- Chiropractor: what is it?
- Chiropractor: what is the difference with the osteopath?
- Pain: what does a chiropractor treat?
- How does a session with the chiropractor take place?
- Rates and reimbursement: how much does a chiropractor session cost?
The year 2022 marks 20 years of legal recognition of chiropractic in France. On this occasion (and on the occasion of World Spine Day, this October 16), the French Chiropractic Association launched the first major survey of patients followed by chiropractors. The results of this survey conducted by Ifop* appear as a vote of approval for this manual therapy:
- More than 9 out of 10 patients on average emerge from the first consultation with an excellent image of chiropractic.
- To relieve their pain, more than a quarter of patients took medication (with or without a prescription) before being treated in chiropractic. They are less than 10% once their treatment has been initiated.
- 90% declare a great or very great impact on pain relief and 89% a general well-being thanks to chiropractic.
- Less than 2 out of 10 patients turn to other healthcare professionals (general practitioner, specialist, physiotherapist) for their symptoms after starting their chiropractic treatment.
Chiropractor: what is it?
Before making an appointment, it is important to know the definition of a chiropractor. Chiropractic is a manual therapy that acts mainly on one part of the body: the spine. However, this discipline does not only relieve back pain, since it treats more generally the functional and pathological disorders of the musculoskeletal system, at the origin of various pains, but also certain organs, connected to the spine by nerves.
The French Chiropractic Association defines it as “a reference manual medicine for back and joint care. The purpose of chiropractic is the detection, treatment and prevention of skeletal dysfunctions and their consequences, particularly in the spine and limbs.
In France, the use of chiropractic is a rather new practice for a significant proportion of patients. The Ifop study carried out for the 20 years of recognition of chiropractic (read above) reveals that a quarter of the patients questioned had never consulted a chiropractor and nearly half had been using it for less than 3 years.
As this explains sitebecoming a chiropractor requires studies in 5 years in the only establishment in France which issues this diploma: the Franco-European Institute of Chiropractic (IFEC).
>> Does this practice involve any dangers? Rest assured, consulting a chiropractor is not dangerous. As a general rule, consultation with a chiropractor poses no risk to the patient. Slight pains or aches can sometimes be felt after the sessions, but they generally disappear in the days following the manipulation. Before choosing a chiropractor, make sure you feel comfortable and informed about their approach techniques. Do not hesitate to discuss with the professional in order to develop a relationship of trust with him.
Chiropractor
Chiropractor: what is the difference with the osteopath?
You are probably wondering whether it is better to go see a chiropractor or an osteopath. It will depend on the problem you want to address. Chiropractic and osteopathy are both non-drug manual therapeutic practices. Chiropractic has been recognized in France since 2002 and further targets the spine and joints. Conversely, osteopathy approaches the body as a whole and allows through its practice to restore the mobility of all the structures of the body. It therefore has a more global approach than chiropractic, which is more specific.
The controlled acts are also not the same in the two professions. At the osteopath, only the functional problems can be treated, then the chiropractor can relieve the problems of functional and pathological origin. The practice is supervised by the French association of chiropractic. In summary, chiropractors can perform more manipulations than osteopaths.
For example, unless there is a medical contraindication, a patient suffering from a herniated disc or sciatica can be handled by a chiropractor, but not by an osteopath.
Pain: what does a chiropractor treat?
- Pain related to musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs)
Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) concern disorders of the soft tissues located on the periphery of the joints, namely the muscles, tendons, nerves, ligaments or even vessels. Often linked to repetitive gestures, MSDs are the first cause of occupational disease in France and are characterized by acute or chronic pain, which can be relieved thanks to chiropractic.
The goal ? Improve joint mobility and reduce the pain of MSDs, which “is not always measured in intensity but also in the possibility of performing certain movements”, according to Caroline Lambert, chiropractor and vice-president of the French Chiropractic Association ( FCA). To relieve pathologies such as carpal tunnel syndrome, neck pain, tendonitis, low back pain, back pain or even sciatica, the practitioner brings movement to the joints and thus acts on the inflammatory system.
- Pain related to fibromyalgia
Another condition synonymous with suffering: fibromyalgia, a complex pathology characterized by permanent pain throughout the body, intense fatigue and microdepression. It affects two to three million people in France and is still difficult to treat, in particular because of the variety of its symptoms. If chiropractic does not cure fibromyalgia, it can be a real ally against this disease and relieve the pain it induces. Cervical manipulations thus make it possible to significantly improve the quality of life of patients.
- “Referred” pain
The pains can sometimes hold surprises, evidenced by the so-called referred pains, that is to say which are felt far from the source of origin. Acute or chronic, they are paradoxically often painless and can be highlighted during a chiropractic session. “Patients sometimes come to consult for a given problem, but other pains of which they were unaware are sometimes identified by the practitioner”, explains Caroline Lambert.
Referred pain is actually nerve pain. By applying light pressure to those located around the spine, the chiropractor allows the nerve impulse to recover its potential capacity.
“By focusing on the lower back, we can thus act on intestinal pain”, gives for example Caroline Lambert. Some patients therefore call on chiropractic for pain that a priori has nothing to do with the back or the joints, namely menstrual pain, inguinal pain, pain related to constipation, prostate problems or even tension headaches, migraines and tinnitus.
How does a session with the chiropractor take place?
A first session with the chiropractor takes place in four stages:
- At first, the professional will take the patient’s information, in order to define if chiropractic can help him;
- He will then perform a spinal scan to identify neurological interference;
- The chiropractor will then perform a physical examination;
- Finally, the palpation will be the last step in his journey: he will feel your back to feel the state of your body, your joints and define the best possible treatment.
During the follow-up sessions, three phases will follow one another:
- The symptomatic phasewhere the chiropractor will treat what is urgent and reduce the symptoms as much as possible;
- The stabilization phasewhich consists of curing the problem so that it does not return;
- And finally, the prevention phase and development, in order to maintain the body healthy and optimize the body.
Chiropractor
Rates and reimbursement: how much does a chiropractor session cost?
To avoid suffering, nothing beats anticipation: consulting a chiropractor preventively makes it possible to detect and correct imbalances (including in seniors) before pain sets in. The price of a chiropractor for a session is generally between 50 and 80 euros. No reimbursement from a chiropractor will be made. Indeed, this manual therapy is not covered by the Primary Health Insurance Fund (Social Security) but certain alternative medicine guarantees from mutual insurance companies allow you to be reimbursed. Either in the form of an annual fixed price (in this case, 100% of the invoiced fees are reimbursed up to a certain ceiling), or in the form of a fixed price per session.
In video: What back pain do you suffer from?
*Study conducted by the IFOP for the French association of chiropractic in 2022, with a sample of 1781 patients who have recently had recourse to chiropractic, questioned from a file provided by the French Association of Chiropractic.
