Acupuncture

How To Find The Right Chiropractor

Finding the right Chiropractor is the same as finding any good healthcare professional, it's a bit like forming a relationship – set it up correctly in the beginning, and you’ll be happy for life.

So the first thing you should do is find a few Chiropractors in your area to choose from. You can do this by ‘Word of Mouth’, searching the web, the Yellow Pages, or even just keeping your eyes peeled for Chiropractic offices in your neighborhood.

Once you’ve narrowed down your options, you’ll then want to call these offices to grab some preliminary info and possibly book a consultation (often these are free).

Ask a lot of questions. Including:

• What fees they charge
• How long the Chiropractor has been practising.
• Do they have positive experience in dealing with your particular problem?
• Do they have a specialty? (They may be willing to refer you to another Chiropractor that specializes in your needs)
• What sort of techniques do they use?
• How often they recommend treatments for your particular situation?
• Do they belong to a recognized Chiropractic association for your area? (These are responsible for training, awarding credentials, and regulating professionals like the one you are visiting. All of these have websites you can visit).

Once you find a professional that feels like a good match for you (don’t be shy about continuing to look until you find the right one), then consider things like:

• How far will you need to travel to get to their office? (You don't want to be going so far that all the benefit of a treatment are negated by a stressful, tiring journey.)
• How flexible are their bookings? (Some offices are so busy that you need to book weeks and months ahead of time, which can be problematic if changes need to be made at the last minute).
• What are their business hours?
• What policies do they use? (e.g. some charge a ‘no-show’ fee for missing scheduled appointments without enough notice)

You want your Chiropractic sessions to be as comfortable as possible to help the healing process move along. You should be given a clear idea of how long you will need treatments before you feel noticeable improvement. If after a while you feel no improvement, talk to your Chiropractor, and be prepared to consider switching to another professional if you feel they can’t meet your needs.

Most of the Chiropractors you meet will be very professional healthcare professionals with your best interests in mind… However, there are Chiropractors out there that you will want to avoid.

Here are a few tips on what to look out for:-

• If they are making any “Too good to be true” claims, they might be just that. Many health problems can see improvement from spinal adjustment, but not all. If one claims to be able do something for you that none of the others do, they are probably misleading you.
• Anyone who tries to pressure you into signing up for a very long treatment period. (Bear in mind that some health problems do require long-term care, but some Chiropractors have been known to push for treatment plans of several visits a week for months and even years for a relatively small problem.) It’s possible that this person is motivated more by greed than your well-being. If you think this is the case, get a second opinion, and be prepared to move on.
  

Useful Links

http://www.chiropractic-uk.co.uk/

http://www.acatoday.org/

http://chiropractors.asn.au/

http://www.chiropracticcanada.ca/

http://www.chiropractic.co.za/