Chiropractor works as part of a care team alongside medical doctors, nurses and physiotherapists. In their clinical practice they use evidence to guide history taking, examination procedures, diagnostic testing and treatment decisions.

They have an ethical obligation to avoid promoting beliefs that are no longer supported by scientific evidence. This is especially important with regard to historical chiropractic beliefs about spinal irritation and subluxation.

Spinal adjustments, or spinal manipulations, are a key component of chiropractic care. These are a series of manual thrusts that a chiropractor applies to a misaligned vertebra in the spine, often in the lower back area, to correct a misalignment. The force used to perform a chiropractic spinal adjustment can range from the weight of a chiropractor’s hands to a specialized mechanical tool. A chiropractic adjustment can help increase spinal motion, decrease pain, and improve the function of surrounding muscles and nerves.

Before performing a spinal manipulation, your chiropractor will ask you to discuss your health history and give you a thorough physical exam, with specific attention to the spine. They’ll also perform x-rays of your spine to see if you have any misalignments.

After they’ve analyzed your spine and health history, they’ll start by asking you to lie on a special table designed for spinal manipulation. They may ask you to lay on your back, side, or stomach. Depending on your condition, your chiropractor will use different manipulative techniques, such as Gonstead, Diversified, Thompson Drop-Table Technique, or Activator Method.

During spinal manipulation, you might hear some popping sounds that are caused by joint cavitation. These are the result of pressure changes and the release of nitrogen gas in the joint space. These sounds indicate that the chiropractor has successfully moved the joint to a new position, which will decrease muscle spasm and nerve irritation.

While most people who seek out a chiropractor for a spinal adjustment want to relieve neck and back pain, you might benefit from this treatment if you’re experiencing headaches, arm or leg weakness, or numbness or tingling in your feet or hands. You might also receive a spinal adjustment if you’re suffering from scoliosis, herniated discs, or sciatica symptoms.

Spinal manipulation is a safe, effective, and noninvasive procedure. However, it’s important to remember that only a licensed chiropractor should perform a spinal manipulation. Attempting to manipulate your own spine could lead to serious injury or even paralysis. This is why it’s vital to visit a professional for any type of back pain or neck pain.

Massage

Massage involves manipulating soft tissues like muscles, tendons, and ligaments to improve circulation, soothe pain, reduce tension, and promote relaxation. When combined with chiropractic care, massage can help alleviate pain and speed recovery after an injury.

The benefits of massage are vast. It can relieve muscle soreness, increase flexibility and range of motion, ease anxiety and stress, and improve sleep quality. However, not all types of massage are the same and it is important to find a therapist that understands and works with the body’s musculoskeletal system.

Many chiropractors incorporate massage into their treatments as it can be a valuable tool for treating many conditions. It helps a chiropractor to reach deeper areas of the spine and can help to loosen tight muscles, which may otherwise prevent a proper spinal adjustment. Massage can also reduce a patient’s tension by improving blood flow to the affected area and stimulating a healing response in the muscles and tissue.

When a patient visits a chiropractor, they often have underlying tension that can be causing misalignments in the body. This can be the result of an accident or a sporting injury and the misalignment can cause chronic back or neck pain. Massage can release these tight muscles, which will allow the joints to return to their normal position without restricting them.

Another benefit of massage is that it can reduce a patient’s pain symptoms by relieving inflammation and reducing the fight-or-flight reaction in the brain. This is a common response in times of high stress or trauma and can be the cause of many pain symptoms. Massage can also be used to address a patient’s anxiety or depression which can be contributing factors in the development of a chronic pain condition.

Ultimately, chiropractors and massage therapists can work together to help patients achieve the best results from their treatment. Chiropractic care addresses hard tissues like bones and cartilage while massage focuses on soft tissue like muscles and tendons, so it is important that these two approaches are utilized together to get the most out of your treatment.

Nutritional Guidance

Nutrition is essential for musculoskeletal health, tissue repair and overall wellness. Chiropractors can encourage patients to prioritize nutrient-dense, whole, unprocessed foods and help them develop sustainable eating habits that promote long-term health. They can also offer guidance on how to best navigate food environments and incorporate more physical activity into daily life.

Many musculoskeletal conditions have an inflammation component that can be aggravated by nutritional deficiencies. These gaps in diet act as silent barricades against the body’s ability to heal and reduce pain, making dietary adjustments a critical element of chiropractic care.

Inflammation reduction: Chiropractors can recommend anti-inflammatory foods like leafy greens, fatty fish and spices such as turmeric to improve digestion and boost immunity. This supports the body’s natural healing processes to reduce pain and promote long-term wellness.

Bone health: Nutritional guidance can help to prevent osteoporosis, a condition that impacts posture and bone strength. Chiropractors can recommend nutrient-dense foods such as calcium, potassium and vitamin D that promote bone health and improve bone density.

Almost all chiropractors in this survey reported that they provided dietary advice to their patients. However, there was a large variation in whether these practitioners recommended dietary supplements. These differences may be due to a range of factors such as experience, knowledge and the extent to which these topics are covered in professional education.

It is important for chiropractors to have access to the latest research and evidence in this field, which can support their clinical practice and patient management. Chiropractors can access this information through their professional associations, academic institutions and healthcare providers. This includes the Australian Dietary Guidelines which is an excellent resource to use for promoting a holistic approach to health. Chiropractors can also seek referrals to a qualified nutrition professional such as a dietitian or naturopath to support their patients with more complex issues around food and dietary supplements. This can be a more efficient and effective way of providing nutritional guidance to their patients. In the future, it might be beneficial to include a nutrition competency or module in chiropractic training programs.

Education

Those who choose to become chiropractors have a variety of motivations. Some follow a family tradition, others have previous healthcare experience like working as physical therapists or nurses, and some are drawn to the career because it offers non-invasive treatment options that eliminate the need for prescription medications.

Regardless of their backgrounds, future chiropractors are often united by a shared passion for helping people feel better and empowering them to make healthy lifestyle choices. As a result, patient education is crucial for chiropractors to promote their services and help patients understand the benefits of chiropractic care.

This is why most chiropractic schools require a significant amount of hands-on learning experiences, including dissecting cadavers and performing physical assessments on real patients in their internships. Northeast’s program also requires students to complete clinical service, which teaches them “the intangibles of the profession,” Maneri says, such as how to connect with patients and handle administrative tasks like scheduling appointments and billing insurance.

Professional development introduces chiropractors to new treatment options, expanding their repertoire and enabling them to address a wider range of health issues. Whether it’s learning how to perform spinal decompression techniques or taking a workshop on advanced soft tissue therapies, this learning provides valuable skills that can help them attract more patients and improve the outcomes of their treatments.

Increasing the amount of patient interaction time and offering curated lists of trusted external resources and reading materials are other ways that chiropractors can educate their patients. This helps patients take a more active role in their own care and builds trust and engagement in the relationship, resulting in improved results for both parties.

Aside from professional development, a chiropractor can learn about the latest developments in their field by joining a membership-based network such as Tools of Practice. This provides access to webinars, workshops, seminars, and other educational events that allow chiropractors to keep up with current research and best practices. In addition, it gives them a chance to share their knowledge and experiences with other practitioners, which can lead to referrals and collaborative opportunities.