Frequently Asked Questions

Doctors of Chiropractic (DCs) care for patients of all ages, with a variety of health conditions. DCs are especially well known for their expertise in caring for patients with back pain, neck pain, and headaches, particularly with their highly skilled manipulations or chiropractic adjustments.

They also care for patients with a wide range of injuries and disorders of the musculoskeletal system involving the muscles, ligaments, and joints. These painful conditions often involve or impact the nervous system and can cause referred pain and dysfunction distant to the region of injury.

The benefits of chiropractic care also extend to general health issues because our body structure affects our overall function. DCs also counsel patients on diet, nutrition, exercise, healthy habits, and occupational and lifestyle modification.

A referral is usually not needed to see a doctor of chiropractic. However, your health plan may have specific referral requirements. You may want to contact your employer’s human resources department or the insurance plan directly to find out if there are any referral requirements. Most plans allow you to just call and schedule an appointment.

Chiropractic is widely recognized as one of the safest drug-free, non-invasive therapies available for the treatment of neuromusculoskeletal complaints. Although chiropractic has an excellent safety record, no health treatment is completely free of potential adverse effects. The risks associated with chiropractic, however, are very small.

Many patients feel immediate relief following chiropractic treatment, but some may experience mild soreness or aching, just as they do after some forms of exercise. Current literature shows that minor discomfort or soreness following spinal manipulation typically fades within 24 hours. Neck pain and some types of headaches are treated through precise cervical manipulation. Cervical manipulation, often called a neck adjustment, works to improve joint mobility in the neck, restore range of motion, reduce muscle spasm, and relieve pressure and tension.

Neck manipulation is a remarkably safe procedure. While some reports have associated upper high-velocity neck manipulation with a certain kind of stroke or vertebral artery dissection, recent evidence suggests that this type of arterial injury often takes place spontaneously or following everyday activities such as turning the head while driving, swimming, or having a shampoo in a hair salon. Patients with this condition may experience neck pain and headaches that lead them to seek professional care, often at the office of a doctor of chiropractic or family physician. That care, however, is not the cause of the injury.

The best evidence indicates that the incidence of artery injuries associated with high-velocity upper neck manipulation is extremely rare – about one case in 5.85 million manipulations. If you are visiting your doctor of chiropractic with upper-neck pain or headaches, be very specific about your symptoms. This will help your doctor of chiropractic offer the safest and most effective treatment, even if it involves referral to another health care provider.

It is important for patients to understand the risks associated with some of the most common treatments for musculoskeletal pain, such as prescriptions and over-the-counter nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID), as these treatments may carry risks significantly greater than those of chiropractic manipulation. According to a study from the American Journal of Gastroenterology, approximately one-third of all hospitalizations and deaths related to gastrointestinal bleeding can be attributed to the use of aspirin or NSAID painkillers like Ibuprofen.

Yes, children can benefit from chiropractic care. Children are very physically active and experience many types of falls and blows from activities of daily living as well as from participating in sports. Injuries such as these may cause many symptoms including back and neck pain, stiffness, soreness, or discomfort. Chiropractic care is always adapted to the individual patient. It is a highly skilled treatment, and in the case of children, very gentle.

Yes. Chiropractic care is included in most health insurance plans, including major medical plans, workers’ compensation, Medicare, Medicaid, and Blue Cross Blue Shield for federal employees.

Doctors of chiropractic are educated as primary-contact health care providers with an emphasis on diagnosis and treatment of conditions related to the musculoskeletal system (the muscles, ligaments, and joints of the spine and extremities) and the nerves that supply them. Educational requirements for doctors of chiropractic are among the most stringent of any of the health care professions.

The typical applicant for chiropractic college has already acquired nearly four years of pre-medical undergraduate college education including courses in biology, inorganic and organic chemistry, physics, psychology, and related lab work. Once accepted into an accredited chiropractic college, the requirements become even more demanding - with four to five academic years of professional study are the standard.

Doctors of chiropractic are educated in orthopedics, neurology, physiology, human anatomy, clinical diagnosis including laboratory procedures, diagnostic imaging, exercise, and nutrition rehabilitation. Chiropractic care includes highly skilled manipulation / adjustment techniques, so a significant portion of time is spent in clinical technique training to master these important manipulative procedures.

In total, the chiropractic college curriculum includes a minimum of 4,200 hours of classroom, laboratory, and clinical experience. The course of study is approved by an accrediting agency that is fully recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.

Chiropractic adjustment or manipulation is a manual procedure that utilizes the highly refined skills developed during the intense years of chiropractic education. The chiropractic physician typically uses his or her hands or an instrument to manipulate the joints of the body, particularly the spine, to restore or enhance joint function. This often helps resolve joint inflammation and reduce pain.

Chiropractic manipulation is a highly controlled procedure that rarely causes discomfort. The chiropractor adapts the procedure to meet the specific needs of each patient. Patients often note positive changes in their symptoms immediately following treatment.

The hands-on nature of chiropractic treatment is essentially what requires patients to visit the chiropractor multiple times. To be treated by a chiropractor, a patient needs to be in an office. In contrast, a course of treatment from medical doctors often involves a pre-established plan that is conducted at home (i.e. taking a course of antibiotics once a day for a couple of weeks). A chiropractor may provide acute, chronic, and / or preventive care, sometimes making multiple visits necessary. Your doctor of chiropractic should tell you the extent of treatment recommended and how long you can expect it to last.

Adjustment or manipulation of a joint may result in the release of a gas bubble between the joints, resulting in a popping sound. The same thing occurs when you “crack” your knuckles. The noise is caused by the change of pressure within the joint, which results in gas bubbles being released. There is usually minimal or no discomfort.