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Are There Different Kinds of Chiropractors?
Yes—and the difference matters more than you might think.
Chiropractic is an art form. There are many techniques, just like there are different ways to swing a golf club or shoot a basketball. A chiropractor's approach is shaped by their training, their physical stature, and the person they're adjusting. A 3-week-old baby is adjusted differently than a 30-year-old, and both are adjusted differently than a 90-year-old.
But beyond technique, there's a bigger difference: the objective.
Two Schools of Thought
Therapeutic ("Mixed") Chiropractic
This is the older approach. It split from the founding principles of chiropractic about a century ago and adopted many of the objectives of the medical community. Chiropractors in this group often treat specific conditions and incorporate procedures like physical therapy, massage, acupuncture, nutritional supplements, and rehabilitation therapy.
The challenge? This approach can create confusion about what a chiropractor's role really is. It can also put chiropractors in the position of diagnosing conditions without the full range of medical tools and tests available to physicians.
Non-Therapeutic Straight Chiropractic
This is the more modern approach, and it's what I practice. We define chiropractic by one simple, uncompromising objective: locate and correct vertebral subluxations.
No mixing. No treating conditions. No chasing symptoms. Just checking the spine for subluxations that interfere with the nervous system, and correcting them when found.
Why the Distinction Matters
The spine protects the spinal cord—the superhighway of messages between your brain and every cell in your body. When vertebrae misalign and interfere with those messages, your body can't function at its best. That's a vertebral subluxation.
Subluxations can be caused by physical stress (falls, accidents, birth process), emotional stress (worry, fear, anger), and chemical stress (pollution, drugs, poor diet). Usually it's a combination.
Here's the catch: subluxations rarely have symptoms. You probably can't "feel" your liver either—but that doesn't mean it's not working. The nerve pathways that control your organs don't transmit pain, so you can have subluxations for years without knowing it.
That's why regular spinal check-ups matter.
A Simple Question
Whether you have symptoms or not, ask yourself: would you rather have subluxations and nerve interference, or be free of them?
The answer seems obvious. Having all your nerve messages getting through is better than only some of them getting through—regardless of your situation. That's why people see me regularly: not because they have a specific problem, but because they want to live free of the life-robbing effects of vertebral subluxation.
Straight chiropractic is not about your back. It's not about your symptoms, pain, or disease. It's about your life. Each person has a unique potential. With vertebral subluxation, it's impossible to fully realize that potential.