Do you tip a chiropractor?

Do you have a chiropractic treatment appointment for pinched nerves, sore muscles, back pain, neck discomfort, shoulder pain, spine issues, leg pain, joint pain, or headaches? If you’ve never visited a chiropractor before, the first thing you might wonder is what to expect at your appointment. You might think that a chiropractic adjustment is similar to a massage and wonder, “do you tip a chiropractor?”.

A chiropractor’s office can offer various treatments, including massage from the chiropractor’s massage therapist. Since you usually tip massage therapists, should you also tip massage therapists working at a chiropractor’s office? This article will answer all your chiropractor and chiropractor massage therapist tipping questions.

Do you tip a chiropractor? (Answer)

No, you don’t need to tip a chiropractor, and they won’t expect a tip from you, either. You don’t need to leave a tip because chiropractors are medical professionals.

Do you tip your doctor for the same back pain that your chiropractor treats? No, you don’t, and you shouldn’t tip your chiropractor either. Tipping health care workers for a medical procedure is not part of the American tipping culture, regardless of whether you receive good service.

Do you tip a massage therapist at a chiropractor?

As part of a chiropractor’s treatment plan, you might have a course of massage therapy prescribed to relieve your symptoms and discomfort. This type of massage is often given by a massage therapist working out of your chiropractor’s office. This is tricky because while you normally tip masseuses in a spa setting, this is in a medical office. So, should you tip a massage therapist at the chiropractor or not?

No, you don’t have to tip for a medical massage at a chiropractor’s office. That said, chiropractor massage therapists usually accept tips, which are appreciated.

How should you tip a massage therapist at a chiropractor?

In some offices, there is a tip jar or tip envelopes left in the massage therapist’s treatment room for you to put a tip inside. At other offices, you’ll be asked by the receptionist when checking out if you’d like to leave a tip on your credit card.

If there isn’t a tip jar or tip envelopes, ask the office’s tipping policy at the front desk before giving a tip. That’s because some chiropractic offices do not allow massage therapists to accept tips.

The reason you don’t have to tip a massage therapist at a chiropractor if you don’t want to is that it’s performed in a medical setting. Chiropractic treatments are a form of physical therapy. You wouldn’t tip your physical therapist, so you don’t need to tip at your chiropractor’s office either. These routine visits are also often covered by your health insurance plan.

Arguments for tipping are that massage therapists at chiropractor offices are often not employees but rent a room from the chiropractor. This practice is similar to a hairdresser or spa setup, where hairstylists rent a space and pay the business owner monthly rent.

If your massage therapist is not renting a room from the chiropractor, they’re often working for commission only. This means that they receive a portion of your massage’s cost. The commission model is common in hair cutting too, where we do need to tip our stylist. Still, since the massage was at a medical office, you don’t have to leave a tip if you don’t want to.

But I want to tip: How much should I tip a massage therapist at a chiropractor?

If you want to tip your massage therapist, leave $5 to $10 for a good chiropractic massage. You can tip up to $20, but that would be for exceptional service.

Leave a tip in the massage therapist’s tip jar or tip envelope. Otherwise, you can give them a tip directly or add it to your credit card bill at some offices.

What is a chiropractor?

Chiropractors are healthcare professionals who provide their services in a medical setting. They have doctorate degrees (yes, they’re doctors!) and are required to be board-certified and licensed by the state.

There are more than 70,000 chiropractors in the United States serving 35 million grateful Americans every year. Medical services provided by chiropractors are often reimbursed by health care insurance, so check with your plan to verify coverage.

Although chiropractors are medical professionals, some people still believe that their medical services may not be effective and that they are not ‘real doctors’. This belief is wrong and devalues their contribution to the relief of the suffering of millions of Americans. 77% of those who chiropractors treat said their chiropractic care was very effective – that’s higher than when the treatment for the same issues is provided by an MD/DO doctor physician or a physical therapist. They must be doing something right!