1. Is a chiropractor a REAL doctor?
YES!! A chiropractor is indeed a REAL doctor, investing slightly
more hours of study than a medical school student. The official
degree for a chiropractor is a D.C. degree, or Doctor of Chiropractic
degree.
2. How long is a chiropractor’s training, and what does it
consist of?
To become a Doctor of Chiropractic, a prospective student must be
accepted to an accredited school of chiropractic, just as he or she
would have to be accepted to an accredited medical school. Most
chiropractic students are required to have a Bachelor’s degree for
admission to chiropractic school. Once admitted to chiropractic
school, the student must study most of the same courses required
in medical school; the main exception is that medical school students
study more pharmacology (the science of drugs) while chiropractic
students study more anatomy. Chiropractic school is typically 3.5
- 4 years long. To obtain a professional license to practice in the
United States, chiropractic students must also take and pass four
separate national board certification exams. In addition, some
states require an exam especially designed for that particular state.
3. What happens in an office visit to a chiropractor?
On your very first visit, the doctor will obtain your history, including
your personal, occupational and medical information. The doctor will
then go over what has brought you to the office, listening and taking
notes. After that, you will undergo a postural analysis, ranges of motion
tests and several orthopedic and chiropractic exams. Additional tests
may be given to you for a specific suspected condition. X-rays or other
advanced imaging may be indicated for you. The doctor will sit down
with you and explain the results of all tests and exams, and then he or
she will determine if you can benefit from chiropractic care. If so, your
doctor will explain how chiropractic care can help you and will tell you
what you can expect from your care.
4. What is an adjustment?
A chiropractic adjustment is a carefully applied, gentle force that
moves a bone or bones within a joint that the doctor has assessed
and determined to be misaligned. The adjustment moves the bone
or bones back into proper alignment. It takes skillful knowledge,
precision and accurate application of force to properly perform an
adjustment.
5. Why does someone have to have more than one
adjustment? Shouldn’t the bones stay in alignment
once they have been adjusted?
When a bone or bones become misaligned, the surrounding soft tissues
(muscles, ligaments, tendons, etc.) become accustomed and accom-
modate to the misaligned position. Even though the misaligned bone
or bones have been put back into alignment, the soft tissues that
surround the area will tend to pull the bone(s) back into misalignment,
because the soft tissues have remained adapted to the misalignment
and not yet adapted to the proper alignment. The soft tissues have
to be “re-trained” to accept the proper bone alignment, and this is
done by adjusting the area until the soft tissues have adapted to the
proper alignment of the bone(s).
6. Why do some adjustments cause a popping sound?
Should all adjustments have a popping sound?
Although extensive research has been done to answer this question,
it is not fully known or understood why this happens. The most
common belief is that the gases trapped inside the surrounding
ligaments are released with a popping sound when the nearby
bone is adjusted. The absence of a popping sound does not mean
that a bone has not been adjusted; some adjustments on some
patients cause no sound at all, although the bone or bones have
been moved.
7. Does an adjustment hurt?
An adjustment is meant to be a gentle, yet skillfully applied force to
correct a bone misalignment, and it should not be painful. The
patient may feel a pressure, but most patients experience a sense
of instant relief when the adjustment is delivered.
8. What will my chiropractor adjust me with?
Different chiropractic techniques use different methods and tools.
The most commonly used adjustment tools are the doctor’s hands.
This is called manual adjusting. Sometimes, a doctor will use a
special table with movable parts that assist in the adjustment’s ease
and effectiveness. Other doctors use an adjusting tool that is hand
-held by the doctor and that can move one specific bone in a specific
direction with very minimal force. Your doctor will explain what he
or she uses to adjust with and will certainly consider your particular
needs, progress and feedback with any adjustment technique or tool.
9. How will I feel after an adjustment?
There are basically 3 reactions to a chiropractic adjustment. One is
that you will feel great, energized, and almost euphoric. Another is
that you will feel no differently at all. The third reaction is that you
will feel some soreness in the area or areas that were adjusted.
Another common reaction is that you will feel sleepy. Chiropractic
adjustments, in most people, release endorphins, which are chemicals
that the body releases into the blood to make you feel good. It is
normal to feel sleepy after an adjustment, as it is your body’s way
of telling you that your inner healing power has been released and
the body needs rest to properly take care of the healing process.
It is also normal to feel some soreness in your adjusted areas as the
soft tissues become adapted to the proper alignment of the nearby
bones. Any sharp pains following an adjustment should be
immediately reported to your doctor.
10. Will I get a stroke from a neck adjustment?
The incidence of stroke as a result of a chiropractic adjustment is
very rare, about one case in 2 million. Chiropractic care is recognized
the world over for its safety and non-invasiveness.
11. I can “adjust myself” – why do I need a chiropractor
to adjust me?
Sometimes, people think that when they pop their neck or back
or fingers, this is an adjustment. This is not true. With very few
exceptions, it is almost impossible to adjust yourself. Even
chiropractors themselves go to other chiropractors for their
adjustments. It is also not a good idea to get a friend or relative
to jump up and down on your sore back or to twist your aching
neck in an attempt to find relief. Chiropractors have been intensely
and extensively trained in proper chiropractic assessment and
technique. You wouldn’t allow your hair stylist to work on your
teeth, would you?
