What is chiropractic medicine?
Chiropractic is a form of alternative and complementary medicine that helps improve the body's physiological functions. Chiropractic adjustments use manual treatment to straighten the spine and relieve pain and suffering. They are also called spinal or joint manipulation and are performed by licensed chiropractors. They mainly concentrate on the patient's neuromusculoskeletal system, including nerves, muscles, bones, and attaching connective tissues such as tendons and ligaments.
Chiropractic has been a regulated healthcare profession in the United States for over a century. Even though spinal manipulation remains the cornerstone of chiropractic care, contemporary chiropractors have developed a wide range of practice approaches and use various techniques to fulfill the demands of their patients. They integrate chiropractic care with other forms of treatment, such as exercise and nutritional counseling, and employ a natural healing process that frequently excludes the need for medications and surgery.
Chiropractors believe in the body's natural ability to heal. They contend that restoring the spine's structural integrity reduces undue pressure on the surrounding neurological tissues, and the body's functioning improves automatically. Successful chiropractors have friendly personalities, excellent training, and a sincere passion for what they do. Also, they have excellent communication skills since their profession demands working closely with patients.
Educational requirements of a chiropractor
After three years of undergraduate training, the Doctor of Chiropractic (D.C.) degree involves a four-year program in the United States. After completing the degree, chiropractors must pass the National Board of Chiropractic Examiners exam and secure a license to practice in their state.
Some chiropractors further train with doctoral programs in life sciences, physiology, business training, and hands-on techniques for spinal adjustments.
When should one consult with a chiropractor?
Chiropractors help relieve joint pain and rectify the muscle functioning surrounding the joints. You may see a chiropractor near you if you are experiencing the following issues:
- Lower back pain
- Neck pain
- Headache
- Repetitive strains
- Sports-related injuries
- Traumatic injuries from accidents
- Arthritic joints pain
Types of chiropractic specialties
Chiropractic care has grown far beyond traditional spinal adjustments. Today, there are several specialties, each designed to meet specific needs. Depending on your health or lifestyle, choosing a chiropractor with a specialty that matches your situation is important. Hence, finding the right chiropractor near you for your specific needs can greatly help your healing process.
- Naturopathic chiropractic
Naturopathic chiropractors use spinal techniques and natural therapies such as massage, acupuncture, and nutritional advice. They focus on the root causes of your concerns through holistic methods, avoiding surgery or pharmaceutical treatments.
- Occupational chiropractic
If your job is physically demanding, this specialty may be ideal. Occupational chiropractors help relieve work-related pain, correct posture, and reduce the chance of injuries. They also offer ergonomic consulting in workplaces with high injury risks.
- Pain management chiropractic
Are you dealing with chronic pain, migraines, or long-term discomfort? Pain management chiropractors use various methods, including spinal manipulation, to relieve pain and improve your day-to-day function. Continued sessions with a skilled chiropractor near you can lead to lasting relief.
Pregnancy brings many physical changes, and prenatal chiropractors are trained to support women through this journey. They can help with back pain, pelvic alignment, and posture, all while making more room for the baby. This care supports a smoother birth and promotes faster postpartum recovery.
Chiropractic care isn't just for adults—children can benefit too. Pediatric chiropractors address common issues like colic, ear infections, poor sleep, and developmental delays. Gentle techniques tailored to young bodies help support healthy growth and comfort.
Whether you are a casual fitness enthusiast or a seasoned athlete, consulting a sports chiropractor can elevate your performance, accelerate recovery, and keep your body tuned for excellence. They use hands-on treatments and recovery plans to keep you in top shape and reduce recovery time. Many also offer care during sports events.
What to expect during an appointment with a chiropractor?
When you meet a chiropractor for the first time, they conduct a full assessment of your existing conditions, which includes:
- Recording the synopsis of a patient's symptoms: The chiropractor asks detailed questions to better understand your pain, such as its duration and frequency, the specific part of the body where it occurs, etc.
