Chiropractic treatment is one of the most popular forms of integrative health care in the United States. Half of adults in the U.S. have had some experience as a patient of chiropractors Rockford IL, and 33.5 million U.S. adults reported visiting a chiropractor within the last 12 months.

Chiropractic treatment focuses on the relationship between the structure of the body (mainly the spine) and how it functions. Chiropractic treatment is located on the conservative end of the health care spectrum, focusing on manual treatments for conditions affecting muscles, joints, and nerves.

Chiropractors do not prescribe medication or perform surgery. The most common approach they use is spinal manipulation—applying a controlled, specific force to the spine and/or extremity joints to enhance motion, alignment, and general flexibility. Chiropractors in Rockford, IL may employ treatments beyond spinal manipulation, including:

• Thermal therapies (heat, ice, paraffin bath, diathermy)
• Therapeutic ultrasound
• Cold laser or low-level laser therapy
• Soft tissue friction, stretching or strengthening techniques (active release technique)
• Electrotherapies
• Relaxation and rehabilitation procedures
• Neural mobilization
• Corrective and general exercise
• Taping/bracing
• Counseling about diet, weight loss, smoking cessation
• And other lifestyle factors

Increasingly, chiropractors Rockford IL can be found in conventional health delivery systems, including hospitals, multidisciplinary clinics, military, and veteran’s health care facilities, and corporate on-site employee clinics.

What to Expect?

Your first appointment will typically include a discussion of your health history and symptoms, an exam and sometimes diagnostic studies such as X-ray. At the end of it, the provider typically explains your diagnosis and recommends an individualized treatment plan that includes how long he or she believes you will need care.

Before you make an appointment, ask if your provider has specific training and expertise in evaluating and treating the symptoms you are experiencing. Be sure they hold a license in good standing in the state in which you live. This can often be confirmed online through a state licensing website.

Tell your chiropractors in Rockford, IL of any medical conditions you have and all medications you take – including prescription, over the counter, and/or supplements (to avoid any negative interactions between medications/supplements).

It is best to give your provider as much information as you can about your personal health practices to help ensure that the care you receive is safe and appropriate.

How it Works?

The evidence supporting chiropractic treatment has become stronger in recent years. A 2017 systematic review evaluated 15 randomized, controlled trials involving more than 1,700 patients. The authors found that spinal manipulation resulted in an objective, clinically significant improvement in pain by about 10 points on a 100-point scale – a treatment response similar to that seen with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications. Another review found similar results. Neither found any evidence of serious adverse events.

Who Should You Trust?

In the U.S., a doctor of chiropractic (DC) has completed four to five years of doctoral-level training in a nationally accredited program that requires at least 4,200 hours of classroom, laboratory, and clinical experience. Most will also have completed a pre-med or similar program in undergraduate school – in all, at least seven academic years of higher education after high school.