Chiropractic as a profession has come a long way since its founder Daniel David Palmer adjusted the spine of a deaf janitor in 1895 and claimed to restore his hearing. Palmer started the Palmer School of Chiropractic, where he taught his methods to the first chiropractors.

Some 125 years and much has changed in this profession. Once regarded as an ‘alternative’ form of medicine by the mainstream medical community, chiropractic and conventional medicine now work collaboratively in providing the best care for a patient.

According to the American Chiropractic Association  more than 70,000 chiropractors in the United States treat some 35 million Americans annually. 

Chiropractic care 2020 and beyond

Technology is streamlining many aspects of the US healthcare system, and there is a rapidly growing trend of incorporating technology into service delivery, telemedicine, and care provision.

Telemedicine services

This technology makes it possible for chiropractors to provide flexible care for their patients in a home-based setting. This way, a patient can be comfortable at home and doesn’t need to make a trip to the practice. Via secure services over a high-quality video stream, the patient’s progress, issues, and challenges are all addressed in real-time.

For example, in Florida, TeleEMC makes Emergency Medical Conditions (EMC) for chiropractors Personal Injury Protection (PIP) patients simple and straightforward. The system allows chiropractors to carry out an exam and upload X-rays, MRI images, charts, and other supporting data to assist a provider in making an EMC determination.

Insight scanning technology

Chiropractic adjustment is what actually improves the condition of the patient. The chiropractor’s most crucial step is to identify subluxations and understand precisely what’s wrong with the patient.

It takes only a few minutes to perform a compressive scanning assessment of the entire nervous system on any aged patient and provides instant feedback. Hidden patterns of stress and tension are determined, internal changes exposed, and it establishes a baseline understanding of the body for future chiropractic care.

K-Laser therapy

Used by a wide variety of medical experts, chiropractors, in particular, have found K- Laser, also known as High Power Laser therapy, to be of great use. The chiropractor can target damaged tissue with specific wavelengths of light to help repair and stimulate cells.

K-Laser therapy has proved to be a safe, quick, and drug-free method of pain relief for conditions such as:

  • Peripheral neuropathy and fibromyalgia
  • Back and neck pain
  • Sciatic pain, arthritis pain and degenerative discs/joints
  • Carpal tunnel syndrome
  • Knee problems, tendinitis and trigger fingers
  • Bunion pains and plantar fasciitis
  • Sprains and strains
  • Bruises, contusions and burns
  • Headaches, TMJ and sinus trouble
  • Athletic injuries
  • Work-related and auto injuries

Most patients report pain relief in as little as one treatment with no side effects., 

Ultralign G2

Marketed as the most sophisticated analysis and treatment system available, the NASA inspired chiropractic device performs a body analysis and then treats the patient. The system can locate where there are any spinal abnormalities in a patient that are causing issues.

By sending a vibration through each vertebra, the vibration then echoes off the bone. The echo is read by the Treatment System and translated into readable graphs and bar charts on a computer for the chiropractor to analyze and then perform a specific spinal treatment.

Safe for both children older than 4 years and seniors, the computer-controlled detection and correction treatment system is a surgery-free treatment for neck and lower back pain.

Electronic health records

While technology has played a significant role in shaping new treatment systems for chiropractors, the most significant technological advance has been in practice management systems that support every aspect of the business. Cloud based interoperability accelerates clinical outcomes by sharing a patient’s data with other health providers across multiple organizations.

The healthcare landscape of the future

The fundamentals of chiropractic care focus on health and the body’s innate ability to heal itself or, as so eloquently stated by DD Palmer, “Functions performed in a normal manner and amount result in health. Diseases are conditions resulting from either an excess or deficiency of functioning.” 

Industry leaders predict that the healthcare landscape will undergo significant changes in the coming years. Medical practitioners will increasingly draw upon other healthcare models to make diagnoses based on wider, more comprehensive analyses with broader treatment options that address function as opposed to symptoms. Medical integration is fast gaining traction with medical doctors and chiropractors fusing practices and working in unison to provide patients with a more cohesive environment.

The last word goes to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, which states. Employment of chiropractors is projected to grow 4 percent from 2019 to 2029. People across all age groups are increasingly becoming interested in integrative or complementary healthcare to treat pain and improve overall wellness. Chiropractic care appeals to patients as chiropractors use nonsurgical methods of treatment and do not prescribe drugs.