Questions we hear before anyone books.
Usually mild and short-lived is how the evidence describes the side effects of spinal manipulation: a 2017 review of 250 publications on the risks of manipulation and mobilization, summarised by the U.S. National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, found side effects that were most commonly transient and mild-to-moderate, such as increased pain or discomfort. Serious complications are rare. We would rather show you that than a claim of no risk at all.
Source: U.S. National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH), Spinal Manipulation: What You Need To Know. nccih.nih.gov
Before your first visit
A specific, controlled movement applied to a joint that has stiffened and stopped moving the way it should. Restoring that movement takes pressure off the irritated tissue around it and lets the area settle. The force is matched to you rather than to a fixed routine, so an adjustment for a 70-year-old and one for an athlete do not look the same.
For the mechanical back and neck problems it suits, it has a good safety record. The honest version, from the U.S. National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health's review of the evidence, is that side effects are usually mild and short-lived, most commonly some extra soreness or discomfort for a day or so. Serious complications are rare. What matters more than the average is your own situation, which is what the first-visit examination is for: if anything suggests your problem is not mechanical, we say so and point you to the right place.
Usually not. Most people describe pressure and a quick movement, often with an audible release, and feel looser straight afterwards. If an area is already very irritated it can be briefly tender, and some people feel mildly achy the next day, which settles. Nothing here should have you bracing yourself, and if it does, tell us and we change the approach.
A first visit takes longer because most of it is the conversation and the examination rather than the adjustment. Follow-up visits are usually short. We would rather use the first appointment working out whether we can help than rushing you onto the table.
It depends on the problem, how long it has been going on, and how you respond, so anyone who gives you a number before examining you is guessing. We give you a realistic range after the first visit and review it as we go. If it is not helping, we will say so rather than keep booking you in.
No referral is needed to book a first visit. Coverage varies a lot by plan, so we check your benefits for you ahead of time and tell you the numbers up front. If you are paying out of pocket, you get clear pricing and no packages you did not ask for.
A Doctor of Chiropractic is a four-year doctoral program following undergraduate study, covering anatomy, physiology, diagnosis, imaging and hands-on technique, followed by national board examinations and state licensure. Licensed chiropractors also complete continuing education to stay licensed.
Yes, and it is one of the more common reasons people come in. Positioning and technique are adapted, and there are situations where we would check with your midwife or physician first. Our pregnancy page covers what changes and what to expect.
Yes, and a child is not adjusted the way an adult is. The force is a fraction of it, matched to a much smaller and more mobile body. Our pediatric page covers how that works and when it is worth it.
Ask what specifically is wrong, how they would know if it is working, and what happens if it is not. A good answer is specific and includes the possibility that you should see someone else. Be wary of a long pre-paid plan agreed before anyone has examined you.
Then we tell you, ideally at the first visit. Not every problem is mechanical, and some belong with a physician, a specialist, or imaging first. Saying so is a normal part of the job, not a failure of it.
