Yes, chiropractic is widely recognized as one of the safest drug-free, non-invasive therapies available for the treatment of neuromusculoskeletal complaints. Although chiropractic has an excellent safety record, no health treatment is completely free of potential adverse effects. The risks associated with chiropractic, however, are very low.

Most likely, yes. In South Africa, many of the medical schemes make provision for the reimbursement of chiropractic services. The Compensation for Occupational Injuries and Diseases Act provides for complete reimbursement of cases treated by registered chiropractors. However, it also does depend on each person’s payment plan as to the extent to which they are covered. The best option to find out if you are covered to receive chiropractic care is to contact your medical aid for further information.

Chiropractic care can help to reduce and/or eliminate the symptoms associated with various afflictions, including neck pain, whiplash, lower back pain, migraines & headaches, sciatica, scoliosis, spinal disc injuries, sports-related injuries, tendinitis, pregnancy-related aches & pains, arthritis, sprains and joint pain.

Conditions include:

• Acute and chronic Lumbar pain,
• Thoracic and Cervical spine pain,
• Sacro-iliac syndrome;
• Intervertebral disc herniations;
• Enthesopahies (e.g. rotator cuff, tennis and golfers elbow, Achilles tendonitis, Plantar fasciitis, Adhesive capsulitis);
• Headaches (cervicogenic, migraine, cluster);
• Myofascial pain syndromes;
• Degenerative joint and disc disease (osteoarthritis);
• Sports injuries;
• Nerve entrapment syndromes (e.g. carpal and tarsal tunnel);
• Sprains and strains;
• Bursitis;
• Paediatric (infantile colic; Nocturnal enuresis)

Find more information on conditions and treatment here.

New patients are not sure what to expect regarding their first appointment with a chiropractor. The chiropractor will start by asking you about your medical history and the reason for making an appointment in the first place. This will be followed by a physical examination. Imaging or lab tests may be required to confirm a diagnosis. Taking the above into consideration, the chiropractor will then reach a diagnosis and advise you whether chiropractic treatment is necessary. As part of this process, the chiropractor will explain your condition to you and recommend a treatment plan. Where the chiropractor feels that your condition may be better treated by another health practitioner, he/she will proceed to make the relevant referral.

A chiropractor may provide acute, chronic, and/or preventive care thereby making a certain number of visits sometimes necessary. Your chiropractor should tell you the extent of treatment recommended and how long you can expect it to last.

As with everything in life and every medical intervention, chiropractic care does have its own set of risks. These can include an aggravation of any inflammatory condition, neuromusculoskeletal sprain/strain, osseous dislocation or fracture and, very rarely, a vertebral artery syndrome.

Chiropractors are trained at several tertiary education institutions around the world. A list of these institutions can be found on the World Federation of Chiropractic (WFC) website. In South Africa the course can be studied either at Durban University of Technology (DUT) or at the University of Johannesburg (UJ). Education and training is spread over six years, after which a master’s degree in Chiropractic is awarded. The first two years include a solid grounding in the general sciences after which time students are introduced to the clinical orientated subjects. At the end on the 4th year, as well as in the 5th year, students are required to write and present a research project and dissertation. Students are required to take part in an internship, which includes a variety of practical applications in both the public and private sector.