If you've searched "best chiropractor in Sioux Falls," you already know the challenge. There are a lot of options, and most of their websites say the same things. Gentle care. Experienced staff. Accepting new patients.
So how do you actually know who's the right fit?
The honest answer is that the best chiropractor for one person isn't always the best chiropractor for another. It depends on your condition, your preferences, and what kind of care experience you're looking for. What we can tell you is exactly who we are, what we do, and why thousands of Sioux Falls patients have trusted Back Specialists with their spine health for nearly five decades. You can decide from there.
What to Look For in a Sioux Falls Chiropractor
Before choosing any chiropractor in Sioux Falls, here are the things worth evaluating.
Technique and Approach
Not all chiropractic care is the same. Traditional manual adjustments involve hands-on thrusting and rotation of the spine that produces the familiar cracking or popping sound. The Activator Method uses a small, spring-loaded instrument to deliver precise, low-force impulses to specific joints — no twisting, no cracking, no high-velocity force.
Neither approach is universally better, but the right fit for you depends on your condition, your comfort level, and your health history. Patients with post-surgical spines, osteoporosis, arthritis, acute injuries, or simple apprehension about traditional manipulation consistently do better with low-force care.
Credentials and Experience
A chiropractic license is the baseline. What matters beyond that is post-graduate training, specialty certifications, and years of clinical experience — particularly with conditions similar to yours. Look for a chiropractor who has invested in their education past the minimum and can demonstrate expertise in the specific area you need help with.
Whether They Listen
This one sounds simple but it matters enormously. A chiropractor who adjusts you on your first visit without asking about your history, your goals, or what you've already tried is not a chiropractor you can fully trust. The best providers take the time to understand your situation before recommending anything.
Willingness to Refer Out
A chiropractor who believes they can help everyone with everything is a warning sign. The best providers know the scope of what chiropractic does well and are willing to refer to other specialists when something falls outside that scope. Honest practitioners build more trust — and better outcomes — than ones who overreach.
Longevity and Community Reputation
In a community like Sioux Falls, a practice that has been serving patients for decades has earned that longevity. Word of mouth matters. Families who bring their children and grandchildren to the same chiropractor their parents used are telling you something no advertisement can replicate.
Meet Dr. Bruce Jon Hagen
If credentials and longevity matter to you — and they should — Dr. Bruce Jon Hagen belongs in a category of his own among Sioux Falls chiropractors.
Dr. Hagen is a third-generation chiropractor in a four-generation family of 28 or more chiropractors. He graduated from Palmer College of Chiropractic in 1977 and has been practicing in the Sioux Falls area ever since — nearly 50 uninterrupted years of clinical experience serving this community.
He practices exclusively with the Activator Method and holds Advanced Proficiency Rated status — the highest credential available through Activator Methods International. He is one of only 5 chiropractors in the entire Sioux Empire to hold that distinction.
His post-graduate training extends well beyond the Activator credential. Dr. Hagen has completed over 1,700 hours of X-ray interpretation and spinal diagnosis, advanced certification in cervical trauma and whiplash, AMA Impairment Rating in the 4th, 5th, and 6th Editions, and graduation from the Whiplash Masters' Program through the Spine Research Institute of San Diego. He has served as President of the South Dakota Chiropractor's Association and was named South Dakota Chiropractor of the Year by his peers in 2009.
He was asked once what inspired him to follow the family tradition into chiropractic. His answer:
"I used to do house calls with my father and I was impressed by how quickly people would function after care. Patients he hadn't seen for years would thank him for fixing their headaches or back issues. I wanted to be the guy who provided relief in the same way that he had, one person at a time. I wake up every day thankful that I have been blessed with my health and am still thrilled to drive to work and care for my patient family."
Nearly 50 years later, that's still exactly what he does.
His son, Dr. Sean C. Hagen, joined Back Specialists after earning his doctorate from Palmer College of Chiropractic in 2022. Dr. Sean also holds Advanced Proficiency Rated status — making Back Specialists the only father-son Advanced Proficiency Rated Activator team in the region.
We're not going to tell you we're the best chiropractor for everyone in Sioux Falls. That's not honest and it's not how we operate.
What we can tell you is that Back Specialists is likely the right fit if you are looking for any of the following.
Gentle, low-force care with no twisting or cracking. Every adjustment at Back Specialists is delivered with the Activator Method. If you've avoided chiropractic because you're uncomfortable with manual manipulation, or if you've had a bad experience elsewhere, our approach is genuinely different.
Deep expertise in complex and traumatic cases. Dr. Hagen has spent decades building post-graduate knowledge in auto accident injuries, cervical trauma, whiplash, personal injury documentation, and Failed Back Surgery Syndrome. Patients with complicated histories who have been told their cases are difficult are exactly the type of patients he excels at treating.
A practice that treats the whole family. Back Specialists sees patients from children to seniors. The Activator Method is safe and appropriate across every age group, and many of our patients have multiple generations of their family coming through our doors.
A chiropractor who has been in Sioux Falls long enough to earn generational trust. When families send their adult children to the same chiropractor their parents used 30 years ago, that's not marketing. That's a track record.
Conditions we treat include low back pain, neck pain, headaches and migraines, sciatica, auto accident injuries, herniated discs, work injuries, Failed Back Surgery Syndrome, and more.
Ready to Find Out if We're the Right Fit?
Your first visit starts with a conversation. Dr. Hagen will review your history, perform a thorough examination, and explain exactly what he finds before recommending any course of care. There's no pressure and no obligation — just an honest assessment of whether we can help you.
Call or text 605-361-1700 or schedule online today.