Do I need an MD referral to see a chiropractor?
Do I need an MD referral? This is an all too common question that potential patients have about chiropractic.
The short answer is no. You do not need a referral from your medical doctor. South Carolina along with all 49 other states consider chiropractors as primary care providers. This means that you can seek direct access to a doctor of chiropractic without an MD referral.
This being said, it is never a bad thing to involve your medical doctor in any and all of your health care decisions. At your request, we at Eastside Chiropractic in Greenville SC are happy to provide your medical doctor with reports documenting your progress under our care. We can also coordinate care with your doctor, or with any of the excellent physical therapy groups here in the upstate.
If you are new to South Carolina and don’t have a primary care physician, Dr. Mruz will be happy to recommend and refer you to a number of Greenville medical doctors who he maintains a referring relationship with. Dr. Mruz has also established referral relationships with Greenville SC neurosurgeons, orthopedic surgeons, physical medicine physicians, physical therapists, internal medicine physicians and radiologists in both the Bon Secours Health System and Greenville Health System. If you have a need for any additional treatment beyond chiropractic care, and a referral is appropriate, our office is ready and willing to take the steps to make sure that you are well served. Many medical physicians are happy to have their patients avoid surgical intervention or the long term use of medications by referring them for appropriate chiropractic care. We are all here to help you be the best that you can be.
You can find more answers to common questions about chiropractic on the American Chiropractic Association website. If you are searching for a chiropractor in Greenville SC we offer a free first visit consultation. We would love to discuss how we can help you with any health concerns that may be able to be addressed through chiropractic care.
Medical Doctors Recommending Chiropractic Care For Back Pain Relief
Many Medical Doctors
Recommending Chiropractic Care
For Back Pain Relief
Harvard Study: Low Back Pain Patients Significantly More Satisfied With Chiropractic Than Conventional Medical Care.
At the 17th annual North American Spine Society meeting, three medical doctors defended Chiropractic by citing a Harvard study that found low back pain patients were significantly more satisfied with Chiropractic treatments compared to conventional medical care.
After researching “myths,” Co-author , Dr. Zigler, MD found Chiropractic education is more similar to medical education than it is dissimilar.
Dr. Zigler had integrated Chiropractors into his multi-disciplinary spine center where the Chiropractors screen patients for surgical versus non-surgical care.
Another co-author, Dr. Cole, MD, stated, “overall, manipulation* has the advantage of reducing pain, decreasing medication, rapidly advancing physical therapy and requiring fewer passive modalities.” (*Manipulation is one of the primary treatment techniques used by Doctors of Chiropractic.)
He also recommends spine surgeons refer their patients to Chiropractors.
Our goal is to give you the best and least treatment possible. You, your friends and family can be seen immediately for your back pain relief, and you don’t need a referral from your doctor!
We thank you for your continued referrals to our office.
We appreciate them!
References
- Haldeman S, Chapman-Smith D, Petersen DM Jr. Time to recognize value of chiropractic care? Science and patient satisfaction surveys cite usefulness of spinal manipulation. Orthopedics Today February 2003:23(2), pp14-15.
- Haldeman S, Cole A, Zigler J, et al. Spinal manipulation in spine care: who? why? when? Presented at the North American Spine Society 17th Annual Meeting, Oct. 29-Nov. 2, 2002, Montreal.