If you are reading this article on any other site than What Everyone Needs To Know then you are reading a stolen article. It seems there are a lot of scrapers out there steeling posts and putting major excerpts on their fake sites for content.
In my last post I discussed how to choose and acupuncturist. In this post I want to do the same for, how to choose a chiropractor, and I will end this series of posts with how to choose a naturopathic physician.
I’ve seen several chiropractors and actually have some friends who are chiropractors. I first started seeing one back in the early 90s. I was being seen for an on the job injury to my back. Treatments lasted over 2 years (I know better now). Prior to that I had spinal manipulation from an Osteopath all through middle school and high school. I had a lot of sports injuries 
The osteopath, in one treatment, would align my spine and I wouldn’t have to come back! Good luck finding a chiropractor like that!
Chiropractic and Osteopathic manipulation is quite different from what I’ve had. Chiropractors will often just “crack” you and send you on your way. Where an Osteopath tends to do a gentle manipulation after lots of other therapies to get your muscles relaxed. This is a big difference and the number one thing I tell people to look for. Regardless if you are going for chiropractic or osteopathic, find someone that uses massage, ultra-sound, TENS, or whatever therapy they have found that works well to relax the muscles considerably before any type of manipulation.
You see, if you do a spinal alignment with tight muscles the likelihood of putting something else out of place is highly likely. This is great for having return patients but terrible if you are the patient. Unfortunately, the chiropractic field has become swamped with “crack them and rack them” practitioners that do nothing other than forcibly crack your spine and send you on your way. You are better off doing stretching and exercises than to see such a practitioner!
What to look for when finding a Chiropractor
Unlike my “how to choose and acupuncturist” post, there really isn’t a lot to look at on the web for Chiropractic medicine. Not that there isn’t a lot out there. There is a ton! That’s the problem. Chiropractors are great at marketing. Unlike acupuncturist who learn nothing about marketing in school, chiropractors learn a ton and they use it, all of them. Therefore, everyone is very slick! So, don’t rely on their marketing. It’s all BS. Every chiropractor I know has some “great new technique” that works wonders. BS! As a good friend who’s a chiropractor told me, “if that were true then everyone would be doing it. Everyone is looking for something that really works.”
That’s true. If there was something so great then I expect every chiropractor would be on it like white on rice. The reality is, they are great marketers and they know the best way to make money is to differentiate from everyone else. Therefore, most try to learn some highly marketed technique that will make them look good. The techniques by and large are all BS.
What you want is very simple. Someone that takes the time to make certain that you are properly warmed up and relaxed before doing any adjustments. Secondly, you DO NOT want someone that does hard forceful adjustments. You DO WANT someone that does an actual adjustment but does it gently, thereby not causing other misalignments. Finally, you DO NOT want someone that insists on signing up for large packages.
This is the hot new marketing technique. Sell your patients on them being sick and to get better they need to buy a years worth of treatments or you won’t take them on as a patient. Well boys and girls. . . you don’t want to be that person’s patient. Not at all. They are looking at you like a paycheck only.
Chiropractic medicine is rather simple. Re-align the joints. That’s what you want. You can find your own nutritionist, acupuncturist, massage therapist, etc. . . you want a chiropractor who does that and is good at it. A sign of someone grasping for patients is that they add on a ton of other modalities. Chiropractors can practice acupuncture in many states with little (100 hours) or no training. If you see one of these types, run! They are telling you loud and clear that they are a jack of all trades and master of nothing.
OK, that’s it. Really! There isn’t much to it. Ask friends who they have seen and how they were treated. Call and ask them how they treat. Do they do something to ensure relaxed muscles before hand or not? That’s the key. Ask what other modalities they do and if they give you a list back say, thanks but no thanks. Find someone that does manipulations well and takes their time at it. They will most likely cost more per treatment but you will not have to see them nearly as much thus, it will be cheaper in the end.
