Should you go see a chiropractor, and if so, when and for what kind of ailment? I recommend chiropractic (and specifically my chiropractors, a whip-smart pair that have taken care of me for years) fairly often to clients of mine when they ask about diagnosing and caring for an injury or certain aches and pains. I have a long and tangled relationship with chiropractic care, but have had enough people ask me about it that I thought I'd address the most common questions I get.
1. How can I tell a good chiropractor from a bad one? I've been to some bad ones...
This is what I hear most often from people - they've either had a bad/mediocre experience with a chiropractor or they haven't gone to one because they've heard negative feedback from their friends. In my experience, there are three important qualifications for a good chiropractor (or any kind of bodyworker/trainer) - time invested, types of treatments used and the holistic nature of their practice. Firstly, do they spend a good amount of time with you? Ask you questions about how you're feeling on that day, and get a detailed history? A good chiropractic appointment doesn't take 5-10 minutes...you should be with them for at least 20-30 minutes. That's the minimum amount of time it takes to get real assessments and treatments done. Also, the best chiropractors use a variety of techniques to treat the body - they don't just crack your spine and send you on your way. In my session today with one of the fab Mobility Plus chiropractors, Dr. Li did a movement screen with me, used a technique called distraction to loosen up my hips, had me resist certain movements, massaged my hand, and gave me rehab exercises for my foot. He adjusted my neck as well, but that was 5 seconds out of the whole appointment. I left feeling like he had addressed all my concerns specifically, and that he had used a myriad of ways to coax my body into loosening up. My third qualification is that they have a holistic practice, meaning that they recognize that you're not just a body sitting in the office. What has your sleep been like? What kind of stress are you under? Have you been sitting/standing more than usual? These are the kinds of questions all good bodyworkers ask, and your chiropractor should be no different!
2. I'm afraid of getting my spine cracked - isn't that bad for you?
To this I reply, look, anything can be bad for you. Too many calories, too much weight on your deadlift, an insistence on a particular kind of filtered water that leaves you dehydrated when you can't find any. The best thing to do is to find and work with a chiropractor you can grow to trust, and one that you know is invested in your well-being. If you're nervous about what a lot of people term "traditional" chiropractic, you're not alone...the best chiropractors out there will address your concerns head-on, and not do anything with you that you're not 100% comfortable with. I've already pointed out that the doctors I'm talking about have many ways of looking at and techniques for treating concerns, and can work within whatever limitations (physical, mental or emotional) a person has.
3. Okay, but why not just go to a massage therapist?
I get it, guys, I do...getting an hour-long deep tissue massage sounds a lot more fun that a chiropractic appointment. And I know some amaaaaazing massage therapists that are total miracle workers. I think the two therapies are pretty different - however, they work really well in conjunction with each other. Let's take, for example, someone who's having low back pain. A massage by itself can help alleviate the symptoms and help you feel better for a while, but not necessarily correct the problem (unless you have an amazing massage therapist, which is definitely a possibility). It could be that you have some structural issues, like a hip out of alignment or a couple vertebrae "stuck" together, that are causing the muscular tightness and pain you're experiencing. Those problems could be tended to by chiropractic, but if the muscles are sufficiently tense, they could pull things out of alignment again. You see what I mean? If you were to have a massage therapist and a chiropractor work on you within a few hours/day of each other, you could get yourself back to 100% a lot sooner.
4. I'm not in THAT much pain...if it gets worse, I'll go see somebody.
This, folks, is a big enough question that I'm going to leave it for my next post. I have a lot to say about this one... :)
Bottom line about chiropractic, in my humble opinion: There are crappy chiropractors, just as there are crappy personal trainers, chefs, doctors, and teachers. If you're interested in trying a chiropractor, the best way to increase your chances of finding a good one is to ask people you trust for recommendations. Chriopractic has helped me recover from a major auto accident, guided me through two pregnancies, hastened my rehab from ankle surgery and helped me heal my overuse injury in my left wrist - and these are only a few examples. Think about it! :)
