What Actually Happens Before We Touch Your Spine
Chiropractors complete 7-8 years of education with hundreds of hours in radiology interpretation. We perform comprehensive diagnostic assessments before any treatment, looking at imaging, biomechanics, and the entire kinetic chain to find root causes. Adjustments reset neurological signals between joints and the brain. Research shows 80% of low back pain patients improve with chiropractic care. We refer to specialists when red flags indicate serious pathology.
What chiropractors do:
- Complete 4,200+ hours of doctoral training in anatomy, neurology, radiology, and clinical practice
- Interpret X-rays, MRIs, and CT scans directly (GPs receive zero hours of imaging interpretation)
- Perform full diagnostic assessments before treatment: gait analysis, biomechanical testing, orthopedic evaluation
- Treat musculoskeletal conditions through adjustments, soft tissue work, and rehabilitative exercises
- Refer to medical specialists when imaging reveals pathology requiring surgery or medication
Yesterday I testified at a WorkSafe tribunal about a concussion case.
The chair was surprised I was commenting on traumatic brain injury.
He thought chiropractors didn’t do that. Here’s someone dealing with workplace injuries every day, and he had no idea chiropractors treat concussions.
The misconception runs deeper than most people realize.
What Is Chiropractic Education?
When someone walks into our practice, they think we just crack backs.
We hear it constantly.
The reality? Chiropractic education requires seven to eight years. Four years undergraduate, then four years in a Doctor of Chiropractic program.
That’s over 4,200 instructional hours covering anatomy, biochemistry, neurology, radiology, pathology, and clinical practice.
Here’s what catches people off guard.
The Radiology Training Difference
We complete hundreds of hours in radiology interpretation. X-rays, MRIs, CT scans.
General practitioners? Zero hours of radiology interpretation training.
When a GP gets imaging results, they read the radiologist’s report. They don’t look at the imagery itself.
We do. Every day.
I look at the images before reading any report. Keeps my diagnostic skills sharp and gives me an unbiased first look at what’s happening in someone’s body.
The bottom line: Chiropractors receive doctoral-level training comparable to medical specialists in musculoskeletal diagnosis, with radiology interpretation most GPs don’t get.
How Does a Chiropractic Assessment Work?
Someone comes in with back pain. Or knee pain. Or neck stiffness.
We spend the first session gathering information.
What Happens Before Treatment
Full history: Ten minutes of questions about the problem, previous injuries, daily activities, what makes it better or worse.
Physical examination: We watch how you move. Gait analysis, biomechanical assessment, orthopedic and neurological testing.
Imaging review: We access the provincial database with your permission and review existing X-rays, MRIs, or blood work related to your condition.
Diagnosis and planning: We explain our findings, outline the treatment plan, discuss pros and cons, potential adverse effects, and goals.
Informed consent: You sign a consent form.
Only then do we begin treatment.
Key point: We follow a structured diagnostic process with imaging interpretation and comprehensive physical examination before any treatment happens.
How Do We Find Root Causes?
The most common case that surprises people? Knee pain that has nothing to do with the knee.
Someone comes in complaining about knee pain. No back pain, no hip pain. Just the knee.
We evaluate the knee. Structurally, orthopedically, it’s fine. It hurts, but there’s nothing wrong with the knee itself.
So we look above and below. Check the ankle. Usually clear.
Move up to the hip. Now we start seeing tightness. Compression. Muscles starting to guard.
Then we assess the spine.
Suddenly we realize certain positions trigger the knee pain. Flexion or extension movements that weren’t obvious because the patient was focused on their knee.
The problem was never the knee. It was a referral pattern from the spine.
We treat the spine and hip. The centralized issues.
The knee pain disappears.
Why this matters: Pain location doesn’t always indicate problem location. We assess the entire kinetic chain to find the actual dysfunction.
What Happens During an Adjustment?
People want to know what an adjustment does.
The old model said we were moving bones off nerves. We know that’s not accurate.
The Neurological Reset
What we know: ligaments, tendons, and joints send massive amounts of neurological information to your brain about position and movement.
Think of it like a modem.
Your computer’s glitchy, the internet’s not working. You unplug the modem, wait, plug it back in. Electrical reset. Everything works again.
That’s what we’re doing with an adjustment. Resetting the proprioceptive information from that joint to your brain.
Your brain then controls the muscles and joints more accurately instead of keeping everything locked down in a protective state.
Things relax. Movement improves. You feel more confident moving.
Then we do soft tissue work and exercises to reinforce better movement patterns.
The exact mechanism? Still being researched. Recent studies show spinal manipulation alters brain activity in areas that process pain.
But the clinical outcomes are strong.