You have many valid points regarding chiropractic and marketing. There is a growing contingent of chiropractors who are very opposed to year long packages of treatment. I happen to be one of them. I employ soft tissue techniques but I also do the “hard” adjusting that you describe. “Hard” does not mean hurting someone. And it’s more than just straightening out the joints. Chiropractic is neurology. Every joint and muscle in the body contains tiny receptors that respond to motion and feed information into the central nervous system (brain and spine). The CNS thrives on this input! When joints become fixated or locked up those motion detectors lie dormant and therefore the brain receives less input. Less input equals less output to all the other parts of the body. You are now on your way to a slow death. The chiropractic adjustment restores motion to the joints, fires a barrage of information into the joint receptors, and helps the muscle relax. Thats it in a nutshell! Thank for letting me get my 2cents in.
Thanks for the comment.
Thanks for the added info about Chiropractic care. Never would call myself an expert on chiropractic, but I’ve had enough treatments to know good and bad treatments. Great to hear you take the time to relax the muscles prior to cracking….
I personally love the “hard” crack as long as I’m warmed up prior. Then there isn’t the need for as much force. I think that’s the key. Too much force puts other stuff out, and since I’m very tight naturally I’ve had several chiros who used lots of force. . . not good.
Some of what you are recommending is on target but some is a bit off base. The research for most of the modalities (ultrasound, electric muscle stim, TENS, etc) is pretty poor. I do use them in some cases but I wouldn’t rule out a chiropractor simply because they do not use them.
As far as prepaid payment plans and large packages, I agree — run away.
Forceful adjustments? Not for everyone but a grade 5 adjustment is just what is needed for some conditions - and not for others. Soft tissue procedures (PIR, PFS, Graston Technique, etc) is more appropriate for other conditions. Laser therapy or rehabilitation for other conditions.
Chiropractic is more than “realigning the joints” as you state. There is diagnosis involved. Recognition of what we should and should not treat. Muscular, ligamentous and nerve issues. To oversimplify in the same way we wouldn’t say acupuncture is just sticking needles in the skin. There’s a little more to it than that.
The good ones make it look easy and simple
Thanks for the comment.
Good to see you agree with the prepaid plans…run, run, run away
I think you may have taken “forceful adjustment” wrong. I’m not saying that some force is not needed; however, the muscles align the spine thus if they are not addressed first then the adjustment will not hold. The muscles will just go back to their “holding pattern” and pull things back out of alignment.
The Osteopath that treated me in high-school used little force because he warmed up the muscles very well before treatment and he aligned the entire spine in one treatment. I rarely had to go back for multiple alignments. . . only when I had a severe muscle injury and then it was for physical therapy more than an alignment.
Regardless of the “research” we all know when our muscles are relaxed, and as therapist we should be able to tell when a patient’s muscles are well relaxed. Whatever technique is used to get the person there is mute. I’ve seen people become extremely relaxed within minutes using mental techniques. Imagine that, two minutes of “mind relaxation” prior to a good alignment. I’m sure research could never prove the technique’s validity but the patient can feel it and you can see that they responded, and that’s the importance of clinical reality.
The chiros I’ve seen have been the opposite. . . I know, not all are like this and that’s why I wrote this post. What they did was use more force and more force to move skeletal structures that were “locked up” due to muscle hyper-tension. That was bad! Very bad! I’ve experienced enough and studied enough medicine to know that there is absolutely no need for that type of treatment. I was stupid then and didn’t know better. Sadly that has become a large part of many chiropractors practice. . . reef on it till it moves then scratch their head and wonder why it didn’t move?!?!?!?! Yes, I have had these treatments by more than a half dozen chiropractors. In fact, this is the ONLY type of treatment I have received from chiropractors other than the two who used the activator method which, in my opinion, is useless especially when muscles are in tetany. The only TENS or therapy used was always after cracking me. I know enough now to say, that is a bad treatment! To me, that type of treatment goes against the whole idea of chiropractic medicine. I understand the need to make more money and why many do it this way—crack ‘em and rack ‘em. It’s a numbers game. You have to see enough patients to pay the bills and people do not want to pay for good health care; however, I think if they were educated they might make a better choice and pay more for better therapies.
I’m sure I’m not using your terminology. What I’m simply saying is, there is no need to forcefully (excessive force) adjust anything in the spine. The spine can be aligned with minimal force, and it will go back into place if the muscles have been addressed first. Ignoring the muscles and doing an adjustment first seems. . . well, stupid.
