Most people think seeing a chiropractor in Singapore is expensive because you have to keep coming back.

What is chiropractic?

Chiropractic is an allied health profession concerned with the diagnosis and treatment for disorders of the musculoskeletal system.

In other words, chiropractors help you with conditions such as neck stiffness and back aches.

Modern chiropractors focus on applying the latest research within an evidence-based framework to help you find freedom from pain. By choosing to utilise only research-proven treatments, you get faster results and save more money.

Unfortunately, a small group of traditional chiropractors do give our beloved profession a bad reputation. These practitioners claim to correct “subluxations” (or misalignment in the spine) with their hands. They claim spinal misalignment disrupts the nervous system and correction of the “subluxations” will give better health.

However, there is no evidence to support a subluxation-based approach to pain and injury.

Is exercise part of chiropractic?

Exercise is very much part of chiropractic since its founding days.

When it comes to exercise, most people will think of physiotherapy. However, exercise is also part of chiropractic.

B.J. Palmer, the son of D.D. Palmer aka the founding father of chiropractic, had lots of exercise equipment in his chiropractic clinic.

It is unclear why chiropractors in Singapore moved away from exercise as a core treatment. In recent years, however, we are seeing more and more new clinics incorporating exercise into their practice.

Why do you not offer adjustments?

Let’s cut to the chase. You are reading this because you have a pain or injury. You are reading this because you want results.

Most clinics would upsell packages and claim that you need hundreds of adjustments to feel better. They are not wrong.

You do need hundreds of adjustments because the results are temporary. This means your pain will always come back and you will need treatments for life.

Sure, you may feel better for a couple of days. Maybe a few weeks. But the problem always come back.

Is it good to get adjusted by a chiropractor?

Getting adjusted by a chiropractor does indeed feel good. Many people do experience immediate pain relief and an increase in range of motion. However, these improvements are often short-lived.

Beyond these temporary results, no high quality research has been able to demonstrate that regular spinal manipulation can benefit your health in any meaningful way.

How can you get outstanding results by working with us?

This is where Square One Active Recovery stands out. We offer long-term solutions for your condition.

Instead of making you dependent on us for results, we help you help yourself find true freedom from pain.

You know the old English proverb, give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime?

Yep, that’s exactly what we do for you at our practice.

Our proven process that consistently delivers long-term results

We stopped working on a pay-per-session basis because we realised we can deliver the most value by teaching our clients how to self-manage.

Since late last year, we have pivoted into a course-based structure to focus on education plus exercise.

To help our clients develop their physical well-being, we have also launched Pom Pi Pi CrossFit to over a hybrid recovery-physical fitness programme.

Not only do over 80% of our clients achieve their recovery goals, they also know how to self-manage their pain, perform very complex olympic lifts, and also lift very heavy weights.

This is truly a holistic, whole-person recovery!

Choosing the best chiropractor in Singapore

There are many chiropractors in Singapore. To help you decide who is best chiropractor in Singapore, I have put together a list of what to look out for:

• Good values: ethical and community-first
• Good tribe: testimonials, good word-of-mouth
• Good content: data driven, no broscience and no marketing fluff
• Good clinical process: evidence-based practice
• Good business practice: no hard selling, no packages
• Good results: over 80% achieve their recovery goals/symptom resolution by working with us

When it comes to the top performers in chiropractic, we have one thing in common: we prioritise our clients over our profitability.

Square One Active Recovery started as a passion project to transform the Singapore chiropractic industry. I wanted to offer evidence-based chiropractic care that is focused at the wellbeing of my clients.

The best chiropractors don’t just look at your “misalignment”. We look at at your whole person and come up with working solutions to help you achieve true freedom from pain.

How much does chiropractic cost in Singapore?

Chiropractic fees can start from as little as $9!

The average cost of seeing a chiropractor in Singapore ranges from $80 to $120 per chiropractic adjustment. The actual fee you pay depends on the package you signed, which pay include other chiropractic services such as functional wellness or spinal decompression.

The average price of one package may sometimes seem affordable at $600 to $850. However, most patients will need renew their packages a couple of times to achieve full symptom relief. This quickly gallons up to a few thousand dollars. Some chiropractic clinics offer packages upwards of 40 sessions that can cost as much as $4,320.

Cheap is not always cheaper!

A quick search of the Internet will bring up multiple horror stories of chiropractors using fear-mongering tactics (The Straits Times) to sign clueless patients up for chiropractic packages.

These encounters usually start with a cheap chiropractic promotion and end up a often expensive and unnecessary package. Some clinics even offer 90-session packages!

