Chiropractic care is a field fraught with controversy; some chiropractors are knowledgeable, dedicated practitioners who relieve their patients’ pain through well documented techniques, while others make pseudoscientific claims that can’t be backed up by evidence. So how can you ensure you’re getting the best chiropractor possible? There are quite a few routes you might use to decide which of your local chiropractors to visit, but not all of them are equally helpful. Here are some recommendations:

1. Good Way: Doctor Referrals

   Many chiropractors work in tandem with primary care physicians. If you get a referral from your regular medical doctor, you can be sure that you’re heading to a chiropractor who is in good standing within the medical community and will give you evidence-based treatment.

2. Bad Way: Search Engines

   Typing “chiropractors near me” into Google can serve as a starting point if you truly don’t have another option, but a search engine is likely to give you a shallow picture of the chiropractors you find that way. Local search is intended to show you the closest options, not necessarily the best ones.

3. Good Way: Chiropractor Reviews

   If you must search online, reviews are the best way to find relevant information. It might seem strange that healthcare providers are reviewed on the Internet much as restaurants or hotels are, but this can allow you to get the opinions of people without any particular motivation to be either positive or negative toward any given chiropractor.

4. Bad Way: Chiropractor Ratings

   Don’t get caught up in chiropractor ratings; people are often very arbitrary when assigning ratings based on an x-out-of-5 type system. If there are descriptions that explain why users rated a chiropractor in a certain way, those may be helpful. But you can’t assume that just because one chiropractor is rated 3.5/5 and another is rated 3.8/5, the latter will be better for you.

5. Good Way: Personal Recommendations

   Nothing beats personal recommendations when it comes to finding an effective and compassionate healthcare provider. Ask your friends, family or coworkers if they’ve found someone they’re willing to revisit time and time again. The thing you’ll have to check, of course, is whether your insurance provider will cover the chiropractor that’s been recommended to you.

What other advice can you give on choosing a top-notch chiropractor? Share your tips in the comments.

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