Reviewed by Dr. Dean Younker, D.C. · Published 2026
What chiropractic care is
Chiropractic is a health care discipline that emphasizes the body's inherent ability to restore and maintain itself, and the relationship between the structure of the spine and the function of the nervous system. Chiropractors work primarily with the spine and related structures, using their hands or an instrument to apply a controlled force to a specific joint.
Care is provided without drugs and without surgery. That is a description of the method, not a claim about outcomes: what an adjustment can and cannot help with depends entirely on what is found during your evaluation.
A short history
Manual treatment of the spine appears throughout the written history of medicine, long before chiropractic existed as a named profession. The modern profession dates to the 1890s in the American Midwest, when the first chiropractic schools were founded and the first formal training programs took shape.
In the century since, chiropractic has become a licensed and regulated profession. Doctors of Chiropractic complete a graduate-level program with coursework in anatomy, physiology, diagnosis, radiology, and clinical practice, and are licensed by the state in which they practice.
What an evaluation looks like here
At Peak Performance, a first visit begins with a conversation. Dr. Younker asks what changed, what makes it better or worse, and what you would like to get back to doing. That conversation is followed by an exam and a health history. If your history and exam suggest it, x-rays may be recommended.
Only after that does anyone talk about treatment. The plan is built around the extent of the irritation or injury, your overall health, the condition of your spine, and your goals, which is why two patients with similar symptoms may be cared for quite differently.
When chiropractic is not the answer
Some symptoms need medical evaluation rather than chiropractic care. Loss of bladder or bowel control, progressive weakness or numbness, severe pain following trauma, fever with spinal pain, or a sudden, unusually severe headache all warrant urgent medical attention.
Part of a responsible evaluation is recognizing when a problem falls outside the scope of chiropractic. When that is the case, Dr. Younker will say so plainly and point you toward the right kind of care.
This article is general education and is not medical advice for your situation. To discuss what applies to you, request an appointment.