How to Choose a Chiropractic Clinic

In addition to the chiropractor’s technique, education and case management approach, it is a good idea to consider the setup of the chiropractic clinic and several other factors before selecting a doctor of chiropractic.

Chiropractic Clinic Costs

Questions to ask about the fees at the chiropractic clinic may include the following:

• Is the chiropractor covered under the patient’s insurance plan? What is the policy at the chiropractic clinic for payment of services that are denied by the insurer (some chiropractic clinics offer cash discounts for insurance-denied services)?
• What are the chiropractor’s fees for the initial examination? For the chiropractic adjustment? Fees should be competitive with typical chiropractor fees in the local area.
• What kind of discounts does the chiropractor offer? Most chiropractic clinics offer a reduced fee for cash payments at the time of service or family/volume discounts.

Chiropractic Clinic Considerations

It is prudent to be alert to chiropractic clinics that rely on certain types of marketing approaches to procure new patients or to encourage them to sign up for long term treatment.

• Health fairs in shopping malls can be a common place where chiropractors offer free spinal exams. This is fine, unless the patient is encouraged to sign up for a long term treatment plan before being properly evaluated.
• Another common approach is a spinal exam that includes a postural analysis by a chiropractor. If a patient has poor posture but no complaints, a competent chiropractor would discuss ergonomic modifications and/or an exercise and stretching program, possibly with periodic evaluations to determine compliance and exercise benefits (chiropractic manipulation is not automatically warranted).

The bottom line is that each chiropractic clinic must be individually evaluated, and no “promises” should be made without a proper examination first being conducted. Finally, patients should beware of any practitioner who asks for a lump sum payment up front for “extended” or “lifetime” chiropractic care, as this is not in the patient’s best interest.

Find an integrated chiropractic clinic at the Spine-health Spine Center Directory.

• Article written By:
• Kelly Andrews, DC

September 21, 2009

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