FAQ

Did you know that chiropractic is the largest natural health care profession in the world?

Chiropractic was discovered in 1895. This conservative, drug-free, surgery-free approach to optimal health is based on the premise that the relationship between the body’s structure and function is a significant factor in your health.

Chiropractors have a minimum of a four-year curriculum after college followed by a one-year clinical internship. Chiropractic is based on the scientific fact that your nervous system controls the function of every cell, tissue, organ and system of your body. Chiropractors are nerve doctors. They treat your nerves without drugs and surgery. They are trained to locate tiny areas of irritation to your nerves and remove them safely and painlessly. By removing irritation, chiropractic allows your body to function properly and to heal itself.

Chiropractic is a healing discipline firmly grounded in science. Decades of research are available validating its effectiveness.

Chiropractic is concerned with the care of the entire body. The doctor’s focus is on the central nervous system which controls, operates and heals all parts of the body.

A doctor of chiropractic is trained and licensed to diagnose and treat the body as a whole, including musculo-skeletal problems, organ systems, lymphatic systems, and other conditions that may interfere with the body’s overall health. Chiropractors have a minimum of a four-year curriculum after college followed by a one-year clinical internship.

Chiropractors use various diagnostic methods, including x-rays, to discover the state of your health, paying particular attention to your spine and bone structure. Spinal adjustment is the primary method used to help your body heal itself.

Every cell in your body has a nerve that goes to it. The same nerve that goes to a muscle or skin cell also goes to the organs, glands, tissues and blood vessels in that area. Your brain and central nervous system control how all parts and systems of your body perform their functions. Irritation to nerves can cause functional problems like headaches, fatigue, sinus allergies and sleep problems, irritability and digestive problems. It can cause sensory problems like pain, tension, tingling and numbness.

How chiropractic works is similar to removing a pebble from a shoe.

Have you ever had a pebble in your shoe?

A tiny pebble, because of its constant irritation of a nerve, can drive you crazy. At first it feels like a pressure, then an irritation, and finally, pain.

What happens if you move the pebble around in your shoe, but you don’t remove it. It hurts everywhere it goes, doesn’t it? That’s because there is a nerve to every cell in your body.

So what did you do about the pebble? You took your shoe off and took it out, right?

If someone else had a pebble in their shoe and told you they were taking medication for the pebble irritation, that would be ridiculous, wouldn’t it?

It is important to get checked out by the doctor first. That way the findings from your exam will allow you the information you need in order to decide if an attorney is necessary. If necessary, we can refer you to a reputable and qualified attorney.

No, only in very rare circumstances does the patient pay for his care as he goes. Our office provides care “on credit” when patients are represented by an attorney. Some car insurance policies have what is called “Med Pay.” This means that medical bills will be paid at 100% up to a certain limit. My office can assist you in obtaining this information.Using your medical coverage should not raise your premiums.

Do not sign or settle until you have had us evaluate your injury for you. If you settle before your injury is fully resolved, you will be completely on your own and will have to pay out of pocket for your care.

You need a doctor who focuses in the treatment and diagnosis of auto accident injuries. Usually hospitals will check vital signs, make sure there are no life-threatening conditions and release the patient with pain relief medication. They normally do not treat the underlying improper musculoskeletal biomechanics that can and often do lead to future pain. If you are still having problems, you should get a second opinion.If your M.D. has given you pills, you must understand that pills do not correct structural or soft tissue damage. There are special therapies designed for that, and we offer these modalities at our office.

Absolutely not. The care is very gentle and quite soothing. Most patients can hardly wait to get their care.

Yes, extremely. Particularly when compared to the side effects from medication.

Your Chiropractor will conduct an extensive background history as well as a thorough examination and possibly even x-rays.

Your examination will look for the underlying cause of the headaches which will look at all of the following factors that potentially reproduces pain patterns:

• General posture and flexibility
• Palpation may reveal muscle tenderness and tightness
• Palpation to the cervicogenic muscles reproduces pain patterns
• Restricted active and passive joint range of motion particularly in the upper cervical spine (neck)
• Specific orthopedic tests to the neck
• Muscle tests to determine the extent of weakness
• Neurological assessment if required
• X-rays of the neck and or spine may be conducted depending on the extent of your problems and the examination findings.

Your Chiropractor will then usually provide a diagnosis and suggest an appropriate treatment plan.

Your back is a complex mechanism, featuring an array of soft tissue which includes muscle, ligament, cartilage, nerve, and disc. There are infinite ways to injure or overuse any number of these components. When you do, you will begin to notice problems.

The spine and back are part of a complicated structure that can be disrupted by sports injury or overuse injury, degenerative arthritis, excess weight, nerve compression, aging, and bone loss. Daily routine can cause long-term wear and tear on the back through repetitive movements, poor posture or ergonomics, and sustained strenuous activity. These are just a few of the many causes of back pain.

