Chiropractic
Find a chiropractor
The best way to find a qualified chiropractor is through another provider's referral or through a personal referral from a friend. The advice of someone with firsthand experience is always valuable when choosing a healthcare provider.
In addition, national associations including the American Chiropractic Association and state trade associations maintain listings of board certified chiropractors.
Learn more about choosing the right provider for youIf you have a specific concern, you may want to look for a chiropractor with specialization and experience in that area. You might call the chiropractor's office and ask about the chiropractor's education and experience with particular conditions.
If you have insurance coverage, you will also want to investigate whether or not that chiropractor is covered under your specific plan.
What are some of the differences among chiropractors?
It should be noted that the care recommendations you receive from one office may be quite different from those you receive from another office. In contrast to conventional medicine, there is a much wider range of acceptable approaches and types of treatments given across chiropractic.
There are more than 100 named chiropractic methods, each varying in the approach to assessment and corrective techniques. Some utilize spinal motion or the responses to various "touch" point challenges. Examples of these various methods are Motion Palpation, Gonstead, and Applied Kinesiology, each employing their own assessment approach and type of adjustment.
Learn how to research health issues onlineMany chiropractors will incorporate a variety of methods in practice, adapting to the patient or to the problem at hand. These are often referred to as Diversified or Integrated techniques. No one approach has yet proved superior to another. If you are interested, you should ask about the techniques and why the chiropractor uses them, and do your own research online for more information.
Other questions you might ask when selecting a chiropractor
- How they feel about working collaboratively with your primary care doctor
- How willing they are to refer you to specialists
- What services they provide in their office, such as physiotherapy
- Their preferred goals of care. Ask what is typically done on a first visit (you should expect to be treated, not just assessed). Continued care to sustain wellness is good practice, but this decision will need to come through thoughtful discussions between you and your chiropractor.
How much does it cost?
Compared with other types of integrative care, coverage of chiropractic by insurance plans is extensive. In addition, Medicare covers chiropractic visits.
The cost of chiropractic care will vary in part upon where you live and the type of coverage you carry. If you have health insurance, check your insurance policies, since many insurers cover chiropractic care. Auto accidents and on-the-job injuries are also usually covered. Your policy may require you use chiropractors only within your provider network, stipulate that care must be approved in advance, require a copay, or have limits on the number of visits covered.