Read more: The Chiropractic Adjustment – Seven Hard Truths You Want To Know

Square One Active Recovery does indeed charge a higher fee compared to our competitors because we do zero upselling.

We also don’t compete on price. While some clinics charge upwards of $5,000 for a chiropractic package that will require you to keep coming back for years, most of our clients will only work with us for 4 to 7 sessions!

This why despite our high fees, our clients would still save money by choosing us.

Is chiropractor a doctor in Singapore?

Contrary to popular belief, chiropractors do not work with bones.

A chiropractor, or doctor of chiropractic, is a health care provider who is trained to diagnose and treat joint and muscles disorders. Chiropractors are trained to treat patients of different ages from children to adults to seniors.

Chiropractors are NOT medical doctors or orthopaedic doctors.

While chiropractic patients often address their chiropractors as “doctor”, this is strictly a professional courtesy in the United States.

Is chiropractic legal in Singapore?

The Ministry of Health had also previously emphasised that chiropractors “cannot practise medicine as doctors”.

Dr Intan Azura Mokhtar, MP for Ang Mo Kio GRC, had brought up the issues surrounding the practice of chiropractic in Singapore. It was revealed that misleading use of titles (e.g. the doctor salutation) is one of the common complaints received by MOH.

The confusion around the usage of the doctor title is not limited to Singapore or the chiropractic profession. Read more at Who is entitled to the title of “doctor”?

Are chiropractors recognised in Singapore?

Chiropractic is not recognised in Singapore as an allied health profession and is considered a complementary and alternative medicine.

This means that chiropractors in Singapore are not regulated under the Private Hospital and Medical Clinic Act (PHMCA) or the Allied Health Professions Act. As such, chiropractors are free to do as they wish with little to no consequence.

Can GP refer to chiropractor Singapore?

Medical doctors can refer to chiropractors in Singapore. However, due to the lack of regulation, general practitioners do tend to avoid referring their patients to a chiropractor.

Is chiropractic covered by insurance Singapore?

Yes, most international and local insurers do cover chiropractic treatments in Singapore. Insurers that do provide chiropractic coverage include AIA, AXA (pdf), Great Eastern, etc. Seedly also has a thread on which insurance company offers the most seamless chiropractic/TCM claim experience.

The dirty secrets of the chiropractic industry.

Cheap chiropractors in Singapore offer steep promotion (up to 94% on Fave, believe it or not) for an opportunity to sell you a package that will easily cost you thousands of dollars.

Most chiropractors in Singapore are also remunerated on a sales-based commission model – not results! There is no incentive to help you get better, faster.

Their relationship with you ends the moment you commit, on pen and paper, to their package. From that moment on, you become one of the many bodies that pass through their clinic each day.

You have been warned. Make sure you ask those questions before moving ahead. Based on their responses, you should be able to gauge if they are indeed the right place for you.

Read more: Four Things Your Chiropractor Doesn’t Want You To Know

How many chiropractic sessions do I need?

Do you know over 80% of our clients leave our care within 4 to 7 visits? Doesn’t matter if it’s neck pain, shoulder pain, or knee pain. I am about helping you achieve your health goals and with full function.

Why do I get such results?

It’s because research says exercise with coaching works. This is exactly what I offer.

Exercise-based therapy and pain education are recommended by all international clinical guidelines as the solution to long-term pain relief.

If you are asking me how often you should get adjusted, I’d say you should see a chiropractor for four to seven sessions across a two to three-month period. It is true and fair for complex cases to need extra sessions. However, you shouldn’t be getting adjusted thrice a week for 12 weeks.

It’s simply too much.

The truth is you will likely pay more per visit at Square One. (The most expensive by far charges $120 for two minutes). I understand our approach to care is different (long treatment sessions, prescribed home exercises, and more expensive fees) and does not suit everyone.

I charge more per session because I spend more time with our clients to make sure I correctly understand your needs. The end result? My patients get better faster.

Each and every one of our patients is unique and I want to ensure I customise their care to their specific needs. I believe in giving you more value for your dollar. Because that’s what builds a stronger, healthier community.

I consistently deliver results our competitors cannot match! Square One Active Recovery one of the most successful clinics in Singapore with a stellar track record of 100% 5-star reviews on Google (as of publication time).

Chiropractors are effective musculoskeletal health experts trained to diagnose and treat your daily aches and pain.

There are many good reasons to see a chiropractor but only you can decide who is best for you. Finding an affordable chiropractor Singapore is hard work and I welcome you to talk to us should you need more help in determining who is best for you. I promise you will be in good hands!