10 Frequently Asked Questions about Chiropractic Care
If you are someone who is unfamiliar with Chiropractic Care, then you probably have a few questions about the practice.
How does it work?
Is it safe?
In an effort to squash the many misconceptions, we have gathered the top frequently asked questions pertaining to chiropractic care.
Table of contents:
- How Does It Work?
- What's An Adjustment?
- Is It Safe?
- What Does It Treat?
- What's That Popping Sound?
- How Long Does Treatment Last?
- Are Chiropractors Real Doctors?
- What Are The Side Effects?
- How Is The Adjustment Performed?
- What Does It Cost?
- Seeking Chiropractic Care Near Me
If you've never received chiropractic care, you probably have a lot of questions.
And rightfully so.
Chiropractic care is still relatively new to the mainstream, and there are still a lot of misconceptions.
Some people still think chiropractic care is just some sort of voodoo medicine.
Other people think it will cause irreversible damage to your body.
This post will clear up all of the confusion, as we answer some of the most common questions about chiropractic care.
Related post: How chiropractors help blood circulation.
Let's get to it.
1. How Does Chiropractic Care Work?
First and foremost, let's be clear about how chiropractic care works.
At its core, chiropractic care restores your bodies inborn ability to be healthy all on its own.
When under proper control of your nervous system, all the cells, tissues, and organs of your body are designed to resist disease and sickness.
However, our bodies don't always maintain proper control.
Your chiropractor will locate and remove any interference to your nervous system.
These interferences typically come in the form of misaligned vertebrae.
Improved spinal function equals improved nervous system function.
Your chiropractor removes the interference using specific chiropractic adjustments.
2. What is a Chiropractic Adjustment?
An adjustment is a general term used by chiropractors to describe their use of force to manipulate the spine and reduce subluxation.
Adjustments are also called manipulations, manual manipulations, or a spinal manipulation.
When you see a chiropractor, after your health and diagnostic assessment, they will likely perform an adjustment.
3. Is Chiropractic Care Safe?
Chiropractic care is safe. Compared to the alternatives, chiropractic care is usually the safest option.
Chiropractic care has an excellent safety record.
It's the result of a conservative and natural approach to health that avoids invasive procedures or addictive drugs.
If you need hard proof, all you have to do is compare malpractice rates between chiropractors and other healthcare professionals.
You will find that chiropractors malpractice premiums are a small fraction of those for medical doctors.
4. What Do Chiropractors Treat?
Chiropractors treat patients of all ages with a variety of health conditions.
Chiropractors are most well known for their care for patients with back pain, neck pain, and headaches.
They also treat a wide range of musculoskeletal disorders involving muscles, ligaments, and joints.
These disorders often affect the nervous system, causing deferred pain.
Chiropractors are also considered general practitioners because our body structure affects our overall health.
They can counsel you on diet, nutrition exercise, healthy habits, and lifestyle modification.
5. What is That Popping Sound?
One of the things that scare people away from the chiropractor is the loud popping sound that sometimes accompanies an adjustment.
However, there's nothing to worry about when it comes to that pop.
Similar to cracking your knuckles, that sound is just air escaping from your joints.
Also similar to cracking your knuckles, it generally isn't painful.
Don't let the pop intimidate you.
6. How Long Does Chiropractic Treatment Last?
This generally depends on the patient and his or her conditions and reasons for treatment.
During your first visit to the chiropractor, you will give them your medical history.
Then they will complete a physical examination to get an idea of your current health.
After this is completed, they will lay out a treatment plan for you.
A good chiropractor will do everything in their power to make you feel as good as possible as fast as possible.
But they won't rush anything, and they will be sure to do it right.
They will also give you tips on how to avoid future visits to the chiropractor by providing tips on lifestyle, ergonomics, posture, and diet.
During your first trip to the chiropractor, once they've conducted their exams and received your medical history, they should be able to tell you how long your treatment will take.
7. Are Chiropractors "Real" Doctors?
Every doctor of chiropractic is a highly trained medical doctor with specialized training that culminates in a series of board examinations and completion of state requirements.
So, yes, your chiropractor is a real doctor.
This is one of the biggest misconceptions that
There are 18 accredited chiropractic schools all across the country, currently training around 10,000 chiropractors.
A doctor of chiropractic is required to complete a minimum of 4,200 hours of classroom study, laboratory work, and internships.
That's the same amount of hours required for an MD to complete.
8. Are There Any Side Effects?
Painkillers and more traditional treatments like surgery have a laundry list of severe side effects that can be very long-term.
With chiropractic care, the only real side effects are a bit of soreness that is gone within a day.
And that usually doesn't even happen.
In even rarer cases, some patients may experience a headache or fatigue after an adjustment.
Chiropractic care prides itself on being a treatment that has little to no side effects for its patients.
Compared to traditional treatments, chiropractic care's side effects are irrelevant.
9. How is the Adjustment Performed?
Your chiropractor will use his or her hands, and sometimes an instrument, to manipulate the joints of the body, particularly the spine, to restore or enhance joint function.
Chiropractic manipulation is a highly controlled procedure that rarely causes discomfort.
Your chiropractor will adapt the procedure to meet your specific needs.
You will often feel positive changes immediately following treatment.
10. How Much Does It Cost?
The question you've all been waiting for; how much is this going to cost you?
That, too, depends.
It will depend on your treatment plans and your insurance coverage among other things.
However, people who see a chiropractor instead of an allopathic doctor have on average 40% lower out-of-pocket costs.
A study in 2015 of 719 patients found that patients seeing medical doctors first had significantly higher medical costs than those who chose chiropractic care.
They also saw a significantly lower reduction of pain compared to those who saw a chiropractor.
So, it's often cheaper, and it works just as good, if not better than seeing a medical doctor.
Chiropractic Care Questions, Answered.
There you have it.
Ten prevalent questions about chiropractic care answered for you.
I hope this cleared up a lot for you and removed any reservations you had about seeing a chiropractor.
