It’s Friday night and it’s been a long week. You decide it’s the perfect night for dinner and a movie with your sweetie. Where will you eat? What movie will you see? To make this decision, I’m guessing you won’t just Google ‘restaurant Olympia’ and chose the first listing in the search results or the closest location to your home. Likewise, you won’t go see the movie listed first on the theater sign. There are many factors that influence the decision of where you’ll eat and what movie you’ll see. It’s a considered decision based on research, recommendations from friends, your personal needs, and phase of life. And…that’s just dinner and a movie.
Likewise, choosing a chiropractor shouldn’t be a shot in the dark. It should be a careful and considered decision taken seriously and made after gathering information. Dr. Murray Smith at Eastside Chiropractic has a loyal following of patients after more than 25 years serving patients in Thurston County. However, he’s quick to admit he’s not the right chiropractor for everyone. Dr. Smith encourages people to do their homework before selecting a doctor. Below are Dr. Smith’s Top 5 steps to follow when selecting a chiropractor for you and your family.
Tip #1 – Word of Mouth
This is a standard method of research when making nearly any important decision. We naturally seek the advice of friends and family. When you get a recommendation, ask what they like about the doctor – what keeps them coming back. Find out what happens at an appointment. Do they have time to talk about life changes, concerns, and to get to know each other? Or, is it clinical and quick? Some people might want to get in and out in a hurry while others seek a deeper relationship with their practitioner.
Tip #2 – Background Checking
Don’t simply assume because the sign out front says they are a Doctor of Chiropractic Medicine that they are licensed to practice. Check with the Washington State Department of Health website to see if their license is up to date. You can also find information here about formal complaints or actions taken against them. Dr. Smith advises to avoid anyone offering services without a license. “It’s just not safe when you are putting your health care in their hands,” he explains. But, he cautions to also take online complaints with a grain of salt. “There will always be those who want to complain. It’s more about looking for a pattern of problems.”
Tip #3 – Talk to the Chiropractor
Yes, go talk to the prospective chiropractor – in person. You can interview your healthcare providers as if you are hiring them because, in essence, you are hiring them to care for you. “Ask the office if you can have a free consultation to meet the doctor and ask a few questions,” says Dr. Smith. Just as with your primary care physician, you should be comfortable with your chiropractor’s care philosophy and personality. What if the office says no? “Don’t always take a ‘no’ to mean the doctor is no good,” shares Dr. Smith. “They might just be so in-demand because of the quality of their care that they don’t have time for new patient interviews.”
Tip #4 – Social Media is your Friend
In this day and age, social media outlets are a direct link to a vast network of people and their experiences. Use it to your advantage and ask your connections what they think. “If you just put it out there you’ll get a ton of replies,” shares Dr. Smith. Look for the same doctor’s name to come up more than once and start there. Take into consideration who is giving the recommendation as well and the length of relationship they have with the chiropractor. Was it one visit after an injury or an ongoing relationship of many years? Follow up with people privately to gain more specifics without involving the entire comment group.
Tip #5 – Good Old Fashioned Research
Do your homework. Your health shouldn’t be taken lightly and putting in a few hours to research your chiropractor is well worth it in the long run. Read articles written by the doctor, check to see if they have a blog, read their Facebook feed to see if it resonates with you. Ultimately, you are looking to see if their philosophy of care and lifestyle aligns with yours.
The bottom line is try to be an informed consumer of health care. With the vast amount of information available to us today via the internet and our social networks, we can make informed choices for a good fit.
However, Dr. Smith reminds us, “Reserve the right to change your mind. All the best research in the world can’t substitute for a gut feeling. Change course as needed and as I always tell patients, be your own advocate.”
1526 Bishop Rd NW, Tumwater
360-459-9000