How to Find a Reputable Chiropractor That’s Right for You: A Quick Checklist

35 million Americans1 currently benefit from seeing a chiropractor. But Google, “Find a chiropractor near me” or “find a chiropractor in my area” and you’ll probably find a long list of search results that don’t put you any closer to knowing which doctor and clinic is best for you.

It doesn’t have to be that hard. 

If you’re ready to explore the proven benefits of chiropractic care2, like improved strength, range of motion, mobility and flexibility, this checklist can help you figure out how to find a reputable chiropractor who can meet your unique needs.  

Checklist for Finding Premium Chiropractic Care Benefits in Your Neighborhood

For the best possible outcome, your DC should address not only your current symptoms, but their root cause, before starting treatment. This requires doing a deep dive into your health history, lifestyle and goals, then performing a physical exam which may include an x-ray if necessary for your diagnosis.  

A thorough, upfront exam is critical — it allows your DC to determine what care is necessary and what treatment will provide you with the best results. It’s also important to find a chiropractic team that’s willing to educate you on the root cause of your condition and how a chiropractic adjustment works so that you understand not only your diagnosis, but the reason for each step of your care plan.   

Outstanding doctors invest time up front to effectively identify and target the misalignment or cause of your symptoms, taking patients beyond short-term pain relief to long-term injury prevention and musculoskeletal health. 

Learning how to find a reputable chiropractor requires asking each DC you’re vetting these questions: Do you perform a thorough, upfront exam? What sort of diagnostic tests are included? Do you perform and explain why x-rays may or may not be necessary before starting care?   

Not all DCs follow the same patient care models. For example, some chiropractors offer single visit walk-in adjustments, while others provide multi-visit, multi-modal personalized care plans.  

Before starting treatment, inquire whether the DC prescribes an outcomes-based, personalized care plan for each patient. Ask if they can share a healing timeline estimate. Keep track of all responses — they’ll assist you in learning how to find a reputable chiropractor. 

Outcomes-based care provides greater insight into outcomes as doctors collect scientific data about patient quality of life after a treatment to better determine what constitutes good care. This allows patients to be better informed about how a chiropractic adjustment works and advantages and disadvantages experienced by others in a similar position. 

A care plan that’s been personalized to your symptoms, age, health history and goals more effectively addresses musculoskeletal complexities and enhances your healing beyond short-term relief to injury prevention and long-term strengthening and stabilization. 

While some chiropractors focus solely on chiropractic adjustments, others include active therapies in their care. Recent studies3 have shown that combining chiropractic adjustments with active therapies provides longer-lasting health benefits than adjustments alone. 

Reading what patients (old and new) have to say about a DC is an enjoyable step in learning how to find a reputable chiropractor. Google Reviews can provide insight into how they deliver care, which treatments they excel at, and how their practice operates. 

Reviewers often reflect on their experience resolving conditions like tension headaches, sciatica, herniated discs, tennis elbow, runner’s knee, neuropathy and plantar fasciitis.  They often share passionate descriptions of their healing process, staff friendliness and their doctor’s bedside manner.  

Some reviews even describe how much time the DC spent with them, how concisely their questions were answered, as well as how quickly they experienced relief from their symptoms and learned preventative tactics through active therapies. Knowing these details could increase your comfort level with a new clinic and help streamline your first appointment.  

Review the clinic’s website bios and most detailed Google reviews for indicators of what conditions the DC has treated most successfully and consistently throughout their career. Do their bios list specialties or awards? Preferred techniques they’ve mastered over the years? Do their patients report getting relief from the same type of pain you’re experiencing?  How many patients have they successfully treated? 

Many insurance companies such as workers’ compensation, Medicare, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna, Humana, Aetna, and UnitedHealthcare offer some coverage for chiropractic care, but not all DCs accept insurance. Finding out which DC candidates accept insurance can impact your out-of-pocket cost, so it’s a critical step in choosing a DC.  

At Chiro One, we work with many insurance companies. Our clinic staff will connect with your insurance carrier to help maximize the benefits available to you and detail your care plan’s likely out-of-pocket expenses, so you’ll have a better understanding of those costs before your treatment begins. 

Writer John Greene once said, “Pain demands to be felt.” Most patients would say that what their pain demands is relief.  When you’re experiencing significant pain or injury, waiting too long for care could cause your condition to escalate. The sooner you can be treated, the sooner healing can begin, and the sooner you can get back to living the life you’re used to. If you’re in acute pain, look for a DC that can get you scheduled for that in-depth evaluation within 24-48 hours.  

When meeting your DC at your first appointment, make sure to ask for a healing timeline estimate. Learn the average length of each appointment (your time to get adjusted plus your time spent doing in-clinic therapies).  

Before attending your first appointment, prepare some basic questions and take notes on the DC’s answers. ‘How long have you been treating patients?’  ‘Have you ever treated someone with my exact symptoms?’ ‘Can you explain how exactly chiropractic adjustments work?’ Your DC should make time to listen, engage, and address your concerns.  

At Chiro One, our DCs take the time to explain exactly how a chiropractic adjustment works and the goals of your treatment plan. They also prescribe active therapies; research3 shows that combining chiropractic adjustments with active therapies promotes faster, more effective injury recovery and function restoration. 

Learning how to find a reputable chiropractor who’s right for you will help maximize your chiropractic care benefits and make it more likely that you’ll stick to your treatment plan — critical to enjoying all chiropractic benefits. It’ll also enable you to build a solid relationship with a provider who not just treats you, but cares about you… Sound too good to be true?  

Feel the Chiro One Difference for Yourself

Check in with your nearest Chiro One doc at one of our welcoming open-plan clinics across the country. They’ll explore the root cause of your pain with a thorough exam, then personalize a care plan — a combination of gentle chiropractic adjustments and active therapies.

Find a Chiro One doctor near you

Sources:

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1. The Good Body, 2022
2. National Library of Medicine American Medical Association, 2015
3. The European Journal of Physical Rehabilitation Medicine National Library of Science, 2014