When you are trying to find a chiropractor, it’s good to know what questions to ask your chiropractor prior to starting treatment in order to ensure that it’s going to be a good fit. You’re relying on them to provide you with exceptional care to help you feel better, so you want to ensure that you can trust them and that you’ll be able to get the most out of your treatments. 

That’s why we’ve compiled this list of questions to ask your chiropractor so that you’re prepared and can help determine whether or not they are the right fit for you. Prior to even calling a chiropractor to set up an appointment, you’ll want to check and see whether or not they are registered. If they aren’t, keep searching, as this means that they are not fit to practice and you are at risk of not receiving good treatment and even being injured if you see them. 

That said, once you’ve ensured that the chiropractor you’re considering is registered, here are some questions to ask your chiropractor. A good chiropractor will be happy to answer any questions that you may have; if they aren’t, this is a red flag and a sign that you should continue your search. While this is a good list of questions to ask your chiropractor, it’s always good to have questions of your own prepared, too.

#1. What Are Your Qualifications?

Chiropractors need a Doctor of Chiropractic degree (D.C.) from an accredited school and be licensed in the states they practice in. If they lack either of these things, they are not qualified to practice chiropractic care. Some chiropractors will also complete additional training in order to gain additional knowledge to better treat their patients. 

#2. What Is Your Work Experience?

Some people prefer to see chiropractors who have decades of experience under their belts, while others want to see someone younger who is trained in more recent techniques. It’s good to know your chiropractor’s work experience, especially if you’re seeing them for a specific issue, as some may focus more on one kind of issue than another. 

#3. Can You Provide References?

Anyone can write their own testimonials on their website. Among the most important questions to ask your chiropractor is whether or not they can provide you with references from real people who have been to their clinic. If your chiropractor is reluctant to provide you with references, this is a red flag and a sign you should continue your search. You can also look on third-party review sites in order to find reviews. 

#4. What Techniques Do You Use?

It’s common for chiropractors to specialize in certain chiropractic techniques. It’s good to include a question about that in your list of questions to ask your chiropractor, especially seeing as sometimes, conditions won’t respond to one technique, but will to another. Another of the questions to ask your chiropractor is what technique or techniques they would use for your specific concerns. 

#5. What Does A Visit To Your Office Entail?

Different chiropractors have different approaches, and visits to their offices will differ depending on what their appointments are like. It’s always good to know what you’re getting into before you show up, so that you are prepared.

#6. Do You Often Treat My Condition?

You don’t want to see a chiropractor who doesn’t know what to do in order to help you. A chiropractor who is experienced with your condition will be able to provide you with better care, as they know what methods to use and what works in order to help you heal. 

#7. How Long Will My Treatment Last?

This is one of the questions to ask your chiropractor that is 2-pronged. For one: if your chiropractor tells you how long your treatment will last before they’ve even seen you, run. Chiropractors need to conduct a detailed evaluation in person in order to determine the best treatment for you. For two: it’s good to have a general idea of how long you can expect to be in treatment. 

Everyone is different, and depending on your body and how it responds to treatments, treatment lengths can vary. Your chiropractor should be able to give you a general idea of how long your treatment will last, as well as how they are going to measure your progress. 

#8. Will You Provide Preventative Advice To Support My Recovery?

Chiropractors are supposed to help you, but unfortunately, some care more about the money than about actually helping you. Thus, it’s important to include in your questions to ask your chiropractor whether they are going to give you preventative advice in order to keep this condition from occurring again. 

A good chiropractor will want to ensure that you heal and that you stay in good health and will happily tell you what you can do in order to avoid injuries.

Are You Looking For A Chiropractor?

Elevate Wellness provides professional chiropractic care for a wide range of conditions and concerns, from back pain to whiplash and more. If you’re looking for a chiropractor, contact us today. We’re here to help!

From spring cleaning to gardening to spring sports, there is no shortage of things to do as the weather warms and flowers start to bloom. Unfortunately, these common spring activities can cause significant back pain and other injuries if you’re not careful. Prevention is key to avoid common spring injuries that can occur from these activities. The last thing you want is for an injury to keep you from enjoying the fresh spring air. 

From back pain to shoulder pain to falls, there are many common spring injuries that can be avoided with the proper care. That’s why we’ve compiled this list of things that you can do in order to avoid common spring injuries so you can get the most out of this lovely season. Let’s dive in!

#1. Warm Up Properly

Many people don’t realize how strenuous spring activities like spring cleaning and gardening can be. Warming up isn’t just for those of us who take advantage of this season to hit the mountain trails or take up running again. It’s for everyone who is about to use their body for an extended period of time. Simply warming up your muscles can go a long way to help you avoid common spring injuries. 

#2. Wear Proper Shoes

Good shoes are essential to avoid common spring injuries, especially those that occur when running or gardening. You need shoes that will provide you with proper traction, support, and that won’t strain your muscles. 

#3. Use Ergonomic Equipment

Spring is the time to get out and start doing yard work and gardening again, but many people don’t realize that they can avoid common spring injuries like back pain simply through using ergonomic tools that fit your body well. 

#4. Ensure You Lift Properly 

This time of year, we’re lifting a lot. Whether you are spring cleaning and carrying things all around your house or you are gardening and carrying things all over your garden or whatever else, it’s crucial that you use proper lifting techniques to avoid common spring injuries from improper lifting. You want to ensure that you are lifting with your legs, not your back. Bend at your knees, not at your waist, and keep whatever you are lifting close to your body. 

Lifting with your back is one of the most common causes of back pain, so simply exercising proper lifting techniques can go a long way to keep you in good condition all spring and year long.