12. Once I become a chiropractic patient, will I have to
see a chiropractor twice a week for the rest of my life?
This is a very common concern and has a mixed answer. On your first
visit to your chiropractor, you will be examined and assessed. The
doctor will explain to you the care plan that he or she has determined
will best work for you. If your condition is very painful and interferes
with your quality of everyday life, you will most likely be advised to
see your chiropractor several times a week until you are out of pain
and better able to function. THIS TAKES TIME!! The longer you
have had a painful condition, the longer it will usually take to resolve
it. Also, every human being has different rates of healing and response
to care. A good chiropractic doctor will do what is best FOR YOU.
Just as you would carefully follow the advice of a heart surgeon, you
should listen to and work with your chiropractor to get and stay
well. How many times in your life have you been to your dentist?
You go every six months to have a checkup for your teeth. If you are
having problems, you will see your dentist more often. The same
concerns should be addressed for your spine. In fact, you can live
without teeth. You cannot live without a spine.
13. If I’m not in pain, why should I see a chiropractor?
Extensive research into pain and causes of pain show that pain is
often the last symptom that a person experiences when something
is wrong. It is a big red flag that there is a problem and serves to
get your attention focused on the problem area so that you will have
it taken care of soon. Conversely, pain is often the first symptom
to go away when chiropractic care is given. Because of this, most
people believe they are “cured” or “healed” and no longer seek care
when they are out of pain. Unfortunately, only the pain symptom
has disappeared. The CAUSE of the problem may still be present
and needs to be addressed because it can make the same problem
appear again, and you will feel pain again, as a result. For example,
if you were sitting at home and your fire alarm went off, would you
simply get up, turn off the fire alarm, and go sit back down? NO,
not if you care about your home, your loved ones and your life!!
You would investigate and deal with the CAUSE of the problem before
doing anything else. It is the same with pain. Work with your
chiropractor to figure out what the CAUSE of your pain is, and help
your doctor to address it so that your healing can be complete. It
is the same as when your medical doctors advises you to take an
antibiotic for the full 10-day course of treatment, even if you feel
better before the treatment course is complete, chiropractors advise
their patients to continue their care until assessments and tests
show that the body has effectively healed.
14. I know that chiropractors can help relieve the pain
in my sore back or neck. What else do chiropractors
work on?
Chiropractors can have specialties just like some medical doctors do.
Some chiropractors focus on treating professional athletes, some focus
on treating babies and young children, families or certain types of
problems such as a reversed curvature in the neck, whiplash or migraine
headaches. Chiropractors are taught many basic techniques that can be
applied to most patients’ problems, and some chiropractors also adjust
special areas such as extremities (shoulders, feet, hands, knees, ankles
and feet). Interestingly enough, chiropractors can also adjust parts of
the body such as the jaw (for TMJ relief) and the sinuses (for relief of
congestion). There are chiropractors that can help a woman to become
more fertile so that she can get pregnant and others that can use a
“Webster technique” to help turn an unborn baby into proper position
for being born. Chiropractors can also help with children who have
been diagnosed with scoliosis. There are many conditions that
chiropractors can help with, and they do it without drugs, needles
or surgery!
15. Who can see a chiropractor?
The quick and simple answer to this question is, “Anybody with a
spine can see a chiropractor.” However, your reasons for seeing a
chiropractor should go deeper than that. Perhaps you want healthcare
for yourself and your family that does not use invasive or sometimes
unsafe methods, such as drugs with adverse side effects or surgery
that does not always work the way it is supposed to or has high risks.
Chiropractic delivers healthcare that is proven to be safe, non-invasive
and effective for many conditions. You also do not need to be referred
to a chiropractor. Chiropractors are primary health care providers,
which means that anybody can go see a chiropractor if they so wish;
they do not need to have a referral from a medical doctor to do so (as
is the case with a physical therapist).
16. Will I be able to see a chiropractor and a medical
doctor at the same time?
Of course! There are many, many patients that have more than one
doctor that co-manage their condition, such as cancer patients. For
example, an oncologist (cancer specialist) takes care of a patient’s
cancer treatment, while a chiropractor can help the same patient find
drug-free pain relief and enable the spine to be properly aligned so
that the medications the patient must take can work more effectively.
17. I’m currently taking medication… does that mean
that I cannot be adjusted?
It depends upon the medication. For example, there are certain blood
thinners that thin the blood too much for the patient to be adjusted
with certain chiropractic techniques. It is important for you to provide
your chiropractor with a complete list of all your medications so that
your doctor can decide upon the best course of chiropractic adjustment
for you.
18. Will a chiropractor tell me to stop taking my
medications prescribed by my medical doctor?
NO!! A conscientious chiropractor will never tell you to stop taking
medication that your medical doctor has prescribed for you. While it
is your chiropractor’s hope and goal that your chiropractic care will
result in you being taken off your medication by your medical doctor,
only you and your medical doctor together can make the determination
for you to stop taking prescribed medication.
