Increasing numbers of Americans are becoming interested in visiting a chiropractor either as a means to remedy a specific problem or simply as a part of their overall plan for personal wellness. If you are just getting to know about chiropractic, you need reliable information on how to choose a good practitioner. Here are five steps to follow that will ensure that you will be in good hands with your new health care provider.

1. Get a referral from your own medical doctor. Today’s chiropractic techniques are recognized effective across the medical community: indeed, chiropractic care is often covered by Medicare, Medicaid, Workers’ Compensation, and traditional insurances. As your doctor if she can refer you to a successful chiropractor in your area. If you are looking on your own, then pursue the next four steps.

2. Choose a chiropractor who is licensed in your state and who has completed extensive training at an accredited chiropractic college.

3. Make sure the chiropractor you choose is willing to work openly with your own medical doctor. Although a chiropractor takes a more holistic approach to health care, he should be willing to work and cooperate with all of the medical professionals in your life.

4. Choose a chiropractor who can give you a specific time frame for treatment: unfortunately, there are disreputable practitioners who may seek to extend your treatment beyond what it needed.

5. Choose a chiropractor who is a realist: a good chiropractor will not see his craft as the “be all, end all” solution to every single illness. He should acknowledge both the benefits and the limitations of spinal manipulation.