What is chiropractic?

Chiropractic is the science and art of correcting subluxations, or the misalignments of the spine or joints that place pressure on the spinal cord and nerve roots, in order to reduce and eliminate pressure on the body’s nervous system.  The nervous system controls the communication of all of the body’s parts, and therefore the potency of the nerves and the impulses that travel along them is crucial to proper health and function of the human body.

Chiropractic keeps your spine healthy so it can do what it is designed for.  Chiropractic treatments heal injuries and prevent damage by protecting the spinal cord and nerve roots of the body.  This protection makes sure messages from the brain reach all the muscles, joints, ligaments, organs, and cells of the body properly.  This proper communication allows the body to work efficiently and smoothly.

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Every type of care has risk factors, and chiropractic is no different, but the risks are very small.  Chiropractic examinations and treatments are designed to minimize the risk of damage to the tissues and joints of the body.  Complications of chiropractic adjustments are far less likely than the risks associated with most prescription medications, surgery, or other forms of treatment for similar injuries.  Our staff and doctors are happy to speak with you about any of the risk factors or alternatives.  If you have any fears or questions, the best way to avoid risk is to ask your chiropractor for an explanation of what risks may affect your health care.

Some of the risks associated with chiropractic treatments are muscle soreness, bruising, and nerve pain related to too much pressure or force from an adjustment.  More serious complications are very rare, but include cracked or fractured ribs or spinal vertebrae, dizziness, nausea, and possibly stroke associated with tearing of the vertebral arteries in the upper neck and head.  It is important to note that these risks are very rare, and current research shows that the likelihood of such serious side effects is on the order of 1 in 400,000 to 1 in 5.8 million.

Please talk to the doctor if you have any worries about your health history or about any of these risk factors.  If you have a history of stroke, heart disease, dizziness or loss of balance, please tell your doctor immediately as it may increase your risks when undergoing treatment.

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How much does chiropractic care cost?

Please see our fee schedule to see what our office fees are.

Does my insurance cover chiropractic care?

Often health insurance does cover chiropractic care, but coverage depends entirely on your personal health coverage.  Our staff is happy to assist you in determining your insurance coverage, benefits, and limits.  Understanding your insurance is crucial to getting the most out of your available coverage, but please remember that the doctor’s recommendations will always be made based on what it will take to make you better and feel whole again, not on what your insurance coverage is.

Please remember that while we are happy to help you with billing your insurance for your chiropractic care, ultimately you are responsible for payment if coverage is denied.

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How long does it take for chiropractic to help?

Some patients will see an immediate benefit to chiropractic services, but in more serious cases it may take multiple treatments to resolve symptoms and restore stability to your spine and joints.  Your doctor will make a treatment recommendation which includes an estimate of how long treatment may take after completing a comprehensive evaluation in order to properly diagnose your condition and it’s origin.

Because our bodies are active machines, it can be difficult to create a long-term change from just one adjustment.  We all have lives which include activities like work, motion, exercise, driving, lifting, pulling, twisting and many others.  Each of these activities puts stress on our joints and muscles which under normal circumstances they can handle well, but when injured can create a limit to the speed of healing.  Therefore, chiropractic adjustments are often repetitive to help maintain proper alignment of the joints while still allowing for most common activities during the healing process.

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