What to Expect

Chiropractic can be defined as conservative care of the body. It is the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of illness without the use of prescription drugs or invasive surgery. We use the most modern clinical techniques such as manipulation of the spine and other joints, modalities including ultrasound, electrical stimulation and flexion/distraction. Our objective is to provide you with counseling and patient education for the prevention and treatment of injury or disease. We welcome any questions you have regarding your care and we will strive to respond fully to your needs.

What conditions benefit from Chiropractic care?

Low back pain

Neck pain

Headaches/Migraines

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

Sprains or strains

Joint pain/Bursitis/Tendonitis

TMJ/Facial pain

Sciatica

Arm and leg pain

Shoulder and knee pain

Whiplash/Auto injury

Work injury

Sports injury

Nervous tension/Fatigue

What is a typical first visit?

Our office staff will escort you to an exam room where you will be asked to fill out a brief new patient history form to help the doctor better assess your wellness needs. Your doctor will meet with you one-on-one to discuss your personal health needs and how you can best be treated through chiropractic care. Then, a thorough examination will be performed, utilizing orthopedic, neurological and chiropractic tests.

To help evaluate your condition, an X-ray may be taken. The doctor will read the x-rays and be able to determine if you have arthritis, disc degeneration, or other pathologies that would be contradictory to treatment. Other diagnostic testing such as MRIs may be needed to make the appropriate diagnosis.

What is a typical second visit?

After the doctor has thoroughly evaluated your history, physical exam and x-rays, he will meet with you to discuss the next steps.

As a patient, you will receive an individual treatment program that will restore your physical capabilities. Rehabilitation is an important part of your care. Therefore, an exercise program will be designed to get you back to your active lifestyle as soon as possible. Depending on your level of degeneration you may be asked to come into the office to receive initial frequent intensive treatments which will taper off as your condition improves.

What is wellness care?

Wellness is a simple word and a complex process encompassing the most exciting and sought after physical and mental condition in society today. It is a condition in which the intelligence within the body expresses its genetic potential 100% without interferences of any kind, preventing disease and producing a state of well being that makes life a healthy and exciting journey of discovery and contribution.

Today, millions of patients choose Chiropractors to guide them in their wellness journey. For more than 100 years Chiropractic has taught that wellness is the natural state of being human; that longevity is normal: and that happiness is to be expected. The Chiropractic message, from the beginning, focuses on the elimination of the most severe interference to wellness - The Vertebral Subluxation.

What is Vertebral Subluxation?

Your skull and spine were formed to protect your fragile brain and nerve system from injury or damage. The spine is composed of 24 rings of bone called vertebrae. These spinal bones are stacked one on top of another with a hole through the center of each, forming the spinal column. The spinal cord, the main trunk of the nerve system travels down from the brain through the skull and spinal column, branching out between each pair of vertebral bones supplying 31 pair of spinal nerves to all parts of your body. These branches are called nerve roots. Nerve roots supply the entire body with the life force necessary to sustain you and to keep you alive and healthy. This system functions flawlessly throughout your life... as long as there is no interference. Science has discovered a condition that is considered to be the single most serious and dangerous form of interference to the nerve system known to exits which is called The Vertebral Subluxation Complex.

Subluxation Degeneration is what happens when the injured (subluxated) areas of the spine degenerate. There are 4 phases of Subluxation Degeneration. Please refer to the following diagram while reading the degeneration information:

The first image of the Near Normal side view shows the neck before the destructive effects of Subluxation degeneration. The patient is facing to the left. The normal forward curve of the spinal bones is present. All bony outlines are smooth and regular and in alignment with each other. The black spaces between the bones are where the spinal discs are, the small circular openings at the back of the bones and discs are where the spinal nerves pass through to go to all the parts of the body.
If an injury or Subluxation occurs, a progressive condition, leading to Phase 1 of degeneration including inflammation, scar tissue, misalignment and improper motion of the vertebrae, pinched or irritated nerves, spinal muscle spasm and early degenerative changes.
If the degeneration continues untreated Phase 2 of Subluxation Degeneration occurs, characterized by increased inflammation, scar tissue, pinched or irritated spinal nerves, spinal muscle spasm and local degeneration.
Untreated Phase 2 leads to Phase 3 where all the progressive components of the Vertebral Subluxation complex cause the beginning of spinal fusion, a very serious condition that has developed.
Phase 4 of Subluxation occurs when the injured (subluxated) vertebrae fuse into one large mass of degenerative bone.

Is treatment covered by my insurance?
Most insurance companies cover chiropractic care. We will be happy to correspond with you and your insurance company in order for you to receive the maximum benefits under your plan. However, please be aware that the patient is ultimately responsible for all fees.

What type of education do chiropractic doctors receive?
After graduating with a Doctor of Chiropractic (D.C.) Degree, each candidate passes the demanding four part National Board Examinations. Then, doctors apply to a governmental or professional licensing board and pass a still more difficult test before being granted the privilege to practice. A chiropractor's education, however, never ends. Most doctors complete regular postgraduate instruction for license renewal and to stay current on the latest research and adjustment techniques.

Are all patients adjusted the same way?
No. The doctor evaluates each patient's unique spinal problem and develops an individual course of care. Each chiropractic adjustment builds on the one before. The resulting recommendations are based upon years of training and experience. Each patient's care is uniquely different from every other patient.

Is chiropractic safe?
Yes. Chiropractic has an excellent safety record. It is the result of a conservative and natural approach to health that avoids invasive procedures or addictive drugs. As proof, one merely has to compare malpractice rates between chiropractors and other health care professionals. Chiropractors' malpractice premiums are a small fraction of those for medical doctors.

What causes the sound during an adjustment?

A chiropractic adjustment will often, but not always, create the sound of a spinal "release", or "popping." The sound is caused by gas rushing in to fill the partial vacuum created when the joints are slightly separated. This sound is painless and totally harmless.

Can I adjust myself or my friends?
No! Since a chiropractic adjustment is a specific force, applied in a specific direction to a specific joint, it is virtually impossible to adjust oneself correctly and accurately. It is possible to turn or bend or twist in certain ways to create a "popping" sound that sometimes accompanies a chiropractic adjustment. Unfortunately, this type of joint manipulation is usually counterproductive, often making an already unstable spine even more unstable, and can sometimes be dangerous. Adjusting the spine is not for amateurs!

Is chiropractic care addictive?
No. If only it were, there would be more healthy people around and chiropractors would not get patients who last saw a chiropractor a few years ago when their back went out. It is possible to get used to feeling more balanced, less stressed, and more energetic as a result of regular chiropractic care. Chiropractic is not addictive, however, good health is.

Can a person who had back surgery see a chiropractor?
Yes. It's an unfortunate fact that up to half of those who had spinal surgery discover a return of their original symptoms months or years later. They then face the prospect of additional surgery. Chiropractic may help prevent repeated back surgeries. In fact, if chiropractic care is initially utilized back surgery can often be avoided in the first place.

Why do chiropractors take x-rays?
Chiropractors take x-rays to reveal the internal structure and alignment of the spine. We are also concerned about underlying disease processes and disorders of the spine such as spinal deterioration, arthritis of the spine, abnormal development, bone spurs, disc disorders, tumors and spinal curvature. X-rays also provide a blueprint for correcting the spine back to optimal health and alignment.