How it works: Adjustments reset proprioceptive signaling between joints and the brain, allowing your nervous system to reduce protective muscle guarding and restore normal movement.
What Does the Research Show?
Most people think chiropractic is either proven science or complete nonsense.
The actual research is based on clinical outcomes.
Clinical Trial Results
Studies take three groups with low back pain. One sees a chiropractor, one sees a physiotherapist, one gets information only.
The best results come from chiropractic care combined with an exercise program.
The studies don’t break down exact techniques. They measure what matters: do people get better?
We don’t know exactly how exercise helps pain either. Or how certain medications metabolically affect problems. We have theories. We know they work.
That’s true for much of medicine.
The evidence: Clinical outcomes research demonstrates chiropractic effectiveness for musculoskeletal pain, even though precise mechanisms are still under investigation (like many medical interventions).
What Do We Treat and What We Don’t
We do extremely well with muscles, joints, and nerves.
Conditions With High Success Rates
- Low back pain
- Neck pain
- Hip pain
- Shoulder problems
- Ankle issues
- Tension without pain (feeling “out of sorts”)
Anything with a joint and muscle, we have a high chance of successful outcomes.
When We Refer to Other Specialists
We also know our boundaries.
When someone comes in with spinal pain and we see red flags during assessment, we refer out immediately.
Red flags requiring referral: Signs of cancer, severe inflammatory disorders, advanced rheumatoid arthritis, conditions where manual treatment wouldn’t be tolerated, or situations where delaying other treatments could be dangerous.
We look at MRIs to determine severity. Is there significant disc herniation, spinal stenosis, facet enlargement?
If conservative care won’t be effective, we refer to orthopedic surgeons or neurosurgeons.
For middle-ground cases, we might refer to a physiatrist for cortisone injections or nerve blocks.
We also collaborate internally. Our naturopathic doctors can provide ozone therapy or platelet-rich plasma injections that help extend joint function even when surgery might eventually be needed.
The goal is always getting people better. Sometimes that means we’re the right answer. Sometimes it means someone else is.
Our scope: We specialize in conservative musculoskeletal care and refer to medical specialists when imaging or assessment reveals pathology requiring surgical or pharmaceutical intervention.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does it take to become a chiropractor?
Seven to eight years total. Four years undergraduate followed by four years in a Doctor of Chiropractic program, totaling over 4,200 instructional hours.
Can chiropractors read X-rays and MRIs?
Yes. We receive hundreds of hours of radiology interpretation training and examine imaging directly, not just radiologist reports. That’s more training than general practitioners receive.
What happens during the first chiropractic visit?
Full health history (10+ minutes), physical examination with gait and biomechanical analysis, review of existing imaging or blood work, diagnosis, treatment plan explanation, and informed consent before treatment begins.
How does a chiropractic adjustment work?
Adjustments reset proprioceptive signaling from joints to the brain, allowing your nervous system to reduce protective muscle guarding and restore normal movement patterns. Research shows spinal manipulation alters brain activity in pain-processing areas.
Is chiropractic care backed by research?
Yes. Clinical trials consistently show strong outcomes for musculoskeletal conditions, with the best results coming from chiropractic care combined with an exercise program.
What conditions should NOT be treated by chiropractors?
We refer patients to medical specialists when assessment reveals red flags such as cancer, severe inflammatory disorders, advanced rheumatoid arthritis, or any condition where manual treatment could be harmful or where delaying other treatments is dangerous.
Do chiropractors only treat back pain?
No. We treat any musculoskeletal condition involving muscles, joints, and nerves, including neck pain, shoulder problems, hip pain, knee issues, ankle problems, and even concussions.
When should I see a chiropractor versus a medical doctor?
See a chiropractor for musculoskeletal pain, joint dysfunction, or biomechanical problems. We’ll refer you to medical specialists if assessment reveals pathology requiring surgery, medication, or other medical interventions.
Key Takeaways
- Chiropractors complete 7-8 years of education including doctoral-level training in anatomy, neurology, and radiology interpretation
- Comprehensive diagnostic evaluation happens before treatment: imaging review, biomechanical analysis, and orthopedic testing
- Pain location often differs from dysfunction location, so we assess the entire kinetic chain to identify root causes
- Spinal adjustments reset proprioceptive signaling between joints and the brain, reducing protective muscle guarding and restoring movement
- Clinical research shows strong outcomes for musculoskeletal conditions, with the best results from combined chiropractic care and exercise programs
- We specialize in conservative musculoskeletal care and refer to medical specialists when imaging reveals serious pathology
- Chiropractic functions as part of the healthcare system, collaborating with other practitioners based on patient needs