Who is a chiropractor?
A chiropractor is a medical expert specializing in treating the neuromusculoskeletal system, encompassing muscles, tendons, ligaments, nerves, and bones within the body. They perform chiropractic treatment or therapy using their hands or special instruments to correct various musculoskeletal conditions, adjust the body's joints, and maintain overall body alignment. Such treatment is also commonly called joint manipulation or spinal manipulation.
Primary conditions addressed by the chiropractor include:
- Back pain, muscle pain, neck pain, headaches
- Fractures, sprains, strains
- Ligament injuries, tendinitis, epicondylitis
- Plantar fasciitis, whiplash, myelopathy
- Herniated discs, osteoarthritis, shin splints, stroke
- Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS)
- Carpal tunnel syndrome
- Chronic discomfort, scurvy, scoliosis
- Muscle, ligament, or joint pulls and tears
- Ruptured tendons or discs
- Frozen joints, dislocation
Chiropractic treatment aims to recover muscle balance and enhance joint functionality. It helps to reduce stress on the body's immune system and decrease the risks of chronic diseases. Chiropractic care addresses the entire human body, including the ability to move, think, and perform freely. Depending on the condition, the chiropractor may recommend regular exercise, proper nutrition, massage, hot/cold therapy, and appropriate movements and postures. They can help manage chronic pain and assist you in leading a good quality of life.
What to expect during your visit to a chiropractor near you?
The chiropractor may ask about your general health, symptoms, and medical history. They may also ask about your daily routine, diet, and sleeping patterns. Next, they will physically examine your spine and back muscles. They may even check your overall muscle strength, limb mobility, and hip and shoulder joints to identify the vulnerable areas and recommend preventive therapy.
If you suffer from specific discomfort, the chiropractor will check the area to identify the condition and provide appropriate treatment. They may also recommend additional screenings or tests, such as an X-ray, for an in-depth analysis of your ailment. Depending on your symptom or condition, they may move you to a specific position to treat the affected area. Often, they ask patients to lie face down on the medical chiropractic table and use their hands to apply a sudden controlled force on a specific joint. The pressure eases the joint and pushes it beyond its normal range of motion. It is common for patients to hear a cracking or popping sound as the chiropractor works on moving the joints during the therapy session.
After comprehensive chiropractic therapy, some patients may experience minor side effects for a few days. These may include pain in the treated body parts, fatigue, or headache. The chiropractor will recommend after-treatment best practices to manage these temporary side effects and ensure the longevity of the treatment results.
Common chiropractic treatments
Different treatments offered by the chiropractor include:
- Soft tissue therapy helps relieve spasms, relax tight muscles, and release tension from the connective tissues surrounding every muscle.
- Adjustments: It involves gently realigning the joints to increase mobility and decrease pain.
- Stretches and exercise: Chiropractors recommend exercises to maintain and restore joint and muscle mobility and stability.
- Joint taping/bracing: They help support muscle sprains or strained joints for better healing.
- Logan technique: The Logan technique is a chiropractic adjustment technique that involves applying pressure to the spine. Your chiropractor will apply gentle pressure to help realign the spinal bones, release tension, and restore balance. This technique is also known to alleviate migraines and headaches.
- Gonstead adjustment: The Gonstead adjustment is a common chiropractic technique used to diagnose and treat conditions like chronic back pain. During this treatment, your chiropractor will analyze your spinal region, locate the problematic area, and make adjustments to realign your spine and reduce pain and inflammation.
- Flexion distraction: Flexion distraction is an adjustment method chiropractors use to treat joint pain, scoliosis, disk herniations, and other conditions that cause neck and back pain. The technique involves your provider applying small, precise amounts of pressure to stretch your back, undo the discomfort-causing nerve pressure, and align your spine.
- Refer to integrative medical experts: Chiropractors often refer to other specialists for appropriate nutrition and diet to reduce inflammation, manage weight, and promote healthy eating habits.
Health benefits of opting for chiropractic care
Chiropractic care is a holistic approach offering numerous advantages for individuals seeking non-invasive solutions to common health problems. This practice relieves various conditions and has gained recognition for its effectiveness. Here is a look at the benefits it offers:
- Cost-effective chronic back pain treatment: Chiropractic care is a budget-friendly alternative to traditional chronic low back pain treatments. Research has shown that it reduces treatment costs and shortens the duration of treatment.
- Reduces opioid dependence: Amid the opioid crisis, chiropractic care is a safer alternative for managing chronic pain and offers a stellar solution without resorting to opioids. Studies indicate that individuals who consult chiropractors are less likely to rely on opioid prescriptions, offering a pathway to pain relief without the associated risks.
