Services: Medical- Doctors

Chiropractors get mixed reviews on Angie's List, with members who responded recently to a national poll saying they fall into two distinct groups: dedicated healers or pushy salespeople.

“Half of them are quacks, and the other half are amazing,” said a Providence, R.I. Angie’s List member, perhaps summing it up best. So how is someone suffering from back pain to know the difference before getting to the chiropractor’s office?

Enter Angie's List (www.angieslist.com), which offers ratings and reviews on chiropractors and other health care providers,

"You can learn a lot about how a chiropractor deals with patients by listening in on how he or she treated others, and you can do it from the comfort of your home. No need to move the heating pad," said Angie's List founder Angie Hicks. "You're in enough pain. Why prolong it by choosing a chiropractor who is more focused on selling than healing?"

According to the poll, 54 percent of the respondents have been to a chiropractor and nearly 80 percent of those respondents said they felt at least some relief after their visits, while 15 percent saw no positive changes and 7 percent said they actually felt worse after the visit than before.

The key to a positive experience is finding one with whom you are comfortable. There are different types of chiropractors who employ different techniques. The best way to find the right one for you is through referrals, rather than marketing and gimmicks.

“Our members say there are two types of chiropractors: those who are truly working to help their patients improve their overall health, and those who are sales people,” Hicks said. “If you visit a chiropractor and he or she starts telling you how many sessions you’ll need before you’ve even been examined, it’s time to find another chiropractor.”

Of the poll respondents who had seen a chiropractor, 80 percent went because of back pain. Others said they went for neck pain, headaches and joint pain, but some used chiropractic care for more nonconventional reasons, including alleviating constipation and reducing their dependency on painkillers and other prescribed drugs.

Still others spoke of suffering migraines after visits, and some said a chiropractic adjustment resulted in long-term damage, including stroke because of an arterial tear.  Some medical experts suggest that undiagnosed underlying medical problems could contribute to a negative experience.

“Most insurance plans do not require a referral from your doctor to see a chiropractor, but meeting with your primary care physician before you go for your first adjustment might still be a good idea,” Hicks said. “Only see a chiropractor who is properly licensed in the state he or she is working in and one who has a good history. State licensing agencies regulate chiropractors and most require them to earn continuing education credits. Many states offer online verification of chiropractor’s current license status, malpractice history, education and disciplinary actions. If your chiropractor can’t provide documentation of a license and continued training, consider that a red flag and look for a new chiropractor.”

According to the American Chiropractic Association, 22 million people — approximately 8 percent of the population — see a chiropractor, mostly for neck and back pain, making it the fastest-growing health care profession in the United States.

Angie’s List compiled the following guidelines for choosing a proper chiropractor based on information from the Chiropractic Stroke Awareness Group, with the help of licensed chiropractors across the country.

Seek out a chiropractor who…:

• Emphasizes the importance of a balanced diet, regular exercise, better posture, minimizing stress, etc. Avoid chiropractors who offer to sell you expensive nutritional supplements or other remedies, from which they profit.
• Takes a full medical history before starting treatment.  Avoid chiropractors who want you to sign a contract for long-term care, who advertise excessively, or offer “free” or discounted exams/treatments.
• Recommends that a medical facility take x-rays and orders them to rule out fractures or gross pathology as indicated by their case history. In some cases, an MRI might be warranted to eliminate the possibility that the head or neck pain you are experiencing might be the result of something very serious, like a torn artery. Avoid chiropractors who claim their treatment will cure some disease, improve immune functions or benefit organ systems.
• Discusses at length all risks of chiropractic manipulation, as well as benefits. Avoid chiropractors who use scare tactics to solicit for business, such as preaching that vertebral subluxations are silent killers” and that your whole family needs to be checked for subluxations.
• Clearly establishes the type of treatment he or she is going to perform, its expected outcome, how long it will last and how much it will cost. Avoid chiropractors who take full spine or repeated x-rays, or who want you to return even if no progress has occurred after two weeks and/or a half dozen visits.
• Refers you to a medical doctor if you or close family members have medical histories that indicate a thorough medical exam is necessary before any chiropractic treatment. Avoid chiropractors who insist that they are primary care doctors or suggest that MD’s are simply against chiropractors because chiropractic treatment is somehow better than medicine.

*1,056 Angie’s List members took our poll. Responses are representative of Angie’s List members, but not the general public.

Angie’s List is where thousands of consumers share their ratings and reviews on local contractors and companies in more than 425 different categories. Currently, more than 1 million consumers across the U.S. rely on Angie’s List to help them find the right contractor or company for the job they need done. Members have unlimited access to the list via Internet or phone; receive the award-winning Angie’s List magazine, which includes articles on home improvement and maintenance, consumer trends and scam alerts; and they can utilize the Angie’s List complaint resolution service. Get more information about Angie’s List at http://www.angieslist.com View the latest Angie's List News Releases in our Press Center and read Angie’s blog at http://www.angiehicksblog.com.