You’re in pain. When seeking a chiropractic adjustment, there are some tips to consider for finding the best chiropractor for you. There are different forms of chiropractic treatments and different providers for each of those services. Additionally, chiropractic services are highly individualized so your results won’t be the same as any other patient.

How do you go about finding the best chiropractor?

Get Recommendations for a Chiropractor

The first place to start would be to ask your own primary care physician, or other health care provider that is familiar with your health condition. It’s good to get a few names so that you can research them further on your own.

The other source of recommendations is your family, friends, or facebook followers. Remember that each person is unique and their conditions won’t be exactly the same as yours, so take that into consideration when evaluating the names that come up. Don’t blindly go with any recommendation, rather, put them on a list for further evaluation.

Find a Chiropractor Covered by Your Insurance

One important consideration for chiropractic adjustments is cost as you will likely need multiple, recurring treatments. Unless you have a big budget for personal healthcare, it’s prudent to check what chiropractors are covered by your health insurance. Sometimes health insurance covers chiropractic services, and sometimes they do not.

Check Which Chiropractor Specializes in Your Issue

Many chiropractors specialize in certain areas, like neck problems, lower back problems, sports injuries, pediatrics, and so forth. This is one thing to consider if you have a specific issue. Finding a chiropractor that frequently deals with your particular problem can be helpful in ensuring you get the best results possible. Some chiropractors receive specialized education to improve their competency.

Read Chiropractor Reviews

Once you have a list of names narrowed down, it’s often helpful to check chiropractor reviews. It’s always comforting to see that a chiropractor has an established presence and is confirmed by multiple reviews to be a competent provider. Spend time reading the review details, as sometimes it’s really a patient issue versus a review of service. For example, a patient may not get desired results due to unrealistic expectations, or their issue may not have been treatable with chiropractic adjustments.  That’s not justifiable reason for a bad review.

Check Chiropractor Education and Licenses

Chiropractors should be licensed in your state, have a Doctor of Chiropractic degree, and have continuing education to maintain their license. Check your states board of chiropractic providers for both up to date licensing as well as any disciplinary actions. You’ll also want someone with at least five years of experience.

How to Interview a Chiropractor

The next step is to interview prospective chiropractors. While this can be done over the phone, it’s better to visit the clinic as you’ll get the opportunity to see the office and get a better feeling for how you’ll get along with the chiropractor. Some questions you might ask are:

  1. Do they provide treatment in a private or shared room? Important if you’re not comfortable in an open environment.
  2. What chiropractic techniques does the chiropractor use? This may include Diversified Technique, Gonstead, Graston Technique, Cox Flexion, etc.
  3. What technique are they recommending for you and why? Some techniques use instruments instead of hands, so you’ll want to be comfortable with their choice.
  4. What is their experience in treating patients with similar symptoms as you?
  5. How much experience do they have in the technique they are recommending for you?
  6. What is the treatment plan and duration? Be aware of chiropractors that recommend 6 or more months of treatment.

Related: The pros and cons of seeing a chiropractor

We wish you the best in your search for finding the best chiropractor for you. If you have other ideas or suggestions that we should consider, let us know in the comments below. Thank you.