Frequently Asked Questions

Doctors of Chiropractic are particularly well known for their work with the spine. By skillfully manipulating the spinal column, they have historically had a lot of success in treating back pain, neck pain, and certain types of headaches. However, they can also provide aid for a wide range of other injuries and disorders that might be less directly related to the spine. As the nerves in your spine have a strong impact on almost every part of your body, there is any number of ailments that might have a chiropractic solution.

Many doctors will give you a referral to a chiropractor for certain pain, but it is by no means necessary. Some forms of health insurance may require a doctor’s referral in order for the treatment to be covered, so you may wish to contact your provider or HR department before electing to take any non-referred chiropractic treatment.

No medical treatment is completely without risk, but chiropractic enjoys one of the safest records in the medical field. The dangers associated with chiropractic treatment can be even more mild than common alternative pain-killing methods, like prescription-strength drugs. Common side effects include mild aches or soreness, similar to the sensations felt after intense exercise, though these typically disappear within twenty-four hours. Meanwhile, patients are largely able to enjoy immediate relief from debilitating pain that easily offsets any downsides they might experience.

Though some reports have attributed certain high-velocity neck adjustments with strokes or vertebral artery dissection, recent evidence has suggested that such injuries resulting from chiropractic treatment are extremely rare. The best numbers indicate that as few as one in 5.85 million manipulations may result in one of these injuries, and these can be avoided with proper communication of your symptoms to a reliable chiropractor.

Like most medical treatments, chiropracty is entirely appropriate for children. Treatment is adjusted to be as gentle as is needed for the individual patient, and can therefore be an effective solution to many of the common aches and pains that your active child picks up throughout his or her day.

Chiropractors have indeed been allowed to admit and treat patients in hospitals since 1983.

Chiropractors have indeed been allowed to admit and treat patients in hospitals since 1983.

Chiropractic care is covered in many health insurance plans, workers’ compensation, Medicare, some Medicaid plans, and Blue Cross Blue Shield plans for federal employees. Check your individual medical plan to see the terms governing chiropracty.

Chiropractors go through a stringent education before they are allowed to practice professionally. They are trained as primary-contact health care providers, with emphasis on the diagnosis and treatment of musculoskeletal conditions and the nervous system.

After nearly four years of pre-med undergraduate work, they apply for chiropractic college where they partake of four or five years of professional study and clinical training. The full curriculum involves a minimum of 4,200 hours of experience, and is approved and accredited by an agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.

Chiropractic manipulation is typically executed manually by the doctor, or through the use of sophisticated medical instruments. By expertly adjusting the spine or other important structures, the doctor can relieve inflammation in the joints, facilitate blood circulation and ease the patient’s pain.

This is a highly controlled procedure that can be adjusted to meet the specific needs of a patient, who will rarely feel discomfort during the procedure and can often expect to feel positive results immediately following treatment.

Aside from the general nutritional and habit-related advice that a chiropractor might give you, there is little about chiropractic treatment that does not require your presence within the office. Therefore, a lot of chiropractic treatment needs to be administered over the course of multiple visits. You should be told about the extent of treatment you can expect for your particular condition.

Chiropractic adjustment can in many ways be similar to when you “crack” your knuckles or other joints. The sound you hear comes from the release of a bubble that has become trapped within the joint. This is perfectly normal, and generally involves minimal or nil discomfort.