The family doctor isn’t the lone option to heal aches and pains, as chiropractors such as Dr. Douglas Edwards are now treating a wider variety of things.

One of the ways Edwards, of Albert Lea Chiropractic, can treat a wider range of ailments is by utilizing new technology that he said other chiropractors in the area are not using. He’s one of few chiropractors in the area using electronic health records and digital X-rays.

He also said he’s the first chiropractor in the Midwest to have a secure tunnel via the Internet for medical records. Meaning, he can send X-rays to a specialist in the Twin Cities, if he thinks that’s necessary.

“It’s just such a collage of things now compared to what we used to do,” Edwards said.

Edwards said chiropractors’ roles have changed quite a bit in the last 20 to 25 years.

“We are seeing, certainly, individuals now coming in that we’d never have seen 15, 20 years ago, or even as little as five years ago,” Edwards said.

When he started in 1984, Edwards said he treated mostly spinal discomforts, like lower and middle back pain, but now chiropractors are beginning to treat ailments like knee, back, shoulder, foot and headaches, and people can find relief for these types of ailments at a bargain price.

“There’s kind of a motto around here to do what you do best and send out the rest,” Edwards said.

The scope of what chiropractors do best may be changing, as some people believe that chiropractors can be a piece in the puzzle of solving things like high blood pressure and ear infections and acid reflux, and Edwards said they’re seeing many patients go to chiropractors before going to a clinic.

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