effective treatment, even if it involves referral to another healthcare provider.
When discussing the risks of any healthcare procedure, it is important to look at that risk in comparison to other treatments available for the same condition. In this regard, the risks of serious complications from spinal manipulation for conditions such as neck pain and headache compare very favorably with even the most conservative care options. For example, the risks associated with some of the most common treatments for musculoskeletal pain (i.e. over-the-counter or prescription nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS) and prescription painkillers) are significantly greater than those of chiropractic manipulation.
Moreover, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has reported that overuse and abuse of prescription opioid pain medications is among the leading causes of accidental death in the United States.
Doctors of chiropractic are well trained professionals who provide patients with safe, effective care for a variety of common conditions. Their extensive education prepares them to identify patients who have special risk factors and to ensure those patients receive the most appropriate care, even if that requires referral to another medical specialist.
Q: Does chiropractic treatment require a referral from an MD?
A: A referral is usually not needed to see a doctor of chiropractic (DC); however, your health plan may have specific referral requirements. You may want to contact your employer’s human resources department—or the insurance plan directly—to find out if there are referral requirements. Most plans allow you to just call and schedule an appointment with a chiropractor.
Q: Is chiropractic treatment appropriate for children?
A: Yes, children can benefit from chiropractic care. Children are very physically active and experience many types of falls and blows from activities of daily living as well as from participating in sports. Injuries such as these may cause many symptoms including back and neck pain, stiffness, soreness or discomfort. Chiropractic care is always adapted to the individual patient. In the case of children, it is very gentle.
Q: Are chiropractors allowed to practice in hospitals or use medical outpatient facilities?
A: An increasing number of doctors of chiropractic are being recognized to admit and treat patients in hospitals and to use outpatient clinical facilities (such as labs, x-rays, etc.) for their non-hospitalized patients. Hospital privileges were first granted to chiropractors in 1983.
Q: Do insurance plans cover chiropractic?
A: Yes. Chiropractic care is included in most health insurance plans, including major medical plans, workers’ compensation, Medicare, some Medicaid plans, and Blue Cross Blue Shield plans for federal employees, among others. Chiropractic care is also available to active-duty members of the armed forces at more than 60 military bases and is available to veterans at more than 60 major veterans medical facilities.
Q: What type of education and training do chiropractors have?
A: Doctors of chiropractic are educated as primary-contact healthcare providers, with an emphasis on diagnosis and treatment of conditions related to the musculoskeletal system (the muscles, ligaments and joints of the spine and extremities) and the nerves that supply them. Educational requirements for doctors of chiropractic are among the most stringent of any of the healthcare professions. The typical applicant for chiropractic college has already acquired nearly four years of pre-medical undergraduate college education, including courses in biology, inorganic and organic chemistry, physics, psychology and related lab work. They must complete a bachelor degree as well.
Once accepted into an accredited chiropractic college, the requirements become even more demanding — four to five academic years of professional study are the standard. Doctors of chiropractic are educated in orthopedics, neurology, physiology, human anatomy, clinical diagnosis including laboratory procedures, diagnostic imaging, exercise, nutrition, rehabilitation and more. Because chiropractic care includes highly skilled manipulation and adjusting techniques, a significant portion of time is spent in clinical technique training to master these important manipulative procedures. In total, the chiropractic college curriculum includes a minimum of 4,200 hours of classroom, laboratory and clinical experience. The course of study is approved by the Council on Chiropractic Education, an accrediting agency that is recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.
Q: How is a chiropractic adjustment performed?
A: Chiropractic adjustment or manipulation is a manual procedure that utilizes the highly refined skills developed during the doctor of chiropractic’s intensive years of chiropractic education. The chiropractic physician typically uses his or her hands or an instrument to manipulate the joints of the body, particularly the spine, in order to restore or enhance joint function. This often helps resolve joint inflammation and reduces the patient’s pain. Chiropractic manipulation is a highly controlled procedure that rarely causes discomfort. The chiropractor adapts the procedure to meet the specific needs of each patient. Patients often note positive changes in their symptoms immediately following treatment.
