5 Tips For Choosing Your Chiropractor

In today's world, with information at our finger tips, how do we take the time to find a great chiropractor? Anyone can write something that sounds good and post it on the internet, but the proof is in the pudding. Here are the top 5 items that I would look for in a great chiropractor:


1.  He listens
A good chiropractor will take the time to listen to your health challenges. He will ask questions to understand your concerns. Together, you will form goals to accomplish as you progress through your care.

2.  He educates
Once your chiropractor understands your health challenges, he takes the time to explain the importance of a healthy spine and nerve system and how it is related to your health.

3.  He analyzes
There are many different forms and styles of analyzing the spine and nerve system. Most chiropractors use some form of palpation to feel for muscle imbalances, spinal asymmetries, and areas of inflammation. Many chiropractors utilize x-rays as a more comprehensive and specific method of spinal analysis. Thermal scanning, EMG scanning, and leg checks are all tests that can gain important information about the function of your nerve system. Once all the data is collected, he explains exactly what and where your problem is and his course of action for correction. This explanation should be logical and concise. Never be afraid to ask questions before, during, and after your exam.

4.  He gets results
When the developer of chiropractic, B.J. Palmer, was asked, "To what do you attribute your success?" he simply responded, "Results!" The primary responsibility of a chiropractor is to restore spine and nerve system function. If your chiropractor can do this and explain why it has improved, then you are definitely in the right office.

5.  He has passion
As in any profession, the people who are the most successful and effective are the ones who love what they do. If you get a good vibe when you walk into the office or feel excited for your chiropractic appointment, chances are it is because of the passion that your chiropractor exudes. That passion alone can go a long way for restoring health to you and your family.

Choosing any health professional is a difficult task.  Choosing the right chiropractor to optimize your spine and nerve system function is imperative to your healthy lifestyle. I hope the 5 keys above will help you evaluate and make the best decision for your health.

Abundant blessings,

Dr. Dan



Dr. Dan Turo is the owner and chiropractor of Turo Family Chiropractic located in the North Hills of Pittsburgh, PA. Find more information at his website. Follow him on facebook and twitter.

3 Tests More Important than Your Cholesterol

So why do we have poor health? Our poor health stems from an inability to adapt to our environment. Looking at two hospital workers who are exposed to the same germs on a daily basis, why does one get sick and not the other? Obviously the one who did not get sick had the ability to fight off the germs. Where does that ability come from? It is the system in our body that coordinates all other functions. Your nervous system, which is made up of your brain, spinal cord, and nerves.

If the health of our nerve system is responsible for coordinating every other function in the body, we should probably have some tests that measure how our nerve system is functioning. The following are 3 tests that are more important than your cholesterol level, blood pressure, and BMI.

1. Spinal Thermography

This test takes less than 30 seconds and compares the skin temperature around the spine. This is a "snap shot" picture of how your autonomic nervous system is functioning, which is the part of your nerve system that coordinates organs and glands. Depending on the type of thermography used, your scan should be balanced left to right or top to bottom. Chiropractic care has been shown to bring an abnormal scan into balance, thus improving nerve system function and overall health.

2. Spinal sEMG

Surface Electromyography (sEMG) is a test that is completed to measure overall muscle tone and balance across the spine. Muscles are controlled by a part of your nervous system known as the motor nerve system, responsible for movement of joints, balance, coordination, and posture. Increased muscle tension and imbalance across the spine is largely due to spinal subluxations (misalignments that place increased stress and irritation on the nerve system). This increased tension can lead to poor posture, pain, headaches, poor balance, and fatigue. Chiropractic adjustments restore spinal alignment to help reduce muscle tension and increase coordination of your nervous system.

3. Heart Rate Variability

The average heart rate in humans is around 60-75 beats per minute. However, if your heart beats at 60 times per minute, those beats do not fall exactly one second apart. One beat may occur at 0.9 seconds and the next beat may occur at 1.1 seconds, so there is a variability in your heart rate. A low heart rate variability has been linked to heart failure, diabetes, SIDS, and poor outcomes in premature infants. The greater variability in your heart rate, the better you are able to adapt to your environment and experience a high level of health and function. There are many factors that affect this score including hormones, stress levels, and sleep cycle. However, chiropractic care has been shown to increase your heart rate variability score, thus increasing your adaptability and overall health.



I am not telling you to forget about your cholesterol, blood pressure, and weight scores, but I am telling you to ask questions about what those numbers might mean and what is the course of action for improvement. Medication can easily change a lot of your test scores, but chronic use of medication is never the best route for achieving a higher level of health. If you are truly seeking better health, then it has to start with the system that coordinates everything else, the nervous system!

Remember, "Health comes from within, that's the ways it's always been!"

Abundant blessings,

Dr. Dan

Dr. Dan Turo is the owner and chiropractor of Turo Family Chiropractic located in the North Hills of Pittsburgh, PA. Find more information at his website. Follow him on facebook and twitter.

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