Education

Frequently Asked Questions

Chiropractors care for patients of all ages, with a variety of health conditions, especially back pain, neck pain and headaches. They also care for patients with a wide range of muscle, ligament and joint injuries. These painful conditions often impact the nervous system, which can cause pain and dysfunction even outside the region of injury. Chiropractors also counsel patients on diet, nutrition, exercise, healthy habits and occupational/lifestyle modification.

Chiropractic treatment works by restoring your ability to be healthy and to help remove interferences that prevent you from your natural state by restoring your musculoskeletal system to the state in which it was intended to be aligned.

Chiropractic treatment is widely recognized as one of the safest drug-free, non-invasive therapies available for treating neuromusculoskeletal complaints. As with any health treatment, there are potential adverse effects.  These effects and the risks incurred are extremely small. Many patients feel immediate relief following chiropractic treatment, but some may experience mild soreness or aching, just as they do after some forms of exercise. Current literature shows that minor discomfort or soreness following spinal manipulation typically fades within 24 hours.

Chiropractic care is included in most health insurance plans, including major medical plans, workers’ compensation, Medicare, some Medicaid plans, and Blue Cross Blue Shield plans for federal employees, among others. However, our office will only bill Medicare, all other insurance plans will be treated as self-pay. We will, however, provide all documentation you need to file a claim with your own insurance carrier. 

The hands-on nature of the chiropractic treatment is essentially what requires patients to visit the chiropractor a number of times. To be treated by a chiropractor, a patient needs to be in his or her office, as opposed to a standard plan of care by a general physician with a regimen of treatment to be performed at home. A chiropractor may provide acute, chronic, and/or preventive care, making a certain number of visits sometimes necessary.  Your chiropractor will tell you the extent of treatment recommended and how long you can expect it to last.

Chiropractors are educated as primary-contact health care providers, with an emphasis on diagnosis and treatment of conditions related to the musculoskeletal system and the nerves that supply them.  Educational requirements for doctors of chiropractic are among the most stringent of any of the health care professions.

The typical applicant for chiropractic college has already acquired nearly four years of pre-medical undergraduate college education, including courses in biology, inorganic and organic chemistry, physics, psychology and related lab work.  Once accepted into an accredited chiropractic college, the requirements become even more demanding — four to five academic years of professional study are the standard.  Doctors of chiropractic are educated in orthopedics, neurology, physiology, human anatomy, clinical diagnosis including laboratory procedures, diagnostic imaging, exercise, nutrition rehabilitation and more.

Myths and Facts

FACT: Chiropractors and medical doctors do, in fact, have different educations. Medical doctors have to study more chemistry and pathology courses, because their practice is to diagnose and prescribe medication.  Chiropractors study extensive anatomy, x-ray and neurology material, because their practice is to analyze and adjust the spine.

MYTH: This is a very common myth, and it stops many people from seeing a chiropractor. The truth is that many people CHOOSE to keep coming back for chiropractic care because of the results that they are getting. They notice their “typical” seasonal allergies go away, they see a recession in “normal” morning aches, or even discover an increase their energy and focus. They just don’t want to go back to the way that they were before!  Just like going to the gym, eating healthy foods, and going to the dentist, chiropractic is a healthy habit that can be enjoyed for just a short time or over the course of an entire lifetime.

MYTH: While there may be moments of uncomfortable pressure, overall, chiropractic care should not hurt.

MYTH: Although this is how the majority of chiropractic offices advertise, it is far from the truth. There are many adjustments and other treatments to assist musculoskeletal concerns in extremities, as well as hips and shoulders.  

MYTH: Over the years, there have been hundreds of studies proving chiropractic care’s validity in improving the health of millions of people all over the world. Studies have shown an increase in immune function, general wellbeing in the elderly and increased brain function. The science is there, all you have to do is take a look.

MYTH: You may be able to move some of your neck/backbones around and hear a popping sound, but that is not an adjustment, it is manipulation.  What’s the difference? An adjustment is a force put into the body by a chiropractor with the goal of moving one specific bone back into position, allowing the body to work properly.  Only chiropractors are trained to adjust.  Manipulations, on the other hand, are non-specific forces put into an area of the body in order to get something to move. They are not precise, and they rarely move the correct bone where it needs to go. Even chiropractors, who have been trained in finding and removing subluxations, cannot reach around and get a good idea of what is going on with their own back. Even chiropractors rely on others to stay free from misalignment.