How do I find the right chiropractor?

Well, you put your back ‘out’ over the weekend and it hasn’t gone away.

Ouch!

The last few times it happened, you took it easy for a day or two, and got a couple of good night’s sleep and everything went back to normal.

But not this time. This injury is a little more severe and you know you need help to get back to normal.

What do I do?

If you visit your Medical Doctor (MD) or local health clinic, he or she is likely to refer you to a Chiropractor for treatment after assessing your injury. In that case, it’s probable that your MD has referred others to that same chiropractic practitioner and feels comfortable doing so.

But if you can’t get an appointment with your MD in a reasonable timeframe, here are some tips to get the right kind of spinal help you need so you can return to your normal activities as soon as possible.

What qualifications do chiropractors have?

First off, Chiropractors have taken up to 7 years of specialized training and practicum and their only interest is your best spinal health outcome. Many of them have a regular clientele and yes, some have a waiting list just like your MD.

In choosing the right chiropractor for you, you should look for the following qualifications:

• Approved university course or accredited degree
• Four to five years of tertiary study at an appropriate institution
• Look for official registration or licensing details displayed on their website or advertising material (you should be able to check if a chiropractor is licensed by visiting the website of the local licensing authority)

What about areas of expertise?

A quick online search in your area will turn up a number of Chiropractors, and although all are highly trained to treat you, some specialize in different areas. Here are just some of the different areas chiropractors specialise in:

• The treatment of injuries sustained in high-impact trauma (automobile crashes, workers who fall from a height at a worksite, or other high-impact events where crushing of the person or their spine is a major injury factor)
• Some are involved in treatment and management of congenital defects where a person has been born with a spinal defect or anomaly
• There is an approach known as Gonstead chiropractic, which focuses on your posture and biomechanics.
• Some chiropractors follow a more vitalistic and holistic approach to their care by focusing on what they call your ‘innate healing ability’
• And yet others specialize in workplace-related back injuries (factory workers who do many thousands of repetitive movements per day leading to carpal tunnel syndrome or other ailments, for one example) and the focus is on mitigating that long-term damage and strengthening the back muscles, etc.

To demonstrate just how popular Chiropractors are -- in America alone Doctors of Chiropractic treat 27 million people annually, and 1 million chiropractic adjustments are performed every business day in the United States.

Do they offer complimentary treatment modalities?

Some chiropractors offer 100% chiropractic care whereas other clinics offer a range of different treatment modalities. It depends on what you are comfortable with.

You may like to combine massage with chiropractic, as this is the right combination for you. Alternatively, you may be focused on correcting your posture and find that chiropractic adjustments are appropriate in your case.

Complimentary treatment options may include:

• Acupuncture
• Massage therapy
• Electrical muscle stimulation
• Heat and cryotherapy
• Nutritional counselling
• Special exercises that you can do at home to help speed your recovery
• Other related treatments may become part of what is offered by your Chiropractor, depending upon the type and severity of your injury.

The cost of chiropractic treatment

Expect to pay between $30 and $200 per treatment session, although $65 per session seems to be about the average cost of a Chiropractic treatment. Some chiros offer the first treatment at no charge, or a highly discounted rate. This is good if you aren’t sure if chiropractic is for you – and you don’t have to invest a lot of money upfront.

Are you eligible for a health rebate?

Check with your employer healthcare plan or your health insurance plan to see if any, or all, of your treatment can be covered.

Will I feel better?

Also expect to feel a lot better after a few treatments. A recent study by The Spine Journal found that 94% of patients who underwent chiropractic treatment reported a significant reduction in lower back pain within 4 weeks (4 treatment sessions, at a rate of one treatment per week) and that trend continued with further relief reported after continued treatment.

You can search the American Chiropractic Association website to help you find a Chiropractor in your area and to locate those who specialize in the treatment of your condition.

Stay Well!