Basic anatomy and physiology tells us that the muscles keep the bones aligned, and advanced physiology tells us the muscles develop memory and hold patterns that must be addressed. Reefing on a joint doesn’t address that.
Chiropractic medicine is a great modality! I think it is one of the best there is; however, many chiropractors have left the theory behind and gone onto become crack ‘em and rack ‘em specialists and in my opinion that is not good chiropractic medicine. . .
Just a chiropractic patient and fellow alternative medical practitioner’s opinion
After reading your article “How to Choose a Chiropractor”, I feel that some points need to be addressed. First of all, I am a chiropractor and I come from a chiropractic family, and I have known it as a way of life rather than as a job. I have had the fortune to have some of the greatest healers of our time be role models for me; many of them chiropractors, but many in just about every field of alternative care as well. I would have to say that in any of the healing professions there are probably 5% that I would entrust myself or my family to. That includes chiropractors. With that said I would like to address the points of your article one at a time.
Regarding chiropractors being great at marketing, while that may be true of some, many do not use a lot of marketing. This is because chiropractors do not get a lot of exposure to marketing in most of the schools as you state. Most marketing that some chiropractors do is something they choose to pursue after school. This is a fact. As a general rule, don’t rely on anyone’s marketing, including sites which appear to be blogs.
While many chiros have been taught the Diversified technique, (“rack em and crack em” technique) which is the overwhelmingly dominant technique, there are probably over 150 strictly chiropractic techniques in existence. Many of them are low or extremely low force. When someone has been taught Diversified technique in school and has been led to believe that it is either the best or the only (by omission) technique to be used, then ALL the other techniques are new, when they are exposed to them aren’t they? Not every chiropractor has been exposed to the same principles or practices. So new techniques aren’t B.S.; and they probably aren’t all that new. In fact many of the schools differ greatly in the philosophy of their approaches. Also know that chiropractors gravitate toward techniques which they feel most comfortable with. Forcefulness is subjective, but generally the lowest level of force necessary to get the job done is what is most appropriate.
Some of us know that the “best way to make money” is to provide a service that is more than worth the money spent on it, and to also create lasting and meaningful relationships with the people buying the service. My practice has always been word of mouth, with no more marketing than asking someone for a referral if they knew of someone they felt I could help. And I love what I do enough that I am always learning more. I suggest to you and anyone else that they love what they do enough to keep learning about it, and enough so that you would do it for free. I suggest to any prospective patient to find a doctor like that, in any specialty.
You need to know that osteopathy and chiropractic have different kinds of techniques because they are based upon different principles, with different processes. Neither one is better than the other, however some may find certain techniques more beneficial at certain times than others. That’s why I’m always learning more, and it’s why I use cranial osteopathic techniques in my practice.
Interesting that on one hand you suggest that people find someone who uses “massage, ultra-sound, TENS, or whatever therapy…to relax the muscle considerably before… manipulation” and on the other hand suggesting that “A sign of someone grasping for patients is that they add on a ton of other modalities” other than the adjustment, making them jacks of all trades, and masters of none. Huh? This makes no sense to me.
Further, a jack of all trades is someone who dabbles BECAUSE they aren’t very good at anything. A master is someone who is considered such because of his/her performance in the fields in which they are considered to be a master, and not because they have limited themselves to one field.
In a comment you added that you would never call yourself an expert on chiropractic, yet you have asserted yourself as such by presenting this article. While it is true that in another comment, you mentioned that the muscles align the spine, the nervous system controls the muscles, and if that isn’t dealt with properly, it doesn’t matter how you heat up and relax the muscles, the adjustment will not hold. Heat is fine, relaxing the muscles is a good idea. But realize that moving the joint changes muscle function via the neurological input at that joint, which changes the neurological output controlling the associated muscles. Furthermore, if the cause for the misalignment/subluxation is not addressed, the adjustment will not hold. Muscles are are only ONE cause of subluxation. It is apparent that many chiropractors do not consider this fact, and those are likely the ones you are talking about.
