Who are chiropractors?
Chiropractors are specialized healthcare professionals who use sudden and controlled force on the joints to fix their alignment, decrease pain, and improve the overall functioning of the joints. When a licensed and trained chiropractor provides chiropractic care, it is safe and rarely leads to complications.
Chiropractors generally diagnose and treat conditions that affect our bodies' musculoskeletal and nervous systems. Some common reasons for chiropractic care include lower back pain, neck pain, muscle pain, and headaches. They can also treat aches and strains in body parts such as jaws, wrists, ankles, elbows, hips, knees, and shoulders.
Chiropractic care comes under alternative therapy and involves:
- Spinal adjustments
- Soft tissue therapy
- Exercises
- Taping the joints
- Stimulation and relaxation therapy
- Counseling for weight loss and dieting
The treatment options are available for all age groups, but generally, people between 45 and 64 seek chiropractors. However, this kind of therapy is not advised for people with a history of cancer, stroke, osteoporosis, or those with an abnormality in the neck bones.
Before making a chiropractic adjustment, we must determine if chiropractic care suits you. If chiropractic care is unsuitable for your condition, your chiropractor will direct you to another healthcare provider for assistance.
History of chiropractic therapy
The chiropractic profession began with Daniel David Palmer, who performed the first chiropractic adjustment and founded the first chiropractic school in Davenport, Iowa. His efforts laid the foundation for chiropractic care as a healthcare discipline focused on manual manipulation to alleviate pain and improve function.
As chiropractic gained popularity in the early 20th century, practitioners formed professional societies to establish standards in education and research. Today, nearly 20 U.S. chiropractic colleges are accredited by the Council on Chiropractic Education, which has held recognition from the U.S. Department of Education since 1974.
Chiropractic has been a regulated profession for over a century in the U.S., with Kansas issuing the first chiropractor licenses in 1913. Now, chiropractors are licensed in all 50 states and more than 40 countries worldwide. As research evidence has grown, chiropractic care has integrated into mainstream healthcare, with services offered in hospitals, military healthcare facilities, and insurance plans. In 1993, chiropractic care became part of the U.S. Department of Defense healthcare system, now available at over 60 military bases globally.
In 2017, the American College of Physicians (ACP) updated its guidelines to recommend noninvasive, nondrug treatments, including spinal manipulation, as a first-line therapy for chronic low back pain. This endorsement from the ACP and other health organizations has helped broaden chiropractic’s role within healthcare.
With over 70,000 licensed chiropractors practicing in settings ranging from private offices to hospital systems, chiropractic continues to grow as a respected healthcare profession focused on providing noninvasive, holistic care.
How to become a chiropractor?
Chiropractors qualified to practice in the U.S. hold a Doctor of Chiropractic (D.C.) degree. The D.C. program takes four years to complete. It consists of classes on basic sciences such as physiology and anatomy and clinical studies, which include hands-on training in making diagnoses and spinal adjustments.
To enter the D.C. degree program, one must complete a three-year undergraduate degree in sciences. All chiropractors in the U.S. must sit for and pass the National Board of Chiropractic Examiners examination. They also must obtain a state license by clearing the license examination to practice legally in that state.
Postgraduate residency programs are also available in the U.S. for chiropractors who want to get board-certified. Doctoral programs usually last 1 to 3 years and include specialties such as neurology, orthopedics, sports medicine, radiology, nutrition, rehabilitation, and family practice.
What is a chiropractic adjustment?
When a licensed chiropractor manually manipulates the joints in the human body or with the help of specific devices, it is known as chiropractic adjustment. Chiropractic adjustments, also called joint or spinal manipulation, are generally used with traditional medical care.
Symptoms that affect the musculoskeletal system are the main focus of chiropractic adjustments. These help alleviate aches and pains, muscle stiffness, or chronic illnesses. When seeking an alternative form of treatment that excludes the use of prescription drugs, many people opt to receive a chiropractic adjustment.
Chiropractic manipulations are generally of two types: spinal manipulation and spinal mobilization. Spinal manipulation involves high velocity and low amplitude sudden force application in a controlled manner where you hear an audible popping sound. On the other hand, spinal mobilization is gentler and involves applying lower-level forces to manage conditions such as osteoporosis.
What are the side effects and advantages of chiropractic adjustments?
