Chiropractors sometimes get the reputation of being fancy, professional back crackers. While adjusting the spine is certainly an important part of their job, this is not all they do. Chiropractors spend four or more years in professional school, learning the ins and outs of healing the body as a whole. The back adjustments they provide are specially tailored to the needs of the patient – and in fact, they provide treatments other than back adjustments, too. Here's a look at three other ways a chiropractor can help improve your health.

Carefully Selected Exercises

A good chiropractor will be able to show you exercises you can perform at home to help alleviate your ailments. If you suffer from neck stiffness, they can show you exercises to help reduce or prevent it. If you suffer from migraines, they can show you some stretches you can do and postures you can adopt that will stop a migraine in its tracks or encourage it to subside sooner. These exercises are not meant to be a substitute for a spinal adjustment, but they can help enhance the effects of an adjustment by encouraging the spine to stay in alignment and by keeping the other muscles and joints of the body in proper alignment.

Nutrition Advice

You are what you eat. Since nutrition is an important part of whole-body health, chiropractors spend time learning about nutrition in school and can give you some basic nutritional advice when it comes to dealing with issues ranging from allergies, to headaches, to arthritis. Your chiropractor may recommend certain natural supplements or that you remove some foods from your diet. If your chiropractor feels you need more extensive nutritional counseling, he or she can likely recommend a nutritionist who can offer more comprehensive advice. Chiropractor clinics and nutritionists often work hand-in-hand and have the same natural approach to health and healing.

Cold Laser Therapy

Cold laser therapy is a treatment in which specific wavelengths of light are directed on various areas of the body using a small device like a flashlight. It has become common in the chiropractic practice because the fact that it's natural, safe and effective pairs well with the ideology of chiropractic care. The light is thought to stimulate healing activities in certain cells, leading to reduced healing time. If you suffer from pain, soreness, or muscle spasms in certain areas, your chiropractor may use cold laser therapy to alleviate your soreness.