- Medical case history: After a thorough account of your symptoms, the chiropractor records the patient's history, including family, occupational, and past medical history, diet and sleeping habits, etc.
- Physical examination: A chiropractor uses several techniques to examine the spinal segments and determine the region with issues, including tests to look for muscle strength and posture examination.
What does chiropractic treatment involve?
Chiropractors learn over 150 techniques to adjust the spine and the surrounding connective tissues. The chiropractor will direct you to lie face down on a specially designed chiropractic table for most treatments. It is expected to hear popping or cracking sounds of the joints while the chiropractor uses controlled force to realign the spine or joints.
Some chiropractors also use a drop table. This table is divided into sections, and depending on the chiropractor's choice, a particular area drops down. Some chiropractors also use an instrument called an activator. It is a hand-held instrument loaded with a spring. It helps chiropractors apply a quick, low force to a particular point in the back.
What are the different types of chiropractic treatments?
Other than making adjustments to the spine, a chiropractor also offers other treatments, such as
- Massage helps to manage pain, improve blood circulation, increase range of motion, and reduce spinal pain. Patients with chronic pain, spinal alignment issues, muscle tension, and joint mobility can benefit from it.
- Shoe inserts are special devices placed inside shoes to help match the shape of your feet for improved balance and comfort. You can get them over-the-counter or consult a chiropractor for custom-made foot orthotics.
- Electrical muscle stimulation: Electrodes placed on the skin transmit various types of electrical stimulation through light electrical pulses to specific body areas. They help treat muscle spasms, reduce inflammation, and alleviate pain.
- Hot and cold therapy is a traditional treatment used for various painful conditions. It includes applying ice to manage pain and reduce swelling after an injury. Accordingly, applying heat can relieve pain, increase circulation, and relax the muscles.
- Relaxation: Chiropractors use various techniques to promote relaxation and help reduce stress via exercises, stretching, and soft tissue massage.
- Exercises: Patients experiencing neck, back, and extremity issues can benefit from exercising. It can help increase the range of motion, stability, and strength, promote joint health, reduce pain, and prevent muscle deterioration.
- Dietary management: Chiropractors can help reduce the chances of developing severe conditions, including diabetes, stroke, and heart disease, by developing personalized nutritional plans.
- Braces are external devices that stabilize the spine and help alleviate pain, prevent further injury, provide support, and immobilize the spine to induce healing.
- Ultrasound uses sound waves to induce deep heat therapy. It helps reduce pain, muscle spasms, and stiffness and increases the flow of blood to the soft tissues and joints.
- Diathermy is a shortwave electromagnetic therapy that relaxes muscles and connective tissues.
- Hydrotherapy provides full back massage via pressurized water and rotating jets on a water-type bed. It helps to relax tired or aching muscles.
- Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulators (TENS) are battery-powered devices that help patients manage acute pain by using electric current.
- Traction: These are devices applied to different areas of the spine. They help to induce disc decompression and reduce pain and nerve root pressure by gently separating the vertebrae.
- Infrared radiation involves projecting safe radiation levels to identify inflammation and pain points in the body.
- Cold laser therapy helps reduce inflammation by using light or non-heat-producing laser penetrating deep into the tissue.
- Ergonomics is the science of using appropriately designed equipment to help correct body posture, increase comfort, and minimize fatigue. Examples include chairs with proper backrests, maintaining work monitors at the right height, and learning appropriate techniques for using phones for extended periods.
- Pelvic stabilization involves heel lift or corrective arch support to stabilize the pelvis.
What are some common side effects of chiropractic treatment?
Some of the common side effects that patients experience following a chiropractic consultation include:
- Soreness or ache in the muscles
- Aches in the joints
- Mild headache
- Feeling of fatigue
These issues usually last a few hours following the treatment and generally disappear within 24 hours following the adjustment. Ice pack application helps alleviate the pain and soreness quickly. In rare cases, chiropractic treatment is followed by severe side effects such as:
- Stroke
- Numbness in the treated region
- Pinched nerves
- Spinal disc herniation
Is chiropractic care safe during pregnancy?
