Tips for Choosing a Chiropractor

Ashland is a great little city with some amazing alternative health care options, amazing body workers, and some very intuitive energy healers. Likewise, there are some terrific chiropractors in the area, too. But how do I choose a chiropractor that matches my needs?

A natural place to start is to ask a health care worker that you currently trust. This could be your physician, physical therapist, massage therapist, or spine specialist for recommendations of chiropractors who they view as effective and trustworthy. One way to phrase this question is: “If someone in your family needed a chiropractor, who would you recommend?”

The next source is to ask friends, family members, co-workers, and neighbors for recommendations. While these recommendations can be valuable, keep in mind that one person’s definition of the best chiropractor may be quite different from another person’s definition. It is important to find a chiropractor who can meet an individual’s specific needs.

Be aware that dozens of chiropractic techniques exist, with a wide range of approaches. Many chiropractors will draw from several techniques as they customize their own unique “bag of tools.” It is important to do your research and to ask questions of the prospective chiropractor. Keep in mind that many chiropractors will describe themselves as “gentle,” but that is a subjective term.

Categories of Chiropractic Techniques

High-Speed Spinal manipulation, with the chiropractor using the hands, is the most common and traditional style. If you watch videos on social media, you’ll often see the chiropractor making a quick thrust and you’ll hear a “pop” sound. For many individuals, this is what they think of regarding chiropractic. However, there are many other choices available under the umbrella of chiropractic.

Instrument adjustments are utilized in several chiropractic techniques. The goal is for the thrust to be specific and standardized. Several techniques employ this concept. Some people may prefer this instead of a traditional, osseous adjustment.

Another approach is called Low-Force adjustments. The idea is to use the body’s intelligence to heal itself by gently guiding the change. You may be attracted to these techniques if you want something gentle, if you are very hesitant to have your neck cracked, or if you believe that deeper issues are involved with your health problems.

Perhaps you are interested in Network Spinal at Tail of the Sun, which basically uses light touch but No-Force, to cue the nervous system to make changes. This technique is more quantum in nature. Network Care can go beyond the physical plane to make deeper changes. It’s about as gentle as you can get when seeking a gentle chiropractor in Ashland. Finally, it’s important to ask lots of questions when deciding upon a chiropractor. This person should be good at listening, capable of good communication, and devoted to delivering high

quality care. Ask this provider to describe the chiropractic techniques they will employ with you, and to describe the treatment plan in detail.

Recently, a cowboy with the rodeo was in town and looking for a chiropractor on the weekend. That’s a real challenge, right? At any rate, I recommended that he seek a traditional chiropractor to manually adjust his joints so that he could get “back in the saddle” quickly. In this scenario, a gentle approach, while it could still be effective, didn’t fit his time constraints or his current lifestyle. I’m always happy to make referrals to other chiropractors and body workers if I’m not the best fit for them.

In general, choose a chiropractor who is recommended by multiple people, who employs a technique that is congruent with your needs, and who is willing to explain everything fully to you. Chiropractic is amazing and there are so many wonderful ones in Ashland to choose from!