#5. Slow Down

Tempting as it can be to tackle everything that needs to be done at once in order to get it all out of the way, you don’t want to take on too much at once. Slowing it down and doing your spring cleaning bit by bit or increasing the difficulty of your hikes bit by bit gives your body time to adjust to the movement and to recover. Overuse is a common spring injury that is easily avoided by simply slowing down, so you don’t wear out.

#6. Take Breaks

If you’re tired and feel like you need to take a break, take one! Breaks are important in order for your body to avoid common spring injuries that can result from overuse and wear and tear and exhaustion. The seeds that need to be planted will still be there later.

#7. Ask For Help When You Need It

There’s no shame in asking for help, indeed, asking for help when you need it can be one of the easiest ways to avoid common spring injuries that can result from overexertion or from injuries from trying to do something your body either cannot do or cannot do on its own. If you need help lifting something, ask for it. If you cannot reach something, ask if someone else can. 

#8. Don’t Take On Tasks That Could Strain Areas With Pre-Existing Issues

If you’re already struggling with issues like shoulder pain and then you try to spend the day weeding your garden, and thus, putting a lot of strain on your shoulders, this is a recipe for disaster and injury. 

#9. Don’t Ignore Any Signs Of Pain

A little soreness at the end of a long hike or a day in the garden can make you feel accomplished. But if you feel pain, that’s your body telling you that you’re going too far and that you either need to take a break or stop. Simply listening to your body can help you avoid common spring injuries a great deal. 

#10. See A Chiropractor

Chiropractors can help keep your body in good condition by ensuring that it is in alignment. They can improve your range of motion, reduce inflammation, and alleviate pain. Chiropractic care can help keep your body in good condition, so that you are less prone to injury. A great way to avoid common spring injuries is through seeing a chiropractor, so your body is in good condition.

Elevate Wellness can help you avoid common spring injuries with professional chiropractic care. Contact us today to learn more or to set up an appointment.

Every day, millions of people suffer from headaches. They can range in type, causes, and severity, but all headaches affect your quality of life and impact your ability to think clearly and enjoy your day-to-day activities. There are many different treatments out there that people seek out in order to alleviate their pain, including the various ways chiropractors help with headaches. Here is what you need to know about the different types of headaches and how chiropractors help with headaches.  

Types Of Headaches

Headaches can be caused by many different conditions and factors, and range in frequency and severity. Most people only have the occasional headache here and there, but some experience excruciating migraines or cluster headaches. How chiropractors help with headaches will depend on your type of headache. They’ll always seek to assess and diagnose your type of headache and any triggers in order to determine the proper treatment method for you.

There are three common types of headaches: tension headaches, cluster headaches, and migraines.

• Tension headaches are the most common type of headaches. They’re usually mild to moderate in pain, and aren’t typically considered dangerous by medical professionals. Tension headaches can be either episodic or chronic. They’re episodic if you get them less than 15 days out of the month and chronic if you have them more days than you don’t. 
• Cluster headaches are rare, but cause extreme pain. They occur in clusters, with each headache lasting 1-3 hours. Their frequency can range from several times a day to every other day, followed by remissions that can last months or years. While not life-threatening, they’re excruciatingly painful.
• Migraines cause pulsing sensations or throbbing pain that can be severe, usually accompanied by sensitivity to light and sound and nausea and vomiting. Some people experience auras prior to an attack. Migraines can last anywhere from hours to days at a time.

Causes Of Headaches

There are many different potential causes for headaches. When chiropractors help with headaches, they will always ask you questions about any potential triggers you may have noticed that could have caused the headache. Headaches can be caused by many factors, from your genetics to the foods you eat to muscle tension to a spine out of alignment and more. 

In order to ensure chiropractors help with headaches in a way that is beneficial to you, they will always try to find the underlying cause to ensure effective pain management and relief. Some common causes of headaches include:

• Muscle tension
• Stress
• Hormonal changes
• Poor posture
• Staring at screens for long periods of time
• Sleeping too much or too little
• Smoking
• Dehydration
• Alcohol
• Fatigue
• Eye strain
• And many more

How Can Chiropractors Help With Headaches?

The problem many doctors, both medical and chiropractic alike, see with headaches, is that they can cause an increasing dependency on painkillers that get less effective as your body gets used to them, making you need more and more in order to find relief. Unfortunately, trying to relieve headaches can often result in even more headaches due to medication overuse. 

This is why it’s so important to understand the cause of your headaches so that you can treat the root cause and avoid potentially making them worse rather than helping them. Chiropractors help with headaches in just that way. When you seek out chiropractors’ help with headaches, they’ll ask about the frequency, severity, and duration of your headaches, and whether anything seems to cause them. 

Chiropractors help with headaches by coming up with a treatment plan customized to you and your needs. This can include anything from dietary adjustments to spinal manipulations to chiropractic massage and more. While there’s nothing wrong with painkillers here and there, you don’t want to end up with painkillers worsening your headaches rather than helping them. 

Chiropractors help with headaches through providing natural treatment methods that are designed to target the root problem in order to find lasting relief and pain management. For example, if your spine is out of alignment, this limits your neck’s range of motion and can cause problems with your nerves, muscles, and blood supply, which can lead to headaches. By realigning your spine, these problems are resolved and your headaches can be alleviated.

Do You Need Our Chiropractors’ Help With Headaches?

Elevate Wellness offers chiropractic treatments for headaches. We use manual therapy, soft tissue therapy, education about lifestyle changes, and more in order to provide you with lasting relief. Contact us today to schedule a consultation and let us help you find your way to a pain-free life!