During pregnancy, a woman’s body goes through various changes, some of which can cause spinal pain and misalignment. These changes include:
- Weight gain
- Postural adaptations
- Weakening of abdominal muscles
- Protruding abdomen and increased back curve
Chiropractic care addresses these issues and benefits you in several ways during pregnancy:
- Ease nausea: Chiropractors can help relieve tension, restore nervous system function, and allow your nervous system to communicate perfectly with the rest of the body. When spinal misalignments no longer hinder communication with your digestive system, you might notice a decrease in pregnancy nausea (morning sickness).
- Alleviate pain: Chiropractic care can treat headaches, back pain, sacroiliac pain, pubic bone pain, and rib misplacement, ensuring your pregnancy is comfortable and pain-free.
- Reposition the baby: If your baby does not have enough room or is presenting in the breech position, chiropractors can align your pelvis and work on the muscles and ligaments in your pelvic region. This helps reduce intrauterine constraints and allows for a more optimal delivery position.
- Reduce your time in labor: Chiropractic treatment, combined with exercise and a nutritious diet, may help shorten labor by aligning and relaxing your pelvic floor muscles.
However, avoid seeking chiropractic care if you experience any of the following:
To prevent any complications, consult your OB-GYN before seeing a chiropractor.
Find the best chiropractor near you in Seattle, Washington
More and more people are now choosing alternative and holistic healthcare approaches. People highly value chiropractors' preventative, noninvasive techniques and their capacity to enhance patients' overall well-being. Individuals also look for trustworthy and reliable doctors to build long-lasting relationships. However, it takes immense effort to identify such providers, and this is where Zocdoc comes to your rescue!
The platform can help you find your ideal chiropractor with a few clicks. Begin by creating a free Zocdoc account. Then, enter the specialty of the medical professional you want to see, your desired clinical procedure, location, or any symptoms or conditions you may have in the search box. Zocdoc will immediately provide you with a list of trusted chiropractors in Seattle.
You can narrow your search using Zocdoc's advanced filters based on location, appointment time and date, doctor's gender, hospital affiliation, languages spoken, and whether or not they treat adults, children, or both. You can also specifically look for doctors who accept your insurance plan using Zocdoc’s insurance detector.
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.
Additionally, you can review each practitioner's profiles and verified patient reviews to learn more about them. Every provider's profile contains information about their expertise, training background, credentials, licenses, and professional achievements. Once you've shortlisted a chiropractor near you, you can book a virtual or face-to-face appointment, depending on the expert's availability.
All bookings on Zocdoc are quick, free, and secure.
Chiropractic-related statistics in Washington and the U.S.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, as of May 2023, 41,480 chiropractors were legally practicing in the U.S. In the state of Washington, during this year, 1,050 chiropractors were employed. The location quotient for the state, which is the ratio between the number of chiropractors in Washington versus the entire country, was 1.10.
Joint pain due to arthritis is one of the conditions that chiropractors help alleviate. According to the America's Health Rankings, in 2022, approximately 25.8% of adults in Washington had arthritis. The highest numbers were among people over 65 (≈54.2%), while only about 8.8% of adults between 18 and 44 were affected by this inflammatory condition. The report also stated that arthritis was higher among women in the state (≈29.7%) than men (≈21.9%).
Sources
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
Medicare.gov
Veritas Health
WebMD[1]
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Cleveland Clinic[1]
Cleveland Clinic[2]
Cleveland Clinic[3]
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National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health
American Chiropractic Association
Sherman College of Chiropractic
America’s Health Rankings
Health Central
International Chiropractic Center
Normal Chiropractic, PLLC
Chicoine Chiropractic Health Centers, Inc​
Healthline
Henry Ford Health
Radix Chiropractic
Revival Chiropractic
American Pregnancy Association
Northwestern Health Sciences University
