Finding the right chiropractor to suit your individual needs can be a difficult task, particularly if you have never been to a chiropractor before. There are many different chiropractic treatment techniques as well as different philosophies and approaches to case management. Sadly, some new chiropractic patients are dipleased with their initial chiropractic experience because they chose a chiropractor whose approach was not consistent with the patient’s wants and expectations. For those who have a bad first experience with chiropractic, there is a tendency to assume that all chiropractic treatment is the same and they may decide never to try chiropractic care again. This is a shame, because many people who purposefully avoid chiropractic care could get tremendous health benefits from the right kind of chiropractic – oftentimes far superior to the results that can be achieved with any other type of treatment.
In order to find the right chiropractor, there are some basic things to take into consideration that will greatly enhance your chances of having a positive experience. To begin, it is probably easier to discuss the things you should avoid doing when seeking the right chiropractor for you.
Probably the majority of people intially search for a chiropractor in some sort of directory, either the phone book or the provider list supplied by their insurance company, or they do a search online for local chiropractors. Those unfamiliar with chiropratic often fail to realize that there are tremendous differences in treatment methods and case management styles from one chiropractor to the next, so the choice is usually made based on location, their insurance coverage, and the fees charged per visit. While these factors do need to be considered, they are actually not good factors in determinint whether a chiropractor is going to be a good match for a given patient.
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.
Besides spinal adjustments, chiropractors may provide a variety of other treatments, such as ultrasound, electrical stimulation, massage, hydrotherapy, and rehabilitative exercise instruction. Because of the variation in treatments used, the time and cost per visit will vary considerably among different chiropractors. While not always the case, chiropractors who do more on each visit will not require as many visits to get good results. This can be an important consideration when planning the time and out of pocket expense for your chiropractic care.
Another important thing to consider is the chiropractor’s case management style. Some chiropractors focus on just providing symptomatic relief, while other chiropractors recommend rehabilitative treatment, and others promote long-term corrective and preventive treatment to correct and maintain skeletal alignment as much as possible. These different approaches to case management can translate to considerable differences in the duration and frequency of treatment and the related out of pocket financial cost of care.
So, before you choose a chiropractor, it is strongly suggested that you take the time to consider what your goal of treatment is. You need o decide whether you are dedicated enough to invest the necessary time and money to do long-term corrective and preventive care, or whether you simply want a doctor who is willing to provide “patch” care to allow you to feel better and get on with your life for the time being. Neither approach is wrong or right, it just depends on what your needs and desires are at this particular point in your life.
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.
