People of all ages and in most situations can seek chiropractic treatment. The Bureau of Labor statistics reports that the demand for alternative health care is increasing, and that the number of chiropractors is growing. This means that it will be easier to locate chiropractic treatment and that patients will have more of a choice over what practitioner performs their treatment.
Identification
Often, people seek out chiropractic care when they are having back or neck pain. Spinal manipulation is the most common procedure performed by chiropractors, reports the American Chiropractic Association. However, chiropractic adjustments can also be performed to alleviate neck and joint pain as well as to provide relief from headaches. Chiropractic manipulations are performed by a chiropractor using his hands and sometimes forearms or legs to put a controlled force into joints that have restricted movement because of injury or poor posture. Often a cracking or popping sound can be heard during an adjustment. This is air escaping from the joints and is nothing to worry about. Adjustments usually only take a few minutes, and in most cases the patient remains fully dressed. Chiropractors also can give counseling on diet, exercise and healthy lifestyle choices. Some chiropractors also use therapeutic exercise in their office or use ultrasound for muscular pain relief.
Considerations
Many insurance companies will cover all or part of the cost of chiropractic care. Check for covered providers when choosing a practitioner. For those chiropractors who don't process insurance, or if your policy doesn't have coverage for this treatment, ask if there is any discount if a group of sessions are paid for and scheduled at once.
Benefits
Chiropractic care is useful for people who suffer from neck, back or joint pain, as well as headaches, according to The Mayo Clinic. It is a drug and surgery free way of getting pain relief. Chiropractic adjustment can also help pregnant women cope with the discomforts of late pregnancy.
Risks
In most cases, chiropractic treatment is perfectly safe as long as it's performed by a qualified practitioner. However, some side effects have been reported after adjustment. Most of these are mild and resolve themselves in a day or two. These can include fatigue, headache or discomfort in the area treated. More serious, though rare, are herniated discs or strokes after neck adjustment.
Warning
Anyone who has a serious medical condition or who has had spinal surgery should check with their surgeon or primary doctor to make sure a chiropractic adjustment would be safe for their circumstances. Those with osteoporosis should also avoid chiropractic treatment, reports the Mayo Clinic. The reason for this is that those with osteoporosis are more inclined to have bone fractures from vigorous treatment.
