Choosing A Chiropractic Clinic

If you’ve never been to a chiropractic clinic before, it can be daunting to try to find one that best suits your needs.  Because chiropractic treatment is a very physical, hands-on practice, it’s important that you find a clinic in which you feel safe, comfortable, valued and in which you feel a rapport with the doctor herself.  Otherwise, you won’t get the maximum benefit from your treatment.  The trick is this:  How do you determine which clinic is a good fit?  To find the best fit in chiropractic clinic Burlington residents should be prepared to ask lots of questions.

Word of mouth recommendations are a good place to start when it comes to any health care, including chiropractic.  Ask your friends and family if they can recommend a chiropractic clinic in your area or, failing that, ask your family doctor or other member of your healthcare team for a recommendation.  Ask them to whom they would send their own family members.  Remember, however, that personal recommendations are based on opinions, and one person’s opinion of what makes a good chiropractor doesn’t necessarily mean that doctor will work for you.  Healthcare is definitely not a one-size-fits-all kind of thing.  If, however, you receive several recommendations for the same chiropractic clinic from different people, that clinic should at least be worth a further look.

Before you agree to be treated by a chiropractor, it’s important to first put on your investigator’s hat.  Set up a time to interview the doctor to find out about his or her treatment philosophies, experience, etc.  This is also the best way to get a feel for whether her personality jives with yours or not.  If you don’t feel comfortable with the doctor or if they don’t put you at ease about your treatment, it’s probably not the best fit.  Ask questions such as how long the typical patient wait time is, whether they have emergency hours, what the office’s regular hours are (do they work on Saturday?  Evenings?), etc.  These are practical concerns that may help to determine whether the clinic is a good fit for you or not.

After your interview, ask yourself the following:

Was the doctor friendly and did she listen intently to what I had to say?

Did she answer my questions willingly and thoroughly?

Did she listen to my concerns without interrupting me?

Am I comfortable with the doctor’s level of experience?

Does the office feel welcoming and inviting?  Is it conveniently located?

You also might want to do some background research through the Ontario College of Chiropractors to find out whether there have been any disciplinary actions against the chiropractor in the past.  This could be a red flag if there have been lots of complaints in the past.  Also, be sure the clinic is properly accredited.

Choosing a chiropractor should be done with as much care as you would choose any other healthcare provider.  It’s crucial to find one who is not only skilled, experienced and accredited, but also one whose personality is in line with yours so your visits can be both relaxing and beneficial to your health.  Don’t be afraid to interview several chiropractors before making your final selection.  Even once you’ve made a choice, don’t hesitate to make a change to a new one if things aren’t going as well as you had hoped.