| Frequent Questions |
| |
| Q: Does my MD recommend chiropractic care? |
A: In most cases today the answer is yes. Our office has a wonderful working relationship with many primary care and other medical physicians in the area, and we receive a number of direct referrals every month from MD's. Perceptions take time to change and they are improving with time and the research that has come out in recent years on chiropractic care.
If your primary care physician does not recommend chiropractic care, just remember that he or she may not have had personal experience, may not have had the opportunity to see the latest research, or may have had a bad experience with a bad chiropractor. Some need more up to date information in order to feel comfortable making a referral. With your permission we will send a report to your primary care doctor so that he or she will be fully informed about your condition, treatment and progress. |
|
| Q: Does my insurance cover chiropractic care? |
| A: In most cases yes. There are many different plans and each are very different. When you schedule as a new patient, please inform the assistant who your insurance carrier is and give your identification number. The assistant will contact your insurance carrier before you arrive and determine what benefits you have available so that you will know up front what your responsibility is before any charges are made. The initial consultation is always complimentary, and in the rare case that coverage is not available, at least you will have an idea of what the costs will be when you are ready to start your care. |
|
| Q: I don't have insurance. Can I still afford chiropractic care? |
| A: In most cases yes. Our office will work with you to ensure that your treatment fits your budget. We have many different payment options and plans available. If you qualify, Care Credit can provide payment plans up to five years with very low monthly payments. You will know in advance before any charges are made what your costs and payment arrangements will be. |
|
| Q: Will the treatment hurt? |
| A: Chiropractic care is usually very comfortable and the results make you feel so much better. Many patients are surprised that they can be comfortably adjusted even when they feel they can hardly move due to pain. Our doctors go to great lengths to ensure that you are comfortable, and start with the lowest amount of pressure necessary to begin correcting your problems. In
some cases where adjusting is not appropriate we have soft tissue therapy and other non-adjusting techniques
that will work for most patients. |
|
| Q: Once I go to a doctor of chiropractic do I always have to go? |
A: This can be true. Most people who try chiropractic care love the results, and want to periodically get adjusted in order to stay at their best. Some people have spines that have either been injured so severely, or have let their problems go for so long, that in order to feel normal they do need to get adjusted more frequently to feel good. Many diabetics have to have regular insulin injections in order to stay healthy and feel well, but it is not the insulin that causes them to have to always go back for more. For most patients, how long you want to benefit from chiropractic care is entirely up to you. |
|
| Q: Do I have to be referred by my MD? |
| A: In most cases no. It depends upon your insurance coverage though for a vast majority a referral is not necessary. Our business office will check with your insurance company before you arrive to see if a referral is necessary. If a referral is necessary you may consult with one of our doctors at no charge to see if yours may be a chiropractic case. If so, we would be happy to submit a report to your doctor to aid in the referral process or you may call them yourself. Again, our consultations are complimentary without any obligation on your part. |
|
| Q: How much will it cost me? |
| A: Some patients with minor problems require a few adjustments, and those who are severe may require several months of regular chiropractic care to get well. Everyone is different and it depends upon your age, the severity of your condition, how long you have had it, are there any complications such as your work, scoliosis or other underlying diseases. The only way to know for sure is to receive a chiropractic examination and then a trial of treatment. In all cases in our office will strive to let you know in advance what the costs will be, and our best effort to predict the time frame and frequency of care you will need. |
|
| Q: Is chiropractic valid? |
A: Doctors of Chiropractic are recognized and licensed in all 50 states. To obtain a license they must complete a minimum of 7 years of college, pass three rigorous national board examinations, pass a state examination, and complete 50 hours of continuing education each year to remain licensed.
The military / VA have completed a five year study of chiropractic and have now begun to hire doctors of Chiropractic to work with their medical doctors. Many hospitals have chiropractic departments in them due to the great results and favorable scientific studies that have demonstrated the effectiveness of chiropractic care for many neck and back conditions. |
|
| Q: Can chiropractic cause strokes? |
| A: On rare occasions the answer is yes. However, you are more likely to be injured by using many over the counter medications, NSAID drugs by a factor of up to five hundred times. The risk of injury from surgery is often thousands of times higher than from a chiropractic adjustment. The risk of stroke is approximately 1 in 1 - 10 million adjustments and typically with rotation / extension of the neck, a procedure we do not use. Our doctors carefully evaluate every patient to ensure that chiropractic care may be safely applied. |
|
| Q: Why not just take medication for my pain? |
A: Most patients choose chiropractic care because medication failed to resolve their complaints. If a problem is physical and not chemical in nature, medication cannot help. For instance, having a pebble in your shoe would cause your foot to hurt because of the physical pressure on the nerves in your foot. The spine can get "out" and irritate the nerves causing back or neck pain and headaches.
What would medication ever do to resolve a pebble in your shoe? You have to take the pebble out, right? Doctors of chiropractic gently adjust the spine to remove the irritation of the nerves, just like taking the pebble out of your shoe. The result is often more lasting and permanent relief than medication usage which can only hide the pain and has greater risk. |
|
| Q: What training does a Doctor of Chiropractic have? |
| A: To obtain the DC degree you must attend undergraduate college and complete the pre-medical course work in biology, chemistry, physics, anatomy and physiology, psychology, and many others. Most chiropractic colleges now require a Bachelors degree to be accepted.
Chiropractic college course work involves a rigorous four-year program of study including more basic sciences, radiology, clinical science, and much more. Doctors of chiropractic and medical doctors have essentially the same number of hours upon graduation as medical doctors, with DC emphasizing manual treatment methods and MD emphasizing pharmacology and surgery. |
|
| Q: What is an adjustment? |
| A: The adjustment is the primary form of treatment the doctor will use. After a thorough examination the doctor will find the precise areas of the spine that are not working properly or out of alignment, and will use the adjustments to correct this problem. Adjustments range from very gentle to more rigorous, depending upon the patient's unique needs and preferences. Adjustments for most feel very good and the results are remarkable. |
|
| Q: Why do many patients have to go back more than once? |
| A: Spinal problems often take years to develop to the point that you will feel it. Often neglected too long, it can take some time to make things right. Think about braces on the teeth or trying to lose weight in the gym. Problems that are physical in nature take time to resolve physically. Some patients do respond very quickly and some simply take time. How long you want to benefit from chiropractic care is always up to you. |
|
Helpful Patient Resources |
| |
The links below provide excellent frequently asked questions and other information for your benefit.
American Chiropractic Association - www.amerchiro.org
Kansas Chiropractic Association - www.kansaschiro.com
International Chiropractors Association - www.chiropractic.org
|