Some side effects that generally follow chiropractic manipulation include mild soreness, headache, and fatigue. The side effects are usually temporary, and patients feel relief soon. However, in some extreme cases, patients experience complications such as stroke, disc herniation, and cauda equina syndrome.
When done correctly and regularly, chiropractic adjustments help reduce the painful symptoms associated with several diseases, such as osteoarthritis, migraine and tension headaches, and traumatic whiplash injuries to the neck and spine. Additionally, chiropractic adjustments improve the body's posture by increasing the total range of motion of the afflicted joints. By increasing the body's energy and improving the immune system, spinal adjustments also help strengthen overall well-being and prevent diseases.
Common conditions treated by a chiropractor
Chiropractic care aims to correct damage, disorder, and misalignment in the joints, particularly the spine. Some conditions treated with chiropractic treatment include:
Patients with back problems such as discomfort, poor posture, and pain seek chiropractic treatment. Sometimes, individuals with more complex conditions like fibromyalgia, a chronic musculoskeletal issue, may also seek chiropractic care.
Both rheumatoid and osteoarthritis, caused by immune system disorders and tissue degeneration, can be treated by chiropractors through joint manipulation and mobility restoration.
Chiropractors can also relieve tension headaches by locating trigger points in neck muscles, such as the suboccipitals, splenius muscles, trapezius, and sternocleidomastoid.
The neck, consisting of seven small vertebrae called the "cervical spine," is a crucial yet delicate body part. Chiropractic care can also provide relief to patients suffering from neck pain.
- Musculoskeletal conditions
Chiropractic therapy adjusts joints and posture to correct various musculoskeletal conditions, and an experienced chiropractor near you would be able to assist with the following:
- Plantar fasciitis
- Epicondylitis
- Tendinitis
- Sprains
- Strains
- Fractures
- Ligament injuries
- Myelopathy
- Whiplash
- Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS)
- Stroke
- Dislocation
- Frozen joints
- Muscle, joint, or ligament tears and pulls
- Herniated discs
- Scoliosis
- Medial Tibial Stress Syndrome (MTSS)
- Osteoarthritis
- Ruptured discs or tendons
- Scurvy
- Shin splints
- Chronic discomfort
- Carpal tunnel syndrome
What to expect at a chiropractic appointment?
The first chiropractic appointment begins with a general health assessment, which includes a detailed history of past medications and procedures and any chronic illnesses. The chiropractors thoroughly investigate the symptoms that the patient presents. They also ask about dietary habits, sleeping patterns, and daily exercise routines. After medical history comes a physical examination, wherein the chiropractor's chief concern is the spine. They will check the posture, gait, muscle strength, mobility in the arms and legs, and alignment of the shoulders and hips.
Chiropractors generally prescribe imaging diagnostic tests such as Computed Tomography (C.T.) scans, X-rays, and Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scans. After consolidating the exams and test results, they devise a customized treatment plan.
The first appointment with a chiropractor generally lasts for around 45 minutes. Once the treatment begins, the follow-up appointments take at most 20 minutes.
What causes temporomandibular joint (TMJ) issues?
The joint between the bones in the head and the lower jaws is known as the temporomandibular joint. Similar to other joints in our bodies, this joint also consists of muscles and ligaments, which can undergo degeneration and lead to pain in this region. Trauma to the TMJ region can injure or dislocate the joint, and the pain resembles earaches. Some people have harmful habits such as bruxism (sleep grinding of teeth), which can tire the facial and neck muscles and lead to painful TMJ joints. Arthritis and autoimmune disorders also lead to TMJ issues.
Chiropractors train to make adjustments in the TMJ region, which can drastically improve the symptoms. By manipulating the TMJ joint, chiropractors help relieve the tension in this space, reducing pain.
How do chiropractors handle TMJ?
A chiropractor can treat TMJ issues in several ways. A spinal adjustment is one of a chiropractor's primary functions; this implies that your back's discs and vertebrae are physically adjusted to enable the transmission of messages from your brain to other parts of your body down your spinal column. Many problems throughout the body, including unbearable jaw pain, can result from a misaligned spine. The imbalance wears out the nearby muscles and exacerbates the TMJ issue.
One of two problems is usually the source of TMJ pain:
- A spinal condition affecting the jawbone.
