What is a Chiropractor?

A chiropractor, officially known as a doctor of chiropractic, in many areas, stresses the conservative management of the neuromusculoskeletal system without the use of medicines or surgery, with special emphasis on the spine. Chiropractors combine aspects from both mainstream and alternative medicine, and there is currently no agreement about how to define the chiropractic profession.

Your chiropractor will have many attributes of a primary care provider, while also possessing attributes of a medical specialist like a dentist or podiatrist. Generally, people believe that chiropractors only specialize in nonsurgical treatment of the spine, when in reality chiropractic medicine covers a much broader spectrum of health care.

Chiropractors do frequently provide spinal manipulation for patients, but they also commonly provide manual therapies to the joints and soft tissues, rehabilitative exercises, health promotion, electrical modalities, complementary procedures, and lifestyle counseling.

Chiropractors are not licensed to write medical prescriptions or perform major surgery in the U.S. Chiropractic medicine overlaps with many over manual-therapy professions, such as massage therapy, osteopathy, and physical therapy. Also, it is not uncommon for a chiropractic office to staff members from these other professions.

In order to legally practice chiropractic medicine, a chiropractor must first complete undergraduate studies and, upon graduation, pass national, state, or provincial board examinations before being licensed to practice.

Use this website to find a chiropractor in your city or state. Browse detailed profiles of chiropractors including office maps, and directions. Search for chiropractors by zip code to find real local results.