How to Get References on Chiropractors

Finding a reputable doctor to keep you standing straight and tall can be a demanding process. There are about 50,000 licensed chiropractors in the United States, according to the First Research industry profiling organization. The chiropractic industry's governing bodies, such as the American Chiropractic Association, and licensing agencies ensure a way for new patients to check references on potential doctors.

Instructions

• 1

  Search the American Chiropractic Association's online membership database for the doctor. The ACA's search function lets you query by last name, city, state, zip code and specialty, such as Diplomate Chiropractic Board of Clinical Nutrition or Certification Chiropractic Sports Physicians. The ACA is the largest chiropractic association in the world.

• 2

  Research a doctor's license and any complaints. Check with your state's board of chiropractic examiners to verify the doctor's licensing and reviews. Although each state has slightly different procedures, they all perform checks on doctors and offer websites recommendation information. The Texas Board of Chiropractic Examiners, for example, offers a website with information on doctors who have incurred disciplinary actions and lawsuits, letters of good standing, a professional profiling system, verifications and peer reviews.

• 3

  Visit the doctor's website. These websites often have a "recommendations" or "referrals" section, which include letters and comments allegedly sent by patients. Keep in mind that the website is owned by the doctor and/or his staff, so comments posted on the website could be skewed.

• 4

  Read user-submitted reviews. Aggregator sites such as Angie's List, Book of Doctors and Chiro Hub sort chiropractors by zip code or state and doctor specialty. Some sites (Angie's List included) verify posts before adding them to the website and might charge for access.