Are you here because you’re experiencing pain, and wondering if chiropractic could help you?
BUT
you’re not quite sure about a few things.
- What is chiropractic?
- Is chiropractic legit?
- Are chiropractors medical doctors?
- How to choose a chiropractor?
- Are chiropractors regulated in Singapore?
- Are chiropractors just trying to sell packages?
- Are chiropractic adjustments worth it?
- Can I claim insurance for chiropractic?
- How often do I have to go to see results from my chiropractic treatments?
- Do your chiropractors speak Chinese?
- Are chiropractic adjustments safe?
- Are chiropractic adjustments safe during pregnancy?
- Are chiropractic adjustments safe for infants?
- Are chiropractic adjustments safe for the elderly?
- Can I go for chiropractic adjustments after spinal surgery?
- Are chiropractic adjustments permanent?
- Chiropractors vs TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine) vs Physiotherapy for pain relief
- If I do nothing, this pain will just go away, right?
We feel you.
We had these questions before we started, and struggled to make sense of all the “10 Best Chiropractor Clinic….” listicles online. We took a long time and lots of research to figure these things out, and want to share them so that you can make an informed decision for yourself.
TL;DR: Chiropractic is about getting optimal alignment of the spine (like braces for teeth). The cost is around the same (think in the thousands), and the duration to effectively address your spinal alignment is also the same (several months). It is not regulated, but chiropractors are certified to practice (from their country of training).
Now, back to your burning questions.
What is chiropractic?
Chiropractic focuses on addressing misalignments in the spine which interfere with the nervous system. As these are physical misalignments, chiropractors use physical adjustments to foster proper alignment.
Typically, people think of turning to chiropractic when they experience pain along their spine (neck, shoulders, back). While chiropractic does help with pain relief due to physical misalignments of the spine, the focus of it goes beyond pain relief.
More importantly, the benefits of chiropractic include:
- All-natural
- Drug-free & Non-surgical
- Improves your posture
- Increases your range of motion
- Enables your body to function as it was designed to
Is chiropractic legit?
For a profession that has been around for 120 years, and helped many people get better we believe it’s legit.
Ultimately, the legitimacy of anything depends on the assertions it makes. You’ll never hear us saying that chiropractic can cure cancer, Alzheimers, COVID-19, or any disease. Chiropractic is also not the only approach to addressing issues with your body and back.
We’re clear on what chiropractic can and cannot do, and have been serving the community in Singapore for over a decade. But don’t just take our word for it, read testimonials from our practice members here.
Are chiropractors medical doctors?
Chiropractors are not medical doctors, and are not trained to treat disease or illness with medication. However, our chiropractors are fully accredited by international chiropractic boards and have gone through an intensive four-year programme focusing on anatomy, physiology, neurology, orthopedics, radiology, bio-mechanics, physical examination, advanced imaging, diagnosis, and chiropractic techniques.
In other words, our chiropractors are experts in the neuromusculoskeletal system – the interactions between nerves, muscles, and the skeleton. They are trained to find and address issues in the spine by applying gentle, controlled pressure to the misaligned vertebrae in the spine.
How to choose a chiropractor?
A good chiropractor takes the time to ask about your health history, take x-rays (depending on your condition), and understand your body for signs of injury or pain.
If you find that your chiropractor is rushing through, or even skipping the examination process just to get you adjusted and scheduled for your next appointment, you should think twice about going back.
Are chiropractors regulated in singapore?
Referenced from the Ministry of Health Singapore, chiropractic services are considered complementary and alternative approaches, and we are not licensed under the Private Hospital and Medical Clinic Act (PHMCA). While there isn’t a board regulating or accrediting chiropractic in Singapore, all of our team members are a part of and come from countries that have a board of chiropractors to regulate, accredit, and uphold the standard of chiropractic.
While we are not regulated, we continue to refer to the standards of the overseas boards to ensure that we are up to date. We hold ourselves to high standards and ensure that every patient undergoes a comprehensive check-up and examination before our chiropractors perform any adjustments. Depending on the damage done to your spine, as well as other existing health conditions, we will recommend whether 1) chiropractic care is suitable for you, and if so 2) the proposed frequency, type of adjustments to achieve your goals.
Are chiropractors just trying to sell packages?
Unfortunately, there are several players in the market who have given the profession a bad name of “selling packages”, using a one-size-fits-all regime for all patients, regardless of condition. Some may even find that their chiropractors are not concerned about their recovery, in other words, every visit is just striking off yet another session from their package.
Here at Chiropractic Singapore, we tailor your care plan based on your condition. Our wellness programs range from 4-8 months. During your care with us, we also conduct periodic checks on your progress to make sure that we are on the right track. Additionally, we will drop friendly reminders to encourage you to come in for your adjustments and do the exercises that were prescribed to you.
