Many people want to reap all the benefits that regular chiropractic treatment has to offer but often don’t know where to begin.
How do you find the best chiropractor in Anchorage? By following the three easy steps below, you’ll find that they’ll help guide you on your journey.
Step 1: Use Google and Referrals to Find an Anchorage Chiropractor
Google can be a very useful resource when trying to find a good nearby chiropractor. However, sometimes it’s good to ask around and see if your friends, co-workers, or family members have suggestions for chiropractors.
After you narrow your search down to the top three, you can move on to the next step.
Step 2: Check the Clinic’s Website or Contact the Office
You’ll now want to look at the websites for the top three chiropractors you have chosen. Take notes of which ones offer the services that would be most beneficial for you. Some of these might be:
- Afternoon or early morning appointment options
- Massage services offered on-site
- If they accept your insurance
- The chiropractor specialties
If you don’t see the information you are seeking, call the office and ask them directly. If you feel comfortable with all the information provided, make your appointment.
Step 3: Prepare for Your Visit
Before you head off to the clinic for your first appointment, be sure you take all your medical information with you, including any X-rays or MRIs that you may have had done previously.
Write down a list of all the medications and supplements you currently take. Be prepared to tell the chiropractor your medical history, surgeries (if any), and how long you have been experiencing this particular problem.
At first, your chiropractor will do a physical exam or might simply explain what the problem is and how they can treat you.
Before you arrive, make sure to wear loose and comfortable clothing, such as yoga gear or sweatpants. Slip-on tennis shoes are also a good idea.
Chances are that your chiropractor will suggest a set number of follow-up visits. This will depend on your current health and the exact nature of your problem.
Chiropractic adjustments have few side effects, but mild ones, such as muscle soreness, are normal.
Don’t Feel Stressed About Finding a Chiropractor!
By following these steps, you’ll be able to find a chiropractor you love and might even enjoy their services so much you refer them to others.
Nothing feels as good as feeling good – go see your chiropractor today!
See a Top-Rated Anchorage Chiropractor
For chiropractic care from one of the top-rated chiropractors in Alaska, contact Better Health Anchorage today. Experience the benefits of a chiropractic adjustment by visiting us at one of our Anchorage clinic locations — 8840 Old Seward Hwy E or 725 Northway Dr today. Take advantage of our four promises: Same-Day Appointment Promise, 10-Minute Promise, First Visit Promise, and Get-a-Ride Promise.
Additional Tips to Finding the Best Anchorage Chiropractor
If you live in the local Anchorage area and you’re thinking about integrating a chiropractic care regimen into your lifestyle, first off, congratulations! Regular chiropractic care can enhance your entire health profile and aid in the alleviation of a whole host of health issues.
Maintaining spinal health is one of the best short and long-term decisions you can make for your overall health, as the spine affects all regions of the body and is connected to most health issues, chronic or isolated.
Many patients who integrate chiropractic care into their healthcare routine find themselves sleeping better at night, feeling energized throughout the day, and generally feeling better about their lifestyle.
Read on to learn about some important questions to ask, aspects of the practice to look for, and other general tips to help you get the best chiropractic care in the area! Use this guide as a starting point on your journey towards better spinal health and a more active lifestyle.
a) Read Reviews
One of the most useful tools for finding an Anchorage chiropractor is right at your fingertips — the internet. Social review sites like Yelp, Angie’s List, Google reviews, and more will give you a comprehensive review of local people’s experience with the chiropractor you’re looking into.
You can always check the chiropractor’s website itself for reviews, but these are likely to be overwhelmingly positive, given the fact that the chiropractor will probably choose his/her best patients to leave a review on the site. So if you want a clearer, more fair view of the practice, check out the sites mentioned above.
Other review resources you can use include friend and family perspectives. Odds are, someone you know in Anchorage has either gone to or heard about the chiropractic practice you’re looking into. Sometimes your current doctors can also provide referrals, which may be even more beneficial since they can probably give you information about insurance coverage as well. If the chiropractor is well-known and recommended in the medical community, they’re likely to give you great results.
b) Find A Specialist
If you’re looking into chiropractic care for a specific reason or ailment, it would benefit you to do some extra research about specialists in that particular field of specialty. This is where doctor referrals can come in especially handy.
Many chiropractors specialize in areas such as sports injuries, neck issues, pediatrics, nerve damage, and more. If you have specific needs from your chiropractor, find out ahead of time if they can help you and provide a personally tailored experience based on your specific injury.
c) Schedule an Initial One-on-One
Perhaps one of the most important tips to finding the right chiropractor for you is to schedule an initial consultation. This one-on-one “interview” will allow you to get a sense of the doctor, office, practice, and what they can offer you.
