How Do You Find a New Chiropractor When You Move?

Maintaining a family practice near a large military base means I am really used to families moving in and out of the practice. However, the Covid-19 pandemic dramatically increased these rates! Some were able to make the exciting move closer to family, or simply to areas with a lower cost of living now that they were guaranteed the ability to work from home. Others moved for social reasons and seeking to live somewhere less restricted or aligned differently politically.

Every time, I am asked how they should go about finding a new chiropractor.

One patient recently said, “You are the only thing I am going to miss about Washington. I finally found the best chiropractor ever and now I am leaving!!”

Another said, “After seeing numerous chiropractors, you are the only one who was really able to help me. How can I find someone similar?”

I know how hard it is to find a holistic provider that is a good match for you and your family when you have specialized needs. My care differs for two main reasons:

• the technique I utilize to assess and prioritize your care plan AND
• the specialized understanding and care I provide for the female pelvis, pregnancy, and newborns.

The first is the hardest to replicate as the assessment protocol I use was created by my mentor and fine-tuned by he and I while I was a student.

However, there are numerous techniques that utilize a similar principle, which is to prioritize adjusting according to the patient’s response to a testing protocol (instead of the practitioner’s preference and palpation findings). These techniques generally use a functional leg check protocol (which is what I use) or muscle testing.

Chiropractic techniques to look for in a new chiropractor:

Here are a few techniques that I am most familiar with, have a lot of respect for, and can generally recommend: Thompson Drop Table, Sacro-Occipitalization Technique (SOT), Korean Specific Technique, and Applied Kinesiology. This is not exhaustive, so don’t stress if you can’t find one. These are just good starting points if possible.

As for specialized chiropractic care for pregnancy or newborns, my best recommendation is to search for a doctor at www.icpa4kids.com. This is an international chiropractic organization that leads the way in training chiropractors in specialized pregnancy and pediatric care.

Cranial work can be a crucial component of newborn care so finding a doctor who does some form of cranial adjusting/therapy is an ideal combination when possible.

Please note, CST or Craniosacral Therapy is only one form of this type of care. All forms are especially helpful and I utilize Dynamic Body Balancing and SOT.

Lastly, the physical adjustment component itself is really a personal patient preference. Specific Diversified and Drop Table adjusting techniques are what Dr. Jennifer and I perform. However, the size and demeanor of the chiropractor, along with the specificity and amount of force they apply is all unique and your preference is not usually related to their “skill level” but more to do with your personal comfort level and preference.

In the end, you have to try them out!

How do they relate to you? Do they provide Wellness Care where education and appropriate care plans are provided? Is their office space comfortable and welcoming to you and your family? And of course lastly, how do you feel after being adjusted by them?

Dr. Jennifer and I strive to make you feel seen, heard, and cared for not only through the physical care we perform but the emotional and educational support we offer.

Best wishes to all of you. We truly have felt blessed to be a part of your family’s health team!