Most if not all deviations away from normal quality of life go unnoticed until they are noticeable and when that happens you may be asking yourself if the deviation has gone too far for recuperation to occur.

One question that arises from those who have a deviation away from their normal quality of life is if they can benefit from chiropractic care with their current state of condition.

Chiropractors are highly trained within their scope of practice and spend up to four years of post undergraduate education earning their doctorate in Chiropractic along with state licensure before they begin practicing. 

With this training and expertise in the field of practice, they bring with them a level of thought for ruling out those contraindications to being under chiropractic care. Most indicators for the Chiropractor not to adjust are presented within the initial conversation or consultation. This and actual safety of the chiropractic adjustment produces an opportunity for you to consult with a chiropractor to find out how you can benefit from chiropractic adjustments.

Chiropractors are trained in analyzing spines for specific deviations away from normal function and have labeled them vertebral subluxation. When there’s dysfunctional structure within the spine and neurological interference that affects the body’s inherent recuperative power for coordination, this would define vertebral subluxation.

Before we discuss reasons why not to see a Chiropractor, lets review the risks associated with chiropractic adjustments. Chiropractic Adjustments are SAFE! The data supporting the safety of chiropractic care grows yearly. A study in 2017 found that the most common adverse event that occurs with chiropractic adjustments are soft tissue soreness and same-day tiredness.  The risk of adverse events is low, the risk of serious adverse event such as interruption of blood flow is exceedingly low, and Chiropractors are well-trained and equipped to determine who may be at risk for them. This is why Chiropractors take a thorough history during the initial consultation and perform a neurological exam. It is also why Chiropractor’s malpractice rates are some of the lowest in healthcare.

So, when should you Not See a Chiropractor? 

You should not receive certain types of Chiropractic Adjustments for physical and intangible contraindications.

Let’s discuss the physical contraindications on when not to receive chiropractic adjustments first.

Certain types of Chiropractic Adjustments should be avoided for the following physical contraindications:

• Severe osteoporosis, cancer in the spine or spinal abnormalities
• Numbness, tingling, or loss of strength in an arm(s) or leg(s)
• An increased risk of stroke or have had strokes

These physical contraindications should be discussed with your Chiropractor on the first visit and can even create a specific plan for how to modify the care to meet your specific needs.

Let’s discuss the intangible contraindications on when not to receive chiropractic adjustments.

I professionally believe there should be a Consumer-Chiropractor Autonomy to the chiropractic adjustments delivered. What this means is that you the consumer should be informed of what type of services are being delivered at your Chiropractic Center nearest you and why they are being provided-the outcomes expected.

For example, if you choose Chiropractic for relief of a symptom and your Chiropractor is recommending a lifestyle modification to facilitate the correction of vertebral subluxation consistently, you might find that the intangible contraindications in outcomes can produce negative results for both parties. 

The consumer is trying to see an outcome that might be best managed by a different health care provider. In this case example, the symptom might be associated with a medical condition that is not within the Chiropractor’s scope of practice. 

Medicine might be the most effective approach for this case scenario to alleviate the symptom and thinking you will see the outcome at your Chiropractor’s practice might be far reaching if the deviation away from normal health is beyond the limitations of healing without an outside-in approach to assist. 

In other words, you might need medical attention. Of course, this is also the Chiropractor’s responsibility and duty to refer you out if you need additional assistance for your well-being, but the purpose of this example is to align the outcome measures with the consumer and the Chiropractor so they can move forward in the same direction.

Both tangible and intangible contraindications need to be addressed when evaluating whether or not you should see your Chiropractor. Consider the fact that two people are involved in the visit and ideally both parties need to be fully disclosed on the current state of condition for the consumer and the objective to the chiropractic adjustment so the plan can create the outcomes that both the Consumer and the Chiropractor agree to.

Regular chiropractic care can be a great way to create that consistent game-plan on when to visit the Chiropractor next after the initial visit has completed all necessary requirements to confirm that care moving forward is safe and effective based on the Chiropractor’s objective.