What Is a Chiropractor?

Medically reviewed by Katrina Carter, DPT

A chiropractor is a complementary and alternative medicine healthcare provider who specializes in treating alignment issues with the body's bone, muscle, and ligament (or musculoskeletal) system.

You might see a chiropractor for a condition like back and neck pain, osteoarthritis, or certain types of headaches. Chiropractors are known for performing hands-on adjustments to the spine and other joints to help improve body functioning. They also commonly provide other types of treatments and services like stretching, hot and cold therapies, and exercise and nutritional counseling.

What Does a Chiropractor Do?

With a goal of improving pain and mobility, a chiropractor can examine, diagnose, order tests, and offer certain types of treatments to help restore normal joint function and muscle balance throughout the body. What a chiropractor cannot do, though, is prescribe medication or perform surgery. Instead, they can refer patients to another appropriate healthcare provider when chiropractic care is not the best option.

What Conditions Does a Chiropractor Diagnose and Treat?

Chiropractors can diagnose, treat, and care for many musculoskeletal conditions. Some of the most common include:

• Back and neck pain that stem from various causes

• Osteoarthritis, which is a breakdown of connective tissue around the joints

• Some headaches, such as a chronic tension headache or cervicogenic headache (originating from the neck)

• Sciatica, a type of pain affecting the large nerve that extends from the lower back to the back of the legs

• Some injuries to the musculoskeletal system

Chiropractic care may not be the right fit some some people with certain conditions. Before seeking chiropractic treatment, check with a healthcare provider if you've experienced any of the following:

• Bone fractures, tumors, or infections

• Severe osteoporosis

• Severe arthritis

• Pinched nerves

• Numbness, tingling, and weakness in your arms or legs
  

Procedures a Chiropractor Performs

Chiropractors can perform a variety of procedures to help treat musculoskeletal issues—aiming to correct alignment, cut down on pain, and support the overall healing process. A key technique for chiropractors are manual adjustments of the spine, joints, and muscles, using different types of force and pressure.

For example, this commonly includes:

• Manipulation of the spine, done by hand or using special tools, to help with realignment of the bones and joints

• Gentle soft tissue manipulation done by hand or by ultrasound to help with muscle spasms, swelling, and stiffness

• Active stretching to help increase range of motion and flexibility

• Hot or cold (cryotherapy) laser treatments to help cut down on inflammation
  

• General exercise recommendations, including stretching, for rehabilitation purposes

• Nutritional counseling to help support overall wellness, including recommendations for dietary supplements

A chiropractic adjustment should not cause any pain, though some people may feel sore or slightly uncomfortable for the next day or two. Others report feeling immediate relief after the treatment.

In rare cases, neck adjustments can damage blood vessels or cause strokes. Make sure you discuss all medical history with a chiropractor, in case you're at risk for these potential issues.

Going to the Chiropractor

People dealing with symptoms like stiffness or pain from an injury, arthritis, or another condition are likely to see a chiropractor. They're often looking for hands-on treatment for an acute or chronic condition.

The latest data from the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health shows that the number of adults in the U.S. using chiropractors has increased. According to these figures, 9.1% of survey participants in 2012 reported going to a chiropractor within the last 12 months. This number went up to 10.3% in 2017.

What to Expect When Visiting a Chiropractor

The initial visit to a chiropractor will involve assessing your condition and coming up with a treatment plan.

You can expect for the chiropractor to ask about your medical history, current symptoms, and what you want to get out of chiropractic care. This is your chance to bring up how you've been feeling physically, and any problem areas of the body that have been bothering you.

Some of the topics that might be covered during this discussion include:

• Past injuries or other health conditions

• Medications you may be taking

• Exercise and dietary routine

• Sleeping habits

• Alcohol, tobacco, or drug use

• Mental stressors

Next, the chiropractor will perform a physical exam to look at your range of motion, muscle strength, posture, and any other structural issues in the body. They may test your spinal mobility and record vital signs, like your blood pressure. If needed, they may also order imaging test like a X-ray or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan to get a closer look at what's going on inside the body.

Based on these results, the chiropractor will determine a treatment plan. They may provide an adjustment or other therapy that day, or set up another appointment to start ongoing therapy—which might involve a mix of spinal manipulations and other treatments.

The chiropractor may recommend a series of treatment sessions based on your diagnosis and goals. These subsequent sessions can be shorter, around 20 minutes each, and occur a couple of times a week. As you start to improve, the frequency of sessions may decrease.

How to Prepare for a Visit to the Chiropractor

Before making an appointment, make sure the chiropractor has the appropriate education, training, and licensing—and offers the services you're looking for. The specific services and practices a chiropractor is credentialed to perform can vary widely by state.

If you have access to health insurance, it's a good idea to contact your insurer before the first visit. While chiropractic care is included in many health insurance plans—including workers’ compensation, Medicare, some Medicaid plans, and others—all services labeled under complementary medicine (like chiropractic) may not be fully covered.

It’s also worth checking into whether the chiropractor is open to working with any other traditional healthcare providers you already see. This allows for safe, informed, coordinated communication about your medical care to take place.

A Quick Review

Chiropractors evaluate and treat conditions of the body's musculoskeletal system. They're known for hands-on spinal adjustments to help common bone and joint conditions, like back or neck pain, headaches, and sciatica. Because chiropractors are complementary medicine healthcare providers, make sure their services are covered under your health insurance plan.

Frequently Asked Questions

How is a chiropractor different from an osteopath?

Both chiropractors and osteopaths have an emphasis on the musculoskeletal system and manual adjustments, but they have different training and certifications. Osteopathic physicians hold a Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (DO) degree, with similar training to a Doctor of Medicine (MD). They can write prescriptions and perform surgery, while a chiropractor cannot.

What type of training does a chiropractor have?

Chiropractors complete four years of postgraduate training and education at an accredited chiropractic college. Every U.S. state requires chiropractors to pass a state licensing exam.

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