How do real chiropractors know where to adjust their patients?
I say real chiropractors because I'm not talking about the click-bait, Y-strap type.
Dr. Jace Peters, the Omaha sports chiropractor, discusses his approach to figuring how what areas of the spine or extremity need a chiropractic adjustment.
1. Ears: This may seem odd given the hands-on nature of chiropractic, but the best place to start when figuring out what treatment a patient needs is by listening to them. It is amazing how by listening and asking the right questions, how much the patient will tell you what they need.
2. Eyes: Watching the patient move around the office and performing various functional movement tasks helps clue the treating sports chiropractor where treatment should be focused. Oftentimes the area of treatment is above and below the area of pain.
3. Hands: The treating clinician utilizes their hands to assess abnormal joint and tissue health helps determine the appropriate location of chiropractic treatment.
Ideally, Steps 1-3 point the treating chiropractor in the same directions. Each step is a mark in the bigger clinical picture. They all serve as baselines for later assessment after treatment is delivered. Utilizing a test | treat | re-test approach ensures the patient is improving in regards to PAIN RELIEF and FUNCTION.