Meeting the chiropractor in person before they begin adjusting will allow you to see if you feel comfortable with them and the environment before you start your care plan. That initial communication is key to ensuring that you establish effective communication between yourself and the doctor as well.
d) Make Sure They Listen To Your Unique Problems
During this initial consultation, be sure to notice if the provider seems to truly be listening to your health concerns. Showing compassion and understanding to patients is an integral element of well-rounded chiropractic practice, and you can be sure that your unique needs will be met as long as the chiropractor is engaged and invested in your health and wellness.
e) Location and Office Setting
On a practical level, its useful if the location of the office is convenient to you and your lifestyle. Maybe it’s near your home or your place of work. An easy drive will help you seamlessly integrate the care into your weekly/monthly routine. It also helps if the practice has multiple office locations for your convenience!
Also, see if the office setting is comfortable for you as well. Most people prefer private rooms to an open floor plan, but think about what would make you most comfortable while getting adjusted and look for that type of setting in your chiropractor’s office.
f) Ask Questions About Their Practice
While you may be tempted to talk about your own health issues during your initial consultation (and you should!), don’t forget to ask some general questions about their practice as well. This includes any special therapies they offer, how many doctors are available, what their hours are, and more. Getting a practical overview of the practice will help you feel more confident in your decision going forward, and help you figure out if it’s the best practice for your needs.
Practices that offer extended hours beyond the 5pm workday end are a great choice, and if they have a same day promise, that’s best both for convenience and in case of emergency. No need to prolong your pain any longer than necessary! A place that offers features like a 10 minute maximum wait time guarantee, or getting you an appointment same day if you call by 4pm, is also the sign of quality practice.
g) See If They Offer Functional Lifestyle Advice Outside of the Office
Another mark of a quality chiropractic practice is that they offer you lifestyle advice outside of the consultation/adjustment. This can range from posture tips to light exercises you should be doing for your condition to other functional at-home care. You can’t see the chiropractor every single day, but these kinds of lifestyle adjustments and at-home practices make the biggest difference in your overall health, and if your chiropractor steers you in this direction, you can be sure that they’re truly invested in your well-being.
h) Check Their Credentials and Certifications
You may also get further peace of mind and confidence in your chiropractor by researching and verifying their credentials and certifications. All U.S. states require that chiropractors receive undergraduate degrees and complete a doctor of chiropractic degree, which involves 4 to 5 years of intensive training in the chiropractic practice.
To maintain their license, all chiropractors should comply with this standard and any other continuing education requirements. Some go above and beyond to get certifications in specific areas as well. You can usually ask the front desk or your chiropractor about this and they’ll give you their credentials, but you can also research this online on their website or in a state database.
i) Don’t Be Afraid To Say No
You never have to commit to anything on your first visit or consultation with a chiropractor. If you’re not comfortable with what they’re offering, or anything they’ve suggested for you, don’t be afraid to say no! It can be intimidating because after all, they are the specialists, but it’s your body and your health, so try to remain positive and grounded in your needs and comfort level.
Most chiropractors agree that treatments should be flexible and tailored to each patient’s needs and progress, which might not mean a cookie-cutter package for every patient. Keep this in mind when discussing payment/scheduling, and don’t forget to ask about their refund or cancellation policies.
j) Trust Your Gut!
Most of all, trust your gut when you meet your potential chiropractors. If you have a good feeling about them, give them a shot with a full initial consultation and take the practice from there! On the other hand, if you don’t feel entirely comfortable, there’s likely a good reason. Chiropractic care is an intimate and delicate process, so trust your instincts when it comes to providers.
Bonus Tip: Extra Services
As your care goes on overtime, you or your chiropractor may realize that you’d like to integrate some extra body work into your healthcare regimen. These might include anything from physical rehabilitation to massage to muscle therapy and more. If you can find a chiropractic office that has the space and trained practitioners in these areas to give you a full body care treatment tailored to your unique needs and interests, you’ve found a really great practice. Chiropractic care can go far beyond adjusting subluxations and gentle muscle relaxation techniques, and you deserve the best all-around treatment Anchorage has to offer!
Any chiropractic practice that keeps up with new technologies, modalities, therapies, and advances in the field will also be beneficial for you. Medical technology is constantly advancing and moving forward to provide patients with as comprehensive and pain-free treatment as possible. This is especially true in the chiropractic field, where there are always new techniques and technologies being discovered to treat spinal and overall bodily health.
Find a chiropractor that is open to these new ideas and fully studies, researches, and practices them to integrate this into their practice. You don’t want a healthcare practitioner that is stuck in his or her ways, because that’s not the nature of the industry!
Summary and Final Thoughts
When you feel like you’ve made a good choice with a new chiropractor, schedule a physical consultation so that they can get a sense of your health status and needs and set up a care plan for you. They’ll employ many different assessment techniques to get a clear, overall picture of what you need to live your best life.
Don’t feel pressured into committing to a huge expensive package plan right away, unless you feel comfortable doing so. Ask about office policies and procedures to feel more confident in your control over your own care.
Regular chiropractic care can help with so many different health issues that it’s hard to list all of them. If you came in for a specific injury, that will be treated in no time and you’ll be feeling rejuvenated and refreshed in terms of your overall lifestyle as well. There are countless benefits to chiropractic care beyond specific injury treatment, so it’s a great addition to anyone’s healthcare practice! Start looking in your local area today.