We care for you and want you to be better by the end of your care program. We do not charge extra if you require more adjustments during your care program.
When choosing a chiropractor, it is therefore important to find one who does a comprehensive history taking and check-up before recommending an appropriate care program for a condition, or whether you are a suitable candidate for chiropractic care in the first place.
Are chiropractic adjustments worth it?
We’ll be honest, seeing a chiropractor is not going to be cheap. While the first visit is usually relatively affordable, taking action to correct the problem after the first visit is not cheap. If you are looking to seek one-off, symptomatic relief, a chiropractic care programme may seem like a hefty investment. The cost is around the same (in the thousands) as the cost of braces for your teeth. Similar to other professions, you’re paying for the years of education and practice of the chiropractor.
However, it is first important to take a step back to understand your goals in the first place. If your goal is to focus on your spinal health and general well-being, chiropractic care may even be less expensive as compared to other long-term care plans that involve medication, surgery, or intensive physical therapy.
More importantly, the goal of chiropractic care is preventive in nature, i.e. to improve spinal motion, and in turn, the body’s physical functions. The eventual objective of chiropractic care is to prevent degeneration that eventually requires more invasive forms of treatment and that would definitely cost a bomb.
Can I claim insurance for my chiropractic care?
There is no simple answer to this question. It depends on the coverage of your insurance plan that you’ve signed up for. Chiropractic care is a long-term commitment so it is important to check the coverage limits of your health insurance plan to find out if they are sufficient for the number of sessions and follow-ups you require.
Chiropractic care coverage is usually covered under Accident Policy, Insurance Riders, and even corporate insurance scheme or Flexi benefits.
Insurers who cover chiropractic care include (but are not limited to):
- AXA – Smartcare theOne Policy
- AXA = Smartpersonal Accident Policy
- Great Eastern – AccidentCare Plus II
- Great Eastern – Essential Protector Plus
- Prudential – PruPersonal Accident Plan
- AIA – AIA Solitaire PA (II)
- Aviva – Personal Accident Policy
It is best that you check with your respective insurance provider.
How often do I have to go to see results from my chiropractic care?
There is no “one-size-fits-all”. Everyone’s condition is different, and it is critical that we diagnose the severity of misalignments in your spine to develop the best care plan for your condition. For most patients that we see, spinal degeneration has set in for several years already. It typically takes a few months to help you feel relief from issues that took years to develop.
Chiropractic is not an instant fix. One adjustment will not address your problem. Like braces for teeth, it will take time for your body to respond to the adjustments focused onphysical misalignments.
The effectiveness of pain management depends on a variety of things – your condition, how your body responds to adjustments, your daily habits, among other things.
Most of our practice members continue to receive chiropractic adjustments on a regular basis even after their problems have been corrected to maintain their progress. This is similar to going for facials or your regular dentist scaling and polishing!
Do your chiropractors speak chinese?
We acknowledge language barrier may be of concern to you when deciding which chiropractor to go to. Not to worry, our Health Partners are bilingual and are trained to help translate whenever needed.
Are chiropractic adjustments safe?
One of the biggest things we feared (and heard about) was someone who suffered a stroke after a chiropractic adjustment. Well, good news! The incidence of stroke among the general population VS the incidence of stroke among chiropractic patients indicates an extremely low correlation between chiropractic adjustments and stroke. According to reports, the risk of serious adverse events from chiropractic manipulations such as stroke ranged from 0.05 to 1.46 per 10,000,000 manipulations.
“How do I know that I’m being adjusted safely?”
For us, you’ll only get adjusted after you have gone through a detailed consultation and examination designed to determine the most effective approach to your health problems.
Receiving chiropractic adjustments without being checked beforehand is NOT SAFE.
By doing a comprehensive consultation and examination, we can ensure that our care is safe and effective for you.
In fact, this is how thorough our spinal examination is:
- X-rays
- Visual posture assessment
- Spinal palpitation
- Posture photo analysis
- Bilateral weight distribution assessment
- Computerised spinal range of motion measurement
- Surface electromyography scan
“How about that scary cracking sound…?” Are chiropractic adjustments painful?
Chiropractors do not crack bones nor is it painful. That said, it is normal to hear a “popping” or “cracking” sound during an adjustment.
The popping sound is due to a change in pressure, as a joint move in a specific way. There are small pockets of air or bubbles that surround the joint. During a chiropractic adjustment, the tissues are stretched out, “popping” the air pocket, which then creates a cracking sound.
Image source: widencdn.net
The sound associated with a chiropractic adjustment is not important; an effective adjustment can be delivered with no audible sound. Instead, what’s important is the degree and quality of movement that was achieved with the adjustment.
