8 Qualities To Look For In A Good Chiropractor

This article was provided by Dr. Ari Cohn, a chiropractor at Princeton Chiropractic Wellness Center in Princeton, NJ. To learn more about Dr. Cohn, please visit https://www.princetonchiropractic.com/.

1. Look for a chiropractor who discusses health - Although many people go to a chiropractor to help alleviate symptoms such as back pain, neck pain, headaches, etc. it is important that you find someone who is looking to do more than just cover up symptoms. A good chiropractor will of course help you address your current health concerns but will address these problems by improving function so the problems will go away permanently.
2. Look for a chiropractor that performs objective testing - There are many tests available that a chiropractor might use including: Thermography, Surface ElectroMyography, Heart Rate Variability studies, X-ray, Bloodwork, etc. It is important to look at a patient’s function rather than just observing symptoms subjectively. A chiropractor who is using objective measures to evaluate the patients’ initial condition as well as monitor progress will see things that someone who is relying solely on subjective testing can miss. This type of evidence-based approach to health definitely leads to more precise recommendations and better recovery results.
3. Look for a chiropractor who comes up with a custom care plan for you - When you first see a chiropractor they should evaluate your current condition and asses how much care you will need to either get out of pain or permanently fix the problem. They should give you a fairly precise idea of how long you should expect to be coming in whether it be a month or a year they should be able to tell you up front.
4. Look for a chiropractor who will periodically reevaluate your condition - When you begin care you should have a clear picture of when the chiropractor is going to redo any testing or when they are planning on checking in with you to make sure you are improving to the speed that both of you are comfortable with. In our office we reevaluate patients either every six or twelve visits depending on the frequency of their care plan.
5. Look for a chiropractor whose main focus is adjusting the spine - If the chiropractor that you are going to is using adjustments as an ancillary modality, sadly they may not be very good at it. Spinal adjusting is a very difficult skill to master, and you want to look for someone who has mastered that skill. Although adjustments may look similar from chiropractor to chiropractor and even to professionals with some training in spinal manipulation such as physical therapists, or people with absolutely no training like a kid on the local high school wrestling team who likes to crack his teammates backs, there is a profound difference. The purpose of a spinal adjustment is to introduce a specific movement into the spine to reset the functionality of the nervous system so the brain and the body can better communicate and improve functionality.
6. Look for a chiropractor who practices what they preach - Does your health professional look healthy? Do they seem to follow their own advice of either nutrition, exercise or even chiropractic care? This does not mean they can’t be older or that they need to be a bodybuilder, but they should appear to be in good health. If you are following advice from someone on how to grow you body healthier and stronger it should be someone who takes care of themselves.
7. Look for a chiropractor who sees families - Typically a chiropractor who sees families is going to be going above and beyond treating symptoms. This will be a doctor who is able to help improve many areas of health. When you see a chiropractor who sees adults and children, typically the focus of that chiropractor is wellness. When you have a practitioner who is focusing on improving wellness, you will achieve so much more than just alleviating symptoms. There is no question your symptoms will go away but the important part of this is why they went away. Did they go away because you counteracted something your body was doing to give the appearance of good health or did you do something to strengthen your body so it would resolve the issue and the symptoms are no longer present because everything is now working in harmony again. If you go to a family chiropractor there is a much better chance you are going to a doctor who is getting you healthy and not just covering up your symptoms.
8. Look for a chiropractor who keeps up to date on current research - This doesn’t necessarily mean that you need to find a chiropractor that publishes papers in peer reviewed journals, although that is a very positive sign. As long as the doctor is keeping up with continuing education and seems to be informed about current health topics you can be sure you are being cared for properly.