Chiropratic FAQs

 What is Manipulation?
 Is Spinal Manipulation Effective?
 Is Spinal Manipulation Safe?
 Which Doctors are Skilled at Performing Spinal Manipulation?
 What if Chiropractic is Not Covered in My Insurance Plan?

What is Manipulation?
Manipulation is treatment using the doctor's hands to apply body leverage and a physical thrust to one joint or a group of related joints to restore joint and related tissue function. Through the use of manipulation, the doctor seeks to provide relief from symptoms, improve joint and muscle function, and speed recovery. Spinal manipulation is the most common form of manipulation. Manipulation should not be confused with other forms of manual therapy such as mobilization and massage.

Is Spinal Manipulation Effective?
Yes! As more of the benefits and safety of spinal manipulation are made public, it is becoming more universally recognized as a safe and effective choice for the care of back problems.

The most recent evidence of spinal manipulation's effectiveness comes from a landmark study conducted by the Agency for Health Care Policy and Research, a federal government research organization. In this study, a panel of health care experts analyzed the scientific evidence available on all methods of examination and treatment used for acute adult low back problems and formed conclusions regarding their appropriateness and effectiveness. Among their most significant conclusions, they confirmed that spinal manipulation is a safe and effective initial form of treatment for this problem. This panel also strongly recommended that both doctors and patients consider using the most conservative treatment approach first for this common problem. Spinal manipulation is a drugless, nonsurgical (conservative) approach to the treatment of back pain and its related disorders.

Is Spinal Manipulation Safe?
Yes! When administered by a qualified doctor who is well trained and experienced in the use of spinal manipulation, it is one of the safest drugless, nonsurgical procedures available.

Clinical surveys show that complications from manipulation are rare. So low, in fact, that doctors who perform manipulation have the lowest malpractice insurance costs of all practicing doctors. This means that when manipulation is performed by a Doctor of Chiropractic, the potential risk of complications from manipulation is at its lowest.

A word of caution. Spinal manipulation is as much an art as it is a clinical science. It should not be used by unskilled persons. As more people become aware of manipulation's effectiveness, unlicensed or untrained persons might believe they too can use it safely and effectively. For your own safety, when selecting a doctor to provide manipulation for your back problem, be sure you choose a chiropractic doctor who is well trained and experienced in this form of care.

Which Doctors are Most Skilled at Manipulation
Doctors of Chiropractic (DCs) are the public's first choice of doctors for treatment using manipulation. A Summer, 1994 study by the respected health care research organization Louis Harris & Associates confirms this as a fact. This nation-wide survey reveals that nearly one-half of the general public and six in ten of those who sought professional care for a back problem in the recent past regard DCs as most skilled in the use of spinal manipulation. And the majority of those who visited other doctors for a back problem also consider DCs more skilled in the use of manipulation than their medical or osteopathic doctor.

The DC's clinical expertise is derived from his/her training and the clinical experience gained from spending over 85% of his/her daily practice in the differential diagnosis of the patient's complaint and the management of neuromusculoskeletal (NMS) disorders. The DC's training and experience enable him/her to identify those health problems that are most likely to be responsive to chiropractic management and to administer the appropriate treatment personally, safely and effectively.

What if Chiropractic Manipulation is Not Covered in My Insurance Plan?
Ask your insurance plan administrator to add full, direct access chiropractic services coverage to your plan for both you and your dependents. And be sure to specify that you want these chiropractic services to be provided only by a Doctor of Chiropractic.