“Occasionally a friend or patient asks me for a recommendation of a chiropractor in another part of the country. If I don’t know anyone in that area, I have to rely on certain clues to help them choose the best chiropractor I can,” said Dr. Brown, your local Greenville, SC chiropractor.
He has used these tips to find a chiropractor for himself once when he was on vacation and hurting.
#1. X-Rays – In most cases, a chiropractor will need to see imaging of the area they are going to treat. This is important, not only to assist in diagnosing the problem, but also to rule out fractures, tumors, foreign objects, or other reasons why spinal manipulation might be contraindicated.
#2. No multiple visit requirements – Everyone is different. Although your chiropractor may be able to guess how many adjustments will be required to get you out of pain, they don’t know for sure. To insist on a set number of treatments, paid in advance, is a practice Dr. Brown views with much skepticism, as does the American Chiropractic Association.
#3. An Effective Adjustment – Often during an adjustment (or manipulation) of a joint, there will be a release of a gas bubble between the joints, which makes a popping sound. The noise is caused by the change of pressure within the joint, which results in gas bubbles being released. There is usually minimal, if any, discomfort involved.
Not all adjustments result in a sound, but when they do, it is a normal and completely healthy result. Some types of Chiropractic adjustments are very gentle but still effective.
#4. No overreliance on mechanical adjusting tools – Lots of treatment options can only be a good thing, but a chiropractor who relies solely on tools and machines to adjust may not be as well rounded as the ideal chiropractor Dr. Brown would be looking for.
#5. A broad arsenal of techniques – Occasionally Dr. Brown hears of fellow D.C.s who only adjust certain vertebrae, or who refuse to utilize therapy for philosophical reasons. “Of course, everyone is entitled to their own practice, but this would not be the chiropractor I would choose for myself. Why unnecessarily limit the ways you can help your patient?”
#6. Realistic expectations – It is common for critics of the chiropractic profession to site examples of chiropractors who claim that they can cure everything-from allergies to cancer. Though Dr. Brown has rarely seen this type of overreach in real life, he recommends that, if you do, avoid that person.
If you’re visiting the Greenville are, we’d be happy to assist you. Contact us today to see if we’re the right chiropractic office for you!