Does the material of your chiropractic table matter?

When it comes to selecting a new chiropractic table, brand is often the first consideration as you want to go with a reputable company, one that you know and trust.

Once you decide that, the next factor to think about is what type or style of table would work best for your particular practice and technique.

This secondary consideration includes deciding the type of framework you want for your new chiropractic table. Overall, you have two general options: wood and metal.

Wooden chiropractic table framework options

In his Chiropractic History Blog, Steve Agocs, DC, shares one of the first images of a chiropractic table, which consisted of nothing more than a knee-high, body-length wooden bench. In the picture, a couple of pillows appear to be strategically placed under the patient’s chest and thighs, presumably to help enhance the adjustment process.

Certainly, wooden chiropractic tables still exist today, making this framework an option you can still choose to consider. If you intend to keep the table stationary, intent on using it only in one of your exam rooms, for instance, then a heavier, more durable wooden table can ultimately provide you years of service.

There are also portable wooden tables options, enabling you to take your services to other locations, yet still use this particular framework. This helps if you do home visits, travel to or with a sports team, or conduct any other type of out-of-office adjustments.

Metal chiropractic table considerations

Another framework option to consider is a metal or steel chiropractic table. This is what Jennifer Murphy, DC, owner of Family Chiropractic Care, uses in her San Jose, California practice and she says that she enjoys this type of table because “it is incredibly sturdy and I trust it to hold up for many years.”

An additional benefit of using a chiropractic table with a metal or steel frame is that most have many adjustable joints, allowing you to offer a more personalized treatment session based on your individual patient’s needs. However, choosing this type of table also means being more diligent with maintaining it as Murphy says, “due to the many moving parts of the table, proper maintenance is more important than it would be for a basic, bench-style chiropractic table.”

Chiropractic tables constructed primarily of metal can be portable as well. Thus, travel options are available in both types of materials.

Additional framework considerations

Regardless of whether you decide to go with wood or steel, or if you want to purchase a travel table or one that sits in your office and never moves, there are a few additional factors to consider before selecting the table you intend to buy. These include:

• How much weight the table can hold?
• How adjustable it is, providing a better adjustment experience for you and your patient?
• How supportive is the padding?
• Whether it offers any drop pieces.
• How easy it is to clean between patients.
• How much maintenance is going to be required?
• How much the table costs.
• What type of warranty is available?
• If it is movable, whether you’re able to easily set it up and take it down on your own.

Also, does the table offer the features that you want? For instance, if you prefer a dual drop headpiece to a flexion headpiece, does it offer this option? What about hand and foot controls to aid in height control? Do you want a table that has these features or are you okay with one that you either have to adjust on your own or doesn’t adjust at all?

Knowing this type of information up front, before you even begin your chiropractic table search, enables you to find the one that best suits you and your needs, as well as the needs of your patients. It also increases the likelihood that you’ll be happier with your table choice, both now and in the longer term.

Chiropractic tables can be one of the largest equipment-related expenses related to this type of practice, so taking the time to figure out exactly what you want can also help you use your finances to purchase the right table for you. When you feel like your hard-earned money has been well-spent on the table you’ve decided to buy, you’ll know that you did right by your business.