Here is a list of the conditions that the exclusive NDS Method® has a very high success rate in treating:

• Degenerative Discs (AKA: Degenerative Disc Disease or DDD)
• Herniated Discs
• Bulging Discs
• Spinal Stenosis
• Sciatica
• Facet Arthropathy
• Facet Syndrome
• Numbness/Tingling/Pain in the arms or legs
• Neck or low back pain
• and even patients with Failed Back Surgery.

Spinal decompression therapy is mainly indicated for problems in the spinal column. Some common conditions involving the spinal column include back pain, sciatica and degenerative disc disease, injuries in the roots of the nerves in the spinal cord and worn spinal joints.

Our spine carries a great deal of weight because it supports the entire upper body and maintains posture. Problems in the spine tend to increase pressure in the spinal canal, which contains the spinal cord, and cause symptoms like pain and paresthesia (pins and needles sensation).

Putting pressure on the spine can help treat spine problems in several ways. In case of slipped or herniated discs, reduced pressure allows the problematic spinal disc to slip back into place, or reduce deformation in case of herniation. Reduced pressure also allows more circulation of blood that delivers healing factors and oxygen to injured areas for faster recovery.

Doctors often prescribe spinal decompression therapy along with other measures to treat problems in the spine. A specialized machine is always used for spinal decompression therapy, which applies traction using mechanical means or through computers. The practitioner first examines the patient and reviews medical history. The amount of force used in the traction depends on the patient’s presentation, age and body build.

To start, you will have to lie supine (face down or up) on the traction machine. The practitioner puts straps or harness around your hips and another around your trunk. You will be conscious throughout the procedure.

The traction can be continuous, intermittent, or progressive depending on your case. Computer-aided traction machines are preferable because they precisely put your spine into traction. The practitioner remains with you as he or she operates the machine. Spinal decompression therapy can last for 30 minutes to an hour per session. Since spinal decompression therapy lasts around an hour, you need to have 20 to 28 sessions a week to fully decompress the spine. Spinal decompression therapy is non-invasive and is very safe when performed by a licensed practitioner.

A child’s spine can be stressed or injured during birth. As children learn to walk and run, they fall and can suffer strains and sprains. Periodic checks by a doctor of chiropractic can help identify any developing weaknesses in your child’s spine.

To help determine whether your child needs treatment, your chiropractor asks questions about your child’s birth and development, such as: Did anything unusual happen during birth? At what age did your child begin to crawl? Stand? Walk? How do you hold your child? Does your child have unexplained pain, discomfort, or crying? What are your child’s physical activities? What falls or injuries has your child had?

Adults have three natural curves in their spines that help support their bodies. At birth, an infant has only one curve. The other curves develop as the child begins to hold up his or her head and learns to crawl and stand. How Does a Chiropractor Treat My Child?

It’s important for your child to grow up with a healthy spine. Early spinal exams by a doctor of chiropractic may help prevent many health problems later in life. A chiropractor is trained to help maintain or restore the health of your child’s spine through adjustments and other gentle treatments. Children usually respond quickly to treatment.

Colic is often defined as crying more than three hours a day, three days a week for more than three weeks in an otherwise well-fed, healthy baby between the ages of two weeks and six months.

The cause of colic is generally unknown. Less than 5% of infants who cry excessively turn out to have an underlying organic disease, such as gastroesophageal reflux disease, anal fissures, subdural hematomas or infantile migraine.

Colic is diagnosed after other potential causes of crying are excluded, typically via a history and physical exam.

There are many suggested remedies that are said to work to get rid of colic. Some include:

• Music / Sound – very popular external remedies that relax many babies
• Diet – depends on if the baby is bottle fed or breastfed
• Gripe Water – home remedy mixture of herbs
• Warm Aromatherapy Bath / Massage – lavender in a warm bath followed with tummy massage
• Swaddling – soothing when wrapped in blankets and held close to a parents’ chest and heartbeat
• Motion – Walking, rocking and movement

The newborn that knew only the warmth, softness, darkness, quiet and comfort of the womb is suddenly exposed to a cold, noisy, hard, harsh, blinding world. Separated from mother, often dangled from its heels and struck on its rear, these procedures can cause permanent physical trauma and emotional scarring.

Many studies have shown home birth to be safer for both mother and child. The following study conducted by Lewis E. Mehl, M.D., of the University of Wisconsin Infant Development Center reviewed 2,000 births, nearly half of which had taken place at home. There were 30 birth injuries among the hospital-born children and none among those born at home. Fifty-two of the babies born in the hospital required resuscitation versus only 14 of those born at home. Six hospital babies suffered neurological damage compared to one born at home. The best way to avoid hospital horror stories is to consider home birth as an alternative to hospital birth.”‘