For instance: your sacroiliac problem may (or may not) be muscular imbalance, which may be in turn a result of a motor neurological inhibition or facilitation, vascular insufficiency, muscular lymphatic drainage insufficiency, reflexive inhibition from an internal disorder or process, visceral reflex, meridian imbalance, chemical toxicity with local effects, scar tissue, neurological engrams of old injury, cranial-sacral respiratory mechanism malfunction, emotional stress, proprioceptive dysfunction, etc. etc. Then again it may be a ligamentous problem of the sacroiliac joint, caused perhaps by congenital weakness, longstanding problems with muscular imbalance and their causality chain as noted above, pronated feet, injury, etc. etc. Or a variety of other causes. It isn’t just about “this here bone is out of place, let’s relax the muscle and pop it back in”. I consider much more. And you know what, that’s why I never had to do any marketing.
For clarity: TENS is one type of electrotherapy, largely used for pain control, not muscle relaxation. It deals with the releasing of endorphins or enkephalins to the area. Other electrotherapies such as interferential, high volt and low volt are more appropriate for muscle spasms.
Tetany is a condition caused by not enough calcium. It is not the same as a spasm.
Hypertension is a condition where someone has blood pressure that is elevated above a normal range. It is not the same as hypertonicity, which is when a muscle is in spasm.
Activator Methods, just like any method in any field, needs to be used expertly in order to work as it should. I have blown away the most hardened skeptics when I have used it for certain things on them. It’s not good for everyone or everything. That’s why there are 250 or so other techniques to choose from. Just because it didn’t work on you, doesn’t mean it doesn’t work. Just because I have a hammer, doesn’t make me an expert carpenter, and you wouldn’t want me to build your house. Just because the chiro has one, doesn’t mean he/she is a master of that tool.
I agree with you, chiropractic is a great healing art form, when it is practiced AS a healing art form. You are right, many chiropractors have forgotten the philosophy and theory behind what they are doing and end up opening the “stop and pop shop”. It isn’t good medicine. Yes, stay away from the big pre-pay packages, they are generally not a good idea. Use common sense.
Good luck.
Just a note before I start. For anyone who reads anything I post, there may be typos and other unintended errors, please try and read accordingly based on the context
Dr Jac,
Thanks for the lengthy comment. You had some very valid points but on the other hand, you seem a little offended at the article and seem to “attack” a little, maybe a lot. I hope I’m not coming across as trying to attack chiropractors in general. Like you said, “5% that I would entrust myself or my family to.” That’s what I’m hoping to get patients to look for. Those 5%. I want to fill those practitioners offices with patients that give a crap.
Of course I am not saying that ALL practitioners of any field do ALL the things I’m saying and anyone that reads anything that way is. . . well, just being obtuse. Just like the 5% you talk about don’t DO many of the “bad” things. That leaves 95% doing something else—good to see you are in agreement with me that chiropractors in general are heavy on marketing and lacking skill, that is what you are saying, right?
150 techniques! Wow! And how many actually do something and are not pure placebo? Many of these techniques are BS. Anyone that knows enough about suggestion and placebo can pick that up. They don’t need to know anything about chiropractic medicine ;). In this area I am more of an expert and know that most medical modalities across the board rely on placebo whether or not the practitioner knows that or not. The fact is many surgery techniques have even been shown to be total placebo. Surgery! The mind heals more than anything else. Make a technique that really convinces the person you did something and you get results. That does NOT mean that the technique actually does anything. I do expect every health care practitioner to understand this, don’t you?
Secondly, what I meant by jack of all trades wasn’t a chiropractor adding on chiropractic techniques (though 150 is a bit much) but adding on other modalities such as acupuncture. How egotistical can chiropractors get when they think they should be allowed to practice acupuncture with 0 to 100 hours. In Colorado it’s 100. They originally agreed to 500 but I guess that was too many hours, and they can fulfill the 100 hours in a weekend course?!?!?!? Chiropractic medicine as a whole has become very AMA in it’s attitude. Take, take, take, from every other profession and allow no one to do anything related to their own. . . even ultrasound therapy?!?!?! Come on!!!! I think the chiropractic profession has forgotten what it is like to be the underdog. This is not a defend-able position and anyone who tries screams, I’m a quack!