See this article for more in-depth information of what happens during a manipulation: What An Adjustment Does
Q: Is chiropractic treatment ongoing?
A: The hands-on nature of the chiropractic treatment is essentially what requires patients to visit the chiropractor a number of times. To be treated by a chiropractor, a patient needs to be in his or her office. In contrast, a course of treatment from medical doctors often involves a pre-established plan that is conducted at home (i.e. taking a course of antibiotics once a day for a couple of weeks). A chiropractor may provide acute, chronic, and/or preventive care thus making a certain number of visits sometimes necessary. Your doctor of chiropractic should tell you the extent of treatment recommended and how long you can expect it to last.
Q: Why is there a popping sound when a joint is adjusted?
A: Adjustment (or manipulation) of a joint may result in the release of a gas bubble between the joints, which makes a popping sound. The same thing occurs when you “crack” your knuckles. The noise is caused by the change of pressure within the joint, which results in gas bubbles being released. There is usually minimal, if any, discomfort involved.
Q: Are all chiropractors the same?
Chiropractors all have extensive training that includes undergraduate degrees along with a 4 year doctorate level education and includes passing national board testing and individual state certifications. Each chiropractic physician may utilize different procedures and treatment types as well, depending on the type of manipulation the chiropractor is trained in. You may hear these terms to describe the type of manipulation: SOT, BSI, Gonstead, Diversified, Activator Method, Upper cervical specific, Thompson Drop-Table Technique, Flexion Distraction, and Spinal Decompression. There are specific techniques for specialized patient categories – expectant mothers, children, elderly, etc.
Is it bad to “crack” your own back?
It’s not wise to “crack”, or adjust, your own spine, and it’s definitely not okay to have a friend or other nonprofessional do it for you. Chiropractors are licensed professionals who are carefully trained to perform spinal adjustments safely. They apply pressure to specific joints in a very precise way. Without training, you cannot adjust yourself accurately or safely. You could cause your spine to become less stable, and you risk injury to joints, ligaments, discs, muscles and nerves.
Do chiropractors take x-rays?
Chiropractors may use imaging such as x-rays, CT scans and MRIs to aid in diagnosis. It is important to see the internal structure and condition of the spine because certain disorders such as arthritis, bone spurs, disc problems and abnormal development or curvature of the spine (as in scoliosis) can only be properly seen with imaging. While some have x-ray equipment in-office, most imaging is done through referral to an imaging center or urgent care facility.
Do chiropractors prescribe medication?
Chiropractors are not licensed to prescribe medication in most U.S. states. The philosophy of chiropractic is to promote wellness through natural techniques that do not require pharmaceuticals. The profession positions itself as a “drug-free, non-surgical science.” Chiropractic aims to avoid the side effects of medications and believes that the human body has the innate ability to heal itself in most instances. The goal of chiropractic care is to target the underlying cause of a problem rather than just medicating the symptoms. Of course, if medication or surgery is necessary in a particular instance, such as for severe pain, chiropractors will work in conjunction with other health care providers to develop the necessary plan of action needed for the well-being of their patients.
Is it okay to see a chiropractor if I’m pregnant?
Chiropractic care during pregnancy can benefit both you and your baby. Loosening ligaments and changes to a pregnant woman’s posture can put pressure on the pelvis and back, which can result in pain in the lower back, hips and knees. Changes in posture may also lead to a painful inflammation of the sciatic nerve and water retention in the ankles. Regular chiropractic treatment during pregnancy can alleviate the added stress on your spine that comes with pregnancy and weight gain. It can relieve pain in the back, hips and joints, and maintain pelvic balance for an easier pregnancy. Chiropractors are trained to treat pregnant women, and they use special techniques and tables that avoid placing pressure on the abdomen; they can also recommend exercises and stretches that are safe and beneficial during pregnancy.