- Weakening of the jaw muscles
It could be a mix of these two problems. Your chiropractor will address the issue once they determine which problems contribute to your pain. The idea is not to use any drugs, devices, or surgery to help your body recover itself and regain equilibrium. They utilize precise, deliberate movements on your spine to encourage alignment and enable the body to perform at its best.
To treat TMJ pain, chiropractors employ a variety of methods in addition to adjustments. To treat TMJ problems, chiropractors may use the following specific strategies:
- Massage treatment
- Ultrasound
- Soft tissue therapy
- Electronic sound stimulation
They may also recommend stretches or exercises that you can perform at home to assist you in managing your TMJ pain.
Advantages of using chiropractic care to treat TMJ pain
A chiropractor near you may offer the following advantages for curing TMJ pain:
- Chiropractors adjust your joints to relieve pain. It doesn't hurt and is safe and natural. They realign your joints to relieve stress and lessen soreness and edema.
- Chiropractors treat the entire region to ease pain and relax the muscles surrounding the TMJ. To guarantee correct alignment, they also treat your spine. Your body can repair itself and perform at its best when your spine is in alignment; this includes treating TMJ pain.
- Chiropractic care entails education about your condition and what you can do to manage your symptoms and enhance your general health. They will advise you on how to lessen TMJ symptoms through diet, exercise, and lifestyle adjustments.
- Chiropractic treatment is all-natural and does not support or depend on the use of medications to cover up symptoms. Their objective is to locate the source of the issue and deal with it to help your body recover from the symptoms and lower your chance of developing TMJ problems in the future.
Adverse effects of a sedentary lifestyle
Today, most people seek chiropractic care more often due to their sedentary lifestyles. Sedentary refers to being inactive, sitting and sleeping most of the time, with no exercise or physical activity. Remaining stationary for extended periods leads to defective metabolism. When the calories burned are less, the chances of weight gain increase. As movement in the bones and muscles reduces, they weaken, and the blood circulation also becomes sluggish, thus increasing the chances of developing several chronic illnesses.
Being sedentary also affects the body's immune system, leading to autoimmune disorders and hormonal imbalances. Common illnesses associated with a sedentary lifestyle include high blood pressure and cholesterol, obesity, type 2 diabetes, risk of stroke, metabolic syndrome, osteoporosis, anxiety and depression, and increased risk of developing breast, colon, and uterine cancer.
Find the right chiropractor near you in Fort Lee, New Jersey
For chiropractic treatment to be successful, the most important criterion is for the patients to believe in the treatment plan and philosophy of the treating professional. Zocdoc allows you to book appointments with the best chiropractors practicing in Fort Lee, New Jersey. While searching, you can filter the chiropractors based on location, preferred date, and the insurance accepted.
When scheduling an appointment through Zocdoc, you’ll be prompted to either share your insurance information or confirm that you’ll pay out-of-pocket. Some providers may require insurance details to finalize a booking. If you prefer not to provide insurance information or plan to pay without using insurance, Zocdoc allows you to explore other providers who can accommodate your preferences. This flexibility ensures you can find the right healthcare provider for your needs. If you need any assistance during the process, you can reach out to the Zocdoc service team. For insurance-related questions, refer to the Zocdoc patient help center page.
All chiropractors on Zocdoc have a detailed profile with information on their training and qualifications, affiliations and accreditations, and areas of specialization and experience. It also lists the languages in which they are fluent, awards they have received, and verified patient reviews. Depending on their availability, you can make appointments with the best chiropractors near you a day in advance, on the same day, or even after 5 pm. All bookings on Zocdoc are fast, free, and secure.
Chiropractic care statistics in New Jersey
As per a report published by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, as of May 2023, around 720 chiropractors were practicing in New Jersey hospitals and other care centers. The ratio of chiropractors in New Jersey to the average number of chiropractors in the U.S. was approximately 0.63.
A 2010 study published by the National Center for Biotechnology Information reported that the ratio of chiropractic use in New York/New Jersey was 0.692. The study collected data from 5,510 Medicare insurance policy users, out of whom 806 sought chiropractic care. According to the same survey, New Jersey, in the Northeastern part of the United States, has a smaller percentage of chiropractic users than other U.S. regions (12.7%).
Sources
WebMD
National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health
Cleveland Clinic
SPINE-health[1]
SPINE-health[2]
MedlinePlus
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
National Center for Biotechnology Information
SPINE-health[3]
Accident Care Chiropractic
American Chiropractic Association