- Potential osteoarthritis relief: Chiropractic adjustments show promise in slowing the progression of osteoarthritis by aligning joints and reducing bone-on-bone friction.
- Headache relief: Chiropractic care effectively alleviates chronic headaches, often from tension or neck problems, significantly enhancing the quality of life for sufferers.
- Scoliosis improvement: For individuals with scoliosis, chiropractic care can reduce the Cobb angle, a measurement of spinal deformity, offering hope for those with this condition.
- Neck pain relief: Prolonged screen time or poor posture can result in neck pain. Chiropractic care realigns the spine and eases neck muscle tension, providing lasting relief.
- Posture correction: Chiropractic care significantly improves posture, especially for individuals with posture problems due to prolonged sitting. Case studies have shown that regular treatment can relieve related pain, such as headaches and neck discomfort.
- Athletic performance enhancement: Athletes may benefit from chiropractic adjustments, which enhance joint mobility, reduce pain, and relieve tissue restrictions. Though ongoing research explores the effect on sports performance, chiropractic care is valuable in managing pain and injuries for athletes.
Chiropractic care, emphasizing natural healing and non-invasive methods, offers various benefits for those seeking alternative healthcare solutions.
What are the risks associated with chiropractic care?
It is typically safe when a trained and licensed chiropractor performs a chiropractic adjustment. However, it can cause serious complications in rare cases, such as:
- Herniated disk
- Cauda equina syndrome
- Worsening of an existing disk herniation
- A particular type of stroke associated with neck manipulation
To avoid these side effects, make sure not to seek chiropractic adjustment if you have:
- Spinal cancer
- Higher risk of stroke
- Severe osteoporosis
- A bone abnormality in the upper neck
- Tingling, numbness, or loss of strength in a limb
Finding the best chiropractor near you in Arlington Heights, IL
Having a chiropractor as a part of your healthcare network can be highly beneficial in several ways. However, finding a reliable and skilled one can be a challenging task. With Zocdoc, you can quickly locate some of the best and most experienced board-certified chiropractors in Arlington Heights, Illinois.
The process is simple: Create a free account on Zocdoc and enter your condition or the specialist you seek location, date, and insurance plan. A comprehensive list of doctors based on your search criteria will appear. Zocdoc has partnered with qualified, experienced chiropractors who provide comprehensive patient advice and treatment. Each chiropractor near you has a unique profile on the website, which includes a brief introduction, education qualification, practice location, ratings, and visit reasons. Therefore, you get to know everything for the best chiropractor near you on a single platform.
Using Zocdoc’s insurance detector, you can quickly identify in-network providers near you. While you can add medical, dental, and vision insurance plans to your Zocdoc account, you can only search for and schedule an appointment with one insurance plan at a time. In case you have multiple plans, you can mention your secondary insurance plan and carrier in your notes for the provider in the last step of the booking process. If your provider uses Zocdoc’s intake forms, you can add details about your secondary insurance while filling out your forms online. For more insurance-related queries, check Zocdoc's patient help center.
After completing an appointment, Zocdoc asks the patient to leave a review. Therefore, the best way to find the most trusted chiropractor near you is to read updated patient reviews. Once you have selected the best-suited chiropractor for your needs and requirements, you can instantly schedule an in-person visit or virtual consultation based on their availability. Look for a purple video icon on chiropractors' profiles or filter the video appointment selection.
All Zocdoc bookings are simple, secure, and free!
Chiropractic statistics for Illinois, USA
According to data published by the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, as of May 2021, the country had about 35,810 practicing chiropractors. Illinois ranked 4th among all states, with about 2030 active chiropractors.
According to the American Migraine Foundation, about 40 million people in the U.S. live with migraine. The condition can substantially affect everyday life, with 90% of people with migraine reporting that it interferes with their education, career, or social activities. Migraine also contributes to approximately 113 million lost workdays in the U.S. each year. In addition, the American Headache Society reported in 2024 that about 40% of people with migraine could benefit from preventive therapy, although only a minority use preventive treatments.
The prevalence of Chronic Migraines (CM)/ Transformed Migraines (TM) in the USA is about 2%. The probable migraine prevalence rate among Americans is about 4.5% (5.1% in women and 3.9% in men). Almost 97% of people with probable migraines reported using acute treatments. Nearly 98% of people suffering from migraine reported using acute treatment to manage their migraine attacks, whereas only 12% reported taking preventive medications.
Sources
Cleveland Clinic[1]
Cleveland Clinic[2]
Mayo Clinic
WebMD
CB Physiotherapy
US Bureau Of Labor Statistics
American Migraine Foundation
Illinois Chiropractic Society
Healthline
Gonstead Clinical Studies Society
HealthMax Physiotherapy Clinics
Chiropractic Health Clinic
Chirobase
