How to Choose the BEST Chiropractor
Chiropractic Medicine and Treatment have been becoming more and more the preferred system of rehabilitation sought out by more and more people. If you want to benefit from the rehabilitative capabilities of this form of alternative medicine you likely have many questions on how best to choose a chiropractor. For patients, it is important to know the proper guidelines of choosing a chiropractor to find someone who is a good “fit” with you.
What Are 5 Things You Should Look For?
1. Respect for the Patients Time!
It is so frustrating to show up on time for a schedule appointment only to wait and wait and wait for the doctor. This situation is VERY unacceptable in my opinion.
Sure, things go wrong and life interjects its unexpected ups and downs at times. In such cases, I always inform the patient that I am running late and give them the option to reschedule. However more important to me is to minimize this situation from happening in the first place! So when you choose a chiropractor, make sure you are dealing with someone who values their patients’ time as much as their own.
In this day and age in which we are all so pressed for time, it’s nice knowing your chiropractor respects your time.
2. Patient Well-being is PRIORITY ONE!
If something is clearly wrong and needs fixing, make sure you are dealing with a practitioner who will tell it to you straight. I once visited a dentist who had found something wrong with my teeth but seemed too timid to just tell me the extent of the problem. This resulted in me not making the correct decision and resulted in me spending more money and time in correcting the initial mistaken decision. I’d rather know so I can understand my options!
I promise to respect your well being when you come in to my clinic, which means a detailed exam so we can understand the extent of your problem. Then I’m going to tell it to you straight, give you all your options and leave it up to you to decide how you wish to proceed. Run, not walk, from any practitioner who won’t shoot straight with you in plain English.
When it comes to your pain, you need solutions and straight talk - whether it’s pleasant to hear or not. That’s the secret to getting you better fast. I deem this form of communication as a form of respect for the patient. I prefer to treat patients as I myself, would like to be treated.
I also prefer a doctor who exercises good communication skills. A doctor who does not acknowledge his patient’s communication, doesn’t show interest, doesn’t answer questions definitively leaves a patient without “ease-of-mind” and in many cases without proper treatment.
3. Recommendations and Referrals!
In an ideal world, a recommendation from a friend or family member is helpful place to start your search for a good chiropractor. I find that about 40% of my new patients come from referrals – people tend to trust their friends’ opinions. This isn’t always possible though so second best is ask your doctor if he has patient reviews or letters of recommendation. Often these will be posted on his or her website. Many search engines allow for reviews to be posted on the doctor’s page and this too is another way to get reviews.
4. The Warning Signs!
On top of knowing what qualities to look for in a chiropractor, here are a few danger signs that you should warn you to avoid a chiropractor if he/she exhibits them:
- Avoid chiropractors who require you to sign a long-term treatment contract. Although chiropractic care is relatively safe, you have no reason to be tied up to a particular chiropractor for any long-term treatment unless your condition requires for it. Some conditions (such as auto injury, scoliosis, arthritis, etc) do require lengthy treatment programs. My philosophy however is to treat a patient, make a recommendation on length of treatment based on test results and then allow the patient some time to see results before having them procure many visits all at once.
- Avoid chiropractors who discourage you from other preventive treatments outside of chiropractic care, such as acupuncture or massage. A qualified doctor who is concerned about your health and recuperation must be open to the best possible means of treating your disease or condition. In many cases I’ve seen, the patient responded better and quicker when multiple healing arts were employed to combat the problem. Nutrition, deep muscle massage, balance of the body’s energy flows, exercise, etc all can be employed and greatly increase one’s chances of better health. Chiropractic treatment works miracles but there are other
- Doctor is making claims that even you believe are not feasible or who employ scare tactics to convince the patient to agree to a treatment plan.
These are usually some tell-tale signs of a chiropractor who is less concerned about the patient’s welfare and is only aiming to attain monetary benefits.
5. Speed Of Service!
When I first opened my clinic, I used to spend waaaaaaay too much time with new patients. I used to think that time spent with a patient equated to “good service” in the eyes of my patients. Boy was I wrong! It wasn’t until a patient said to me nicely: “You know, if you wouldn’t mind speeding things up, I might actually come in more often.”
I finally understood that just like no one likes to wait longer than necessary at a bank or to order their Starbucks; people wish to get in and out of their doctors office in a timely fashion. Also, recurring frequent visits to a chiropractor have proven to be more effective than long-drawn-out, infrequent visits. This is what I strive for, whenever possible, and my patients have told me repeatedly that they appreciate such efforts.
In summary, those are the 5 things to look for when choosing a chiropractor! If you have further questions please do not hesitate to contact me.