Isn’t this what I tried to clarify in my last reply? It does seem that you are trying to attack someone just because they pointed out a few things about chiropractic medicine. Haven’t I bent over backwards to clarify this issue?
Excellent, and that’s what I’m trying to help you do here. Inform patients to find practitioners like yourself. That’s a good thing, isn’t it? Or is it the fact that I’m not a chiropractor?
Could not agree with you more!!!!!!!!!!
I do know this. You are assuming I don’t.
You know what happens when you assume things, don’t you?
My osteopath wasn’t an “old time osteopath” like John Fulford. Even within their field they have a wide range of “techniques” just like every field (Unlike chiropractors they are staying well within their field of training). Isn’t that obvious. Or are you just assuming I’m an idiot because I am not a chiropractor? I’m kinda getting that feeling.
Read more carefully. As I stated in the original post, “Chiropractic medicine is rather simple. Re-align the joints. That’s what you want. You can find your own nutritionist, acupuncturist, massage therapist, etc. . . “
That sounds to me like I’m saying “other techniques that are NOT chiropractic.” Oh yes, I know. . . chiropractic is a “total” health care system. BS! That’s saying, we want to do everything because we aren’t making enough money at one thing. Sorry, I’m not going to an MD for acupuncture, massage, nutritional advice, etc. and I sure as hell am not seeking a chiro for that either. Pick your area of expertise and study it, as you say, and learn techniques that are specific to it. Perfect it before moving on and you will have a full practice. I think you agree, no?
I mean really, would you trust a chiro doing acupuncture after a weekend course? I’m sorry, you all aren’t that smart.
It is rare to find a person that can truly master one field let alone several, especially in health care. George Soulie de Morant was a master in acupuncture and few in the west have ever rivaled his ability; however, there are many acupuncturist that are put on that pedestal by others around them. He studied for years under Master acupuncturists in China and then researched for 30 more years. Chiropractors must be geniuses because they can learn it in a few hundred hours?!?!?!?! Yeah, I’m attacking you on this point. Any profession that assumes they can learn another modality so easily needs to be attacked!
This is my point, do NOT go to any health care practitioner that is adding on other modalities that are not part of their basic foundational modality unless they go through the full training for it and really study it!
No, I am not! Anyone can suggest anything. Just like your patients suggesting you by word of mouth. That doesn’t make them an expert, does it? I’m simply telling people about my experiences and what I’ve learned from them, and because I’ve gone into health care and probably studied many different things the average person has not I probably have a little more insight. That still does not make me an expert on chiropractic medicine. I may be an expert on health care, though
and a patient of chiropractic medicine which, might just give me a little insight as to know what to look for. Especially when I have friends that are chiros telling me the same things ;). You really do seem rather offended that a non-chiropractor wrote an article on how to find a chiropractor. . . wow, isn’t that what you are asking from your patients when you ask for a referral? You are sounding a little hypocritical.
It really does seem that I’m under your skin simply because I’m not a chiropractor and I’m writing about it. What should we say then about all the chiros writing about acupuncture, massage, nutrition, etc? Quack? Are you not throwing rocks in a glass house at this point? Do you not have to first denounce the entire chiropractic community before making a statement like that? I mean really! Chiropractors have added on everything under the sun into their scope of practice, if allowed by the state, and we are to think you all are experts on all of it? Well then, I’m just as much an expert on chiropractic as you all are on the rest!
Are you trying to tell me that an adjustment addresses the nervous system? Come on! I know that’s the line in chiropractic medicine but you don’t believe that, do you? It may free the nervous system if it is impinged which, it usually is not. Check our Dr. Sarno’s work on that subject. Chiros make a big deal about this and it is mostly BS. Most joints naturally re-align themselves except when a severe injury takes place. That’s when they need some help. If that injury persists over a long period of time then more muscles become involved and more muscle memory patterns develop. That all needs to be addressed along with the underlying old injury but to pop in the joint without addressing the rest is just stupid! And that is what takes place far too often, no? That just is not a defend-able position. Furthermore, if what you are saying is true about the nervous system then everyone should be seeing a good acupuncturist instead of a chiro. . . it’s not even a contest on who addresses the nervous system directly in that case.
