Chiropractic care is a health care profession based on interactions of the spine and nervous system, as well as the surrounding muscles.

Yes. Doctors of Chiropractic (also known as chiropractors) are not medical doctors, but go through a similar education process to become licensed in the field of chiropractic care. In fact, educational requirements for chiropractors are among the most stringent of any health care profession.

The typical applicant for chiropractic college has already acquired nearly four years of pre-medical undergraduate college education, including courses in biology, inorganic and organic chemistry, physics, psychology and related lab work.

Once accepted into an accredited chiropractic college, the requirements become even more demanding — four to five academic years of professional study are the standard.  In total, the chiropractic college curriculum includes a minimum of 4,200 hours of classroom, laboratory and clinical experience.

Chiropractic care is widely recognized as one of the safest drug-free, non-invasive therapies available for the treatment of most back and neck problems. Spinal adjustments are extremely safe when performed by a licensed chiropractor.

The noises you hear resembling popping sounds are your joints releasing tiny pockets of air. A chiropractic adjustment does not affect the bones of either side of a joint; it affects the connective tissue that holds the joint together.

While most chiropractors don’t require a referral and many insurance plans allow you to call and schedule your appointment directly with a chiropractor, some insurance plans do require a referral. If you have specific questions about this, it is important to call your insurance provider prior to going to your first appointment. If you have any other questions or concerns, you can also contact your chiropractor for more information..

Technically, a disc can’t “slip.” The intervertebral disc is a pad of cartilage type material situated between spinal bones. Each disc serves as a connector, spacer. and shock absorber for the spine. A soft, jellylike center is contained by outer layers of fibrous tissue.

Healthy discs help allow normal turning and bending. Because of the way each disc is attached to the vertebrae above and below, a disc cannot “slip.” However, trauma or injury to the spine can cause discs to tear, bulge, herniate, or worse, rupture. This can be quite painful, as the soft center of the disc leaks, putting pressure on the adjacent nerve roots and spinal cord.

While results cannot be guaranteed, many patients have avoided needless surgery or a dependency on pain pills, by choosing chiropractic care for their disc related health problem.