+ Is chiropractic a “New Age” treatment?
Although the first recognized chiropractic treatment was performed in 1895 by Daniel David Palmer, spinal adjustments go all the way back to the ancient Egyptians. Hippocrates, the ancient Greek “Father of Medicine,” recommended spinal adjustments as a treatment for scoliosis and digestion. Even Thomas Edison said: “The doctor of the future will give no medicine, but will interest his patients in the care of the human frame, in diet, and in the cause and prevention of disease.”
Today, chiropractors treat more than 35 million Americans annually.
+ What can I expect at our sessions?
The first session will begin with an initial examination to discover the cause of your problem. As I practice holistic chiropractic care, I will ask about your lifestyle, diet, and stress levels, as well as pain-specific questions, such as where it hurts, how long you’ve had the problem, and determine if the cause of the problem is something that chiropractic care can help.
Based on this information, I will develop a personalized treatment program. We can actually begin to do some adjustments during the first visit. From then on, the sessions will be focused on treatment.
+ What should I wear?
I recommend wearing loose fitting clothes, if possible. There is no need to bring a towel, athletic wear, sneakers, or a change of clothes as you won’t be working up a sweat. Many patients come in before breakfast, during lunch, or after work wearing business attire. However, we do provide gowns in the office, if the patient so desires.
+ Do I need a doctor’s prescription or referral?
No, you do not need a doctor’s prescription for chiropractic care. We can diagnose, treat, and refer you for any diagnostic test needed.
+ Once I start having adjustments, do I have to go to a chiropractor forever?
Think of your chiropractor as you would your family doctor or dentist. If you get treated for the flu, do you never see your doctor again? If your dentist pulls a bad tooth, do you never go back for an annual dental checkup? The same goes for chiropractic care.
The reality is, you should see your chiropractor for a spinal alignment “check-up” on a regular basis, even if you are not in pain. Prevention is a key component of chiropractic care and for overall good health.
+ Do you use any equipment?
Yes, they are often an integral component of the patient’s treatment. Some of the machines used are:
Electric Muscle Stimulator (EMS machine): The EMS is often used in the initial phase of pain relief and muscle re-education. An electric current is sent from the machine to wires connected to adhesive patches placed on the skin to retrain muscles having trouble contracting or have been contracted too long (spasms).
VibraCussor: Creates comfortable compression waves that travel through the muscles and fascia (the thick, white connective tissue that surround muscles) to relax tense muscles, reduce muscle spasms, increase circulation, and release fascial adhesions that can trap nerves and restrict blood flow and muscle movement.
Ultrasound: This small device (about the size of a computer mouse) delivers deep heat to tissues to help reduce stiffness, swelling and pain, and to increase circulation and promote pain-free movement. It is often used before a chiropractic adjustment and is a painless, and often relaxing, procedure.
Traction Rolls: Manual or mechanical pressure (i.e., traction) is applied to gently stretch muscles and ligaments in the neck and back, increase the space between vertebrae, allow more joint flexibility and functioning, and help relieve the pain caused by herniated or bulging discs.
+ Is a chiropractor a doctor?
We get asked this question a lot and the answer is a resounding YES! The main difference is the approach to treatment. Medical doctors, or MDs, seek to make you feel better by using medicines. Chiropractors seek to find the cause of your problem and stimulate the natural healing ability of the body by allowing your nervous system and immune system to operate at their peak healing potential.
There is also a misconception that chiropractors have limited education and training. Not true! All chiropractors are educated for a minimum of 8 years (4 years undergraduate and 4 years graduate), same as medical doctors. And unlike a general physician or internist, we specialize in one subject area.
A chiropractor combines the skill of a neurologist (the nervous system), orthopedist (joints), massage therapist (to relax the muscles) and a physical therapist (exercise and stretches to keep joints limber and moving). It’s like having 4 skilled physicians at once.
+ Do you accept insurance?
We are considered a “non-participating provider” in that we can treat patients and bill their insurance company, but we are not considered “in network.” We prefer this system as it gives us more flexibility to customize our treatments to the patient’s needs, without insurance companies giving us permission to treat a patient or having to first get authorization from non-medical personnel to order tests and/or begin treatment.
Our patients leave our office feeling better than when they came in—even after the first visit. Not many medical professionals can say likewise.
+ Will it hurt when you “pop” my neck?
That’s another frequent question, and the answer is NO. Of course, everyone has a different pain threshold, but if we hurt patients at every session, we’d go out of business.
Now, the loudness of the pop can vary considerably. That “pop” is caused by a compaction of the joints due to a build-up of pressure. The longer that pressure goes untreated, the louder the pop. Also, young patients tend to have more freedom of movement in their joints and are therefore less likely to have a loud pop during adjustments. On the other hand, the joint pressure for adults has typically been building for quite some time, so they are more likely to hear a louder sound during treatment.
However, many times there is no noise when doing the adjustment. A click or pop results from the amount of built-up tension in the joint, and is no indication of the success of the treatment.