Motion is life. A flexible, stable, and well-aligned spine are key for your health.
Adjustments to certain joints in the spine or extremities may feel slightly uncomfortable, but once the adjustment is performed, you should not feel pain. In fact, many enjoy being adjusted, and like the way the adjustment feels!
If it is your first time ever being adjusted, you may experience slight soreness or discomfort for 12 – 24 hours following the first adjustment. The adjustment helps promote alignment of the spine, breaking up adhesions that had previously restricted the joint, and stretching tissues that have previously caused some of the pain and other symptoms.
Are chiropractic adjustments safe during pregnancy?
In short, yes. Our chiropractors are licensed and trained to provide chiropractic care related to pregnancies. We do not require X-rays to be done for our expecting mothers. All adjustments would be done on the adjustment table to accommodate the women’s growing bellies. The chiropractic techniques used will not put pressure on their abdomens and are gentler in pressure relative to a typical adjustment. Read more about chiropractic care during pregnancy here.
Are chiropractic adjustments safe for infants?
You may be thinking how damaged an infant’s spine can be at such a young age. Well, you will be surprised that infants can benefit from chiropractic care as much as adults do! Our children undergo a lot of pressure and stress that may cause spinal misalignments, especially during the childbirth process. Not forgetting the numerous slips and falls our babies go through when they learn how to crawl and walk.
These “tuition fees” come at a price to their delicate spine. Our chiropractors use a device known as an activator to safely and effectively focus on misalignments in a child’s spine. This allows us to apply a gentle yet controlled pressure to bring the spine back to a natural alignment.
Are chiropractic adjustments safe for the elderly?
Chiropractic care isn’t only about providing corrective treatment for our patients. Chiropractic care is also an essential pillar of both preventive and palliative care. As adults age and their health beings to decline, it is critical that they safeguard their health with regular chiropractic maintenance.
If you are worried if chiropractic can help seniors who have osteoporosis or arthritis read more here.
Can i go for chiropractic adjustments even after spinal surgery?
While spinal fusion can help correct severe scoliosis, it doesn’t completely eliminate pain. We do have members who come for chiropractic adjustments for pain relief. While our chiropractors will not be able to adjust areas that were addressed during the surgery, there are other parts of the spine that could be negatively affected due to the restricted movement in the spine post-surgery. Our chiropractors focus on adjusting misalignments in other parts of the spine to address the reduced range of motion and potential pain that you might be experiencing.
Are chiropractic adjustments permanent?
No, chiropractic adjustments are not permanent. To reap the benefits from your chiropractic care, you will need to diligently maintain a good posture, do the exercises prescribed, and make little changes to your current lifestyle and habits (e.g make changes to your workstation). The truth is any simple motion that we perform can be a potential hazard even without us realizing it.
For instance, you may think how bad can sitting down be? Well, sitting for prolonged hours has been the main culprit for causing many people back and neck pain! These pains could be due to bad sitting posture or the duration of sitting being too long.
Unless we completely remove these motions, which is somewhat impossible, we are subjecting our bodies to damage every day!
The question would be how do we repair our bodies faster than the damage received.
Chiropractors Vs TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine) Vs Physiotherapy for pain relief
Firstly, all three domains are super different! It’s like comparing apples to oranges.
As the fundamental belief systems are different, the approach to pain relief also differs.
Physiotherapy focuses on treatment to restore and maintain most of your mobility, function, and well-being. You are heavily involved in your own recovery as specific exercises are taught to be done at home to aid muscle recovery.
Vs Chiropractic, where the key difference is that physiotherapy largely focuses on the area affected, and treatment is specific to that area, rather than a holistic approach to your health. Chiropractic focuses on subluxation which affects your nervous system and causes pain.
TCM is a branch of traditional medicine that is based on more than thousands of years of Chinese medical practice. The approaches include acupuncture, herbal medicine, and tui na (推拿) among others.
Vs Chiropractic, which appears to be very similar to one of the approaches known as tie da (铁打), or “bone setting”. However, while the biomechanical adjustment may look similar when performed, the fundamental belief system and care approach are very different from chiropractic as the focus is not on the nervous system.
If I do nothing, this pain will just go away, right?
Pain can often be the last symptom of having a dysfunction. While many seek chiropractic care because of pain, pain in itself is not a good indicator of health. You might have problems like degeneration or misalignment for months or years before you start feeling pain. As the saying goes, prevention is better than cure and chiropractic care can help you keep your body functioning at its best.
In conclusion
Chiropractic is not a one-off quick fix for neck and back pain. It may seem expensive and require a commitment of time, but working on your health (like exercising) is a lifelong investment in yourself.
We hope this article has been helpful to you. If you have more burning questions, feel free to message us and we’ll try our best to answer them!
