Frequently Asked Questions

Chiropractic is a primary health care profession that focusses on the treatment and management of joint, muscle and nerve conditions. The main principle behind chiropractic is that proper joint motion, particularly in the spine, can alleviate pain, improve function and enhance overall health and wellbeing.

Chiropractors use a variety of diagnostic and treatment techniques to identify and treat joint, muscle and nerve dysfunction. The primary treatment approach is the use of gentle, precise and controlled adjustments to the affected joints. This improves joint motion, reduces nerve irritation and promotes muscle relaxation allowing the body to heal itself.

Chiropractors often complement adjustments with exercises, rehabilitation and lifestyle guidance to improve long-term outcomes.

Check out more on our blog page what is chiropractic care and how can it help me?

Chiropractic care is safe when performed by a licensed professional. In the UK, the term Chiropractor is protected by law and can only be used by professionals who have graduated from accredited Universities and are registered with the General Chiropractic Council (GCC). The GCC is an independent statutory body established by Parliament to regulate the chiropractic profession and operates in the same way as the General Medical Council does for doctors. Your Chiropractors at One Chiropractic are all GCC registered.

In a word, no! Whilst on the rare occasion there may be mild discomfort, the vast majority of patients feel nothing more than a sense of relief during and after treatment.

Chiropractors train for over four years to develop the skill required to safely, gently and precisely move joints in a way that creates maximum therapeutic benefit and minimum patient discomfort. The team at One Chiropractic Edinburgh have continued to refine their skill over the last ten years to enhance these effects even further.

Most patients are surprised at how natural the adjustments feel and the instant impact they have on reducing pain, increasing range of movement and relaxing tight muscles.

Many joints contain small pockets of fluid called synovial fluid that help reduce friction between joint surfaces. You can think of it as a bit like WD40 for your bones. When these pockets of fluid are stretched or compressed with speed there is a change in pressure that releases a bubble of gas. This process is completely natural and the side-effect is the popping noise you may hear during some chiropractic adjustments.

The noise is not clinically significant in anyway and is not the aim of chiropractic treatment. The goal of chiropractic care is to restore normal motion of dysfunctional joints. A common side-effect of this process is the popping noise.

Absolutely not!

Chiropractors are trained in many different ways to restore normal joint movement and reduce pain. While adjustments that often produce a popping sound are extremely effective for addressing many pain conditions, the Chiropractors at One Chiropractic have a range of alternative techniques they can use to help you.

Paul has trained extensively in treatment protocols for babies and children that use no adjustments that produce a popping sound. In fact, many of these techniques use no more pressure than you would be able to tolerate on your own closed eye.

These techniques can be just as effective for adults and Paul regularly uses them on patients who are in too much pain to receive a traditional adjustment, on elderly patients and on anyone who doesn’t feel comfortable with the popping sound. Just let us know how you would prefer to be treated and we will be very happy to accommodate your needs!

We understand it’s not always clear who the best professional is for your issue. Should you see a physio? A massage therapist? An acupuncturist? Should you see a chiropractor if you’re already taking medication? Could you make it worse?

Everyone’s situation is unique and we want to make sure that you receive the care that will get you back to your best as soon as possible. We call all patients before their appointment to make sure that we’re the right fit for them. We’re trained to know what we can and can’t help with and who to refer you to if your issue is outside of our expertise.

We are always happy to discuss your options free of charge with a complimentary phone consultation. So don’t be shy, schedule a call via our easy-to-use online booking page and we’ll help you work out your fastest route back to health.

Chiropractors are trained to diagnose and treat a wide range of neuromusculoskeletal (nerves, muscles and joints) conditions.

Chiropractors can specifically help with:

Low back pain
Neck pain
Mid-back pain
Sciatica
Migraines
Headaches
Joint stiffness and pain
Muscle spasms
Shoulder complaints
Hip pain
General tension

If you are unsure whether chiropractic is the right choice for you then we’re always here to help discuss your options, free of charge - contact us here or book a complimentary phone consultation here.

Most people simply move and feel better with chiropractic care. Additionally, people may start sleeping better and experiencing improved mood because their body is under less stress.

Very occasionally patients may feel discomfort in joints or muscles that have begun to move and work differently as their body undergoes changes. This usually results in mild, non-intrusive aches that can last a few hours to a few days.

As an example, very often people who have poor posture due to being desk based have weak muscles between their shoulder blades. As their posture improves with chiropractic care these muscles activate and work more than before. In the same way a new exercise routine can work underused muscles and create short-term discomfort, changes to your body with chiropractic care can do the same.

Your chiropractor will always discuss any concerns you have and give you specific feedback on how your body is responding to treatment so you know exactly where you are on your path back to better health.

Your chiropractor will get to you know you by taking a full history relevant to your presenting concern. This will help them to get an idea of exactly where you are with the problem, potential reasons for why it happened and what your ideal outcomes would be.

This information enables the chiropractor to determine which tests will give the clearest picture of not only the pain but why it is happening.

Testing involves gentle, non-invasive neurological, orthopaedic and muscle tests to identify the root cause of your problem.

Your chiropractor will explain their findings and as long as there are no contraindications, provide treatment at your first visit. We want to make sure you walk out more comfortable than when you walked in.

Advice on how to manage your condition will also be provided. Your chiropractor may need to time to review you case before outlining a recommended course of care. This will be presented to you in a Report of Findings at your convenience on a separate date. There is no charge for your report unless you decide to receive treatment.

We recommend loose fitting or stretchy clothing that’s easy to move around in. Lots of our patients find gym-wear particularly comfortable to receive treatment in. However, we want to make receiving care as convenient as possible for you and will be able to work effectively with most outfit choices. We regularly treat tradesman in their work gear and it has no impact on the quality of care they receive so turn up in whatever is practical for you.