Let’s get real. Chiro addresses the joints and by doing so helps things function normally. The nervous system is only addressed via the joint being more open. Chiros do not address the nervous system! Unless you are using acupuncture, and if you do with the minimal training then you are a quack! In my opinion. You wouldn’t let me do adjustments after a 100 hours, would you? If you really believe that the nervous system needs to be addressed first, then you need to be sending all your patients for acupuncture first, you don’t do you? And all these “new techniques” I see chiros coming out with to say they do address the nervous system. . . placebo! If you can’t see that then you just are not being honest with your own profession or you are ignorant of the placebo effect and how it works.
As for my SI joint. It may be any one of the things you mention. The problem I had was, not one in a dozen chiropractors addressed it whatsoever!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Nothing, nada, didn’t even mention it as a problem. Thousands of dollars were spent! Not one! Not a single one! Pathetic! Now maybe it was just my luck to find all the “bad” chiropractors, but that’s why I wrote this article. To help people find the good ones, but you seem to be implying that I’m saying Chiropractic as a whole is bad. If I were saying that I would tell them, forget chiro and do yoga which, BTW can do a lot for the joints! I didn’t say that and I don’t. I am saying, avoid the type of chiropractors I seen!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! You may be one of them and you may not be, I don’t know. I’ve never been treated by you. I can only suggest to people how to tell if a health care practitioner is really taking the time to find and address the problem and not just make money. How can I do that? I’m an expert at being a patient! Just like you expect word of mouth I am giving word of mouth. I’m just using the internet
Definition: Tetany is the point at which signals from nerves (action potentials) are arriving to skeletal muscle rapidly enough in succession to cause a steady contraction, and not just a series of individual twitches.
It really seems to me that you like to be right. You pull out definitions and say things that are true enough but miss the actual point being made. Tetany by original definition has nothing to do with “not enough calcium” as you suggest. You should have learned that in A&P.
Hypertension. . .sorry, totally my typo. I’m certainly not talking about blood pressure! I meant hyper-tension of the muscles. . . yes, hypertonicity. It is a blog, not a research journal
but thanks for pointing that out. I’ll change it asap. I would hope that most visitors would read the statement in context and forgive typo but then again, you are a chiropractor. It tells me you want to find fault. You seem to want to put me down and put yourself on a pedistil?!?!?! I wonder why?
Sorry, but you cannot convince me of the Activator Methods. I say placebo!
OK, so you seem to attack me on every point then agree with me in the end? WOW! Go figure, a chiropractor getting touchy when someone says anything about his/her modality?!?!?! Who would have thunk it! Amazingly this is the only post getting so much attention and all from chiropractors. That has to tell you something about the chiropractic mentality. Could it be a mentality of, we are right and everyone else is wrong?
Sorry to say, but that is how you sounded in your reply. Doesn’t really make me want to run out and see a chiropractor. It does just the opposite. Makes me think you all have gone beyond the AMA in attitudede and should be avoided at all costs. Maybe I need to re-write my original post and tell people to avoid chiropractors. It seems they are a touchy bunch that can’t handle any form or criticism. I guess we should all hold hands and praise the chiropractors for changing the world. OH, I guess since chiropractic came into the world no amazing shifts in health care have really taken place, have they. All diseases are still on the rise. Hospitals still full. . . etc. BTW chiropractic has long been applied in the East (China) as Tuina. . . you aren’t the first!
Yes, I’m being a prick at this point. Just trying to bring home how you come off when replying to such a simple article with the attitude you took. It’s just some suggestions for people to think about. It’s not the word of God! Really!
So my little post started off promoting chiropractic care and now the chiropractors have turned it into the opposite. If this is the general attitudede I suggest sticking to stretching, spinal touch therapy, bowen, NST, etc. There are a lot of non-forceful therapies that will help get your joints working, especially if you stretch a lot while doing them.
I’ll have to write more about those therapies now. That way people will have an alternative to chiropractice medicine.