What Does a Family Chiropractor Do? A Lincoln NE Guide
A family chiropractor checks and cares for every age in one office, from toddlers to grandparents. That means one person who knows how your whole household sits, sleeps, lifts and plays, and one place to call when a back, neck or shoulder starts acting up. Care is set to each person's size, age and health, so a visit for a 7-year-old looks nothing like a visit for her grandpa.
Dr. James Cain, DC, writing here. I'm a chiropractor, and our office, Champion Family Chiropractic, sits in the middle of the building at 2935 Pine Lake Road. I wrote this for parents and grown kids who want to know what that looks like before they call.
What does a family chiropractor do?
A family chiropractor examines how the spine, hips and shoulders move, finds what's stiff or irritated, and uses hands-on care plus home habits to help each person move and feel better. The difference from any other chiropractor is the range of people in the room.
Chiropractic is common. In 2017, 10.3% of U.S. adults saw a chiropractor in the past year, up from 9.1% in 2012 (CDC). What's less common is one office that knows the whole family's habits. Families share a lot of their aches. The same couch, the same car seats, the same Saturday soccer schedule and the same desk at the kitchen counter shape how everybody in the house holds up.
Who can see a family chiropractor?
Almost anyone, with the care adjusted to fit. Here's how it changes by age at our office.
Babies. Give us a call before booking, and we'll go over what a visit would involve.
Kids and teens. Backpacks, phones, growth spurts and sports. I wrote a full guide to taking a child to the chiropractor.
Expecting moms. Comfort, sleep and positioning, alongside your OB or midwife. The prenatal guide covers each trimester.
Working adults. Desk days, long drives on I-80 and lifting at home. If your neck is the problem, start with my desk-day neck guide.
Grandparents. Gentler pressure and more attention to balance and staying active. Tell me at the first visit about any bone thinning, a blood thinner or a past surgery, because those change what I do.
How does a family visit work at our office?
Here's the order we follow when a family comes in together.
One phone call books everyone. Call or text and tell us who's coming. We line up the visits back to back so you're in and out together. New-patient visits can be set before or after our posted adjusting hours.
Each person gets their own history. Old injuries, sports, work, sleep and what other doctors have said. A teenager's answers and a grandparent's answers send me looking in different places.
Each person gets their own exam. I watch how they stand, bend, turn and walk, then check joints and muscles by hand. A first visit runs about 30 minutes per person.
You hear the findings in plain words. If anything in an exam points to imaging, a specialist or an MD, I say so and point you to the right next step.
Each person gets their own plan. Some need a few visits. Some need one home habit and nothing else.
Our early hours help with school and work: Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 7:30 to 9 AM, plus a short Saturday window from 8 to 8:30. While a parent is with me, kids can play in the toy corner or look at books in the reading nook.
Try a 10-minute family check at home
Do this on a Sunday night. It won't diagnose anything, but it shows who in the house is worth a closer look.
The wall test (everyone 8 and up). Stand with heels, backside and shoulder blades against a wall. Can the back of the head rest on the wall without tipping the chin up? If not, the head is sitting forward of the shoulders, and the neck muscles are holding it there all day.
The one-leg check (kids and adults). Stand on one foot for 10 seconds, then the other. If one side wobbles a lot more than the other, write it down. It's worth bringing up at an exam, since hips and ankles should share the work about evenly.
The heel-to-toe stand (grandparents). Stand with one foot right in front of the other, heel touching toe, for 10 seconds, near a counter you can grab. The CDC uses this step in its balance check for older adults, and not holding it for 10 seconds means a higher risk of falling (CDC STEADI).
The shoe check (everyone). Set everyone's everyday shoes on the table, soles up. If one shoe is worn far more than its partner, or one edge is worn flat, that person may be loading one side more. Bring those shoes to the first visit.
The backpack and car seat lift (parents and kids). Watch each other lift the heaviest everyday thing: the backpack, the car seat, the laundry basket. Arms straight out and a rounded back means the load is too far from the body. Bring it close and bend the knees.
Is chiropractic care safe for the whole family?
For most people it is, and the most common side effects are mild. The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health says short-lived soreness, stiffness or headache often follow spinal manipulation and usually go away within 24 hours, and that serious problems are very rare (NCCIH).
The risk can be higher for people with certain health problems, which is why every family member gets a full history and exam first. I use lighter, gentler pressure for kids and older adults, and I never do anything a parent, a child or a grandparent isn't comfortable with.
When should someone in the family come in?
Book an exam when an ache lasts more than a week or two, keeps someone from sleeping, sports or work, or keeps coming back. Come in too if your home check turned up a clear difference between sides. You don't need a referral.
Some signs skip the office and go straight to the ER or 911: numbness or weakness in both legs, loss of bladder or bowel control, chest pain, or neck or back pain after a car accident, a bad fall or a big hit in a game.
Each new patient's first visit is $20 as our new-patient rate. Not valid for Medicare beneficiaries. The pricing page lists what to plan for, and you'll find more about caring for every age on the kids and family page.
What I tell my patients
The best time to come in is before the ache gets loud. I'd rather see your family when the wall test looks a little off than after a bad week.
Screenshot this checklist for your family visit:
Who is coming, and their ages
Past injuries and surgeries for each person
Any medicines, including blood thinners
Sports and practice schedules
The everyday shoes and the heaviest bag
Your home check notes
Questions people ask
Can kids and adults see the same chiropractor?
Yes. A family chiropractor sees every age, and the exam and care change with each person's size, age and health. Babies and pregnancy need a phone call first so we can talk through what to expect.
Do I need a referral for a family chiropractor?
No. You can call and book directly. If my exam turns up something that needs a specialist, an MD or imaging, I'll explain why and help with that next step.
How often does a family need to come in?
It depends on each person, not the family. After the exam I explain what I'd suggest for each of you, and some people only need a home habit and a check later on.
Ready to get the whole crew checked? The front desk can set it up at 402-423-4422 (call or text), or you can book online at championchirolincoln.com.
Written by Dr. James Cain, DC, a chiropractor at Champion Family Chiropractic in Lincoln, Nebraska. This article is general education, not personal medical advice. Questions about your own health? Call or text us at 402-423-4422 and we'll help you figure out the next step. For a medical emergency, call 911.
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