FAQ

This 4-minute video supplies helpful answers to some of the most frequently asked new patient questions. Watch as actual chiropractic patients comment about their first visits with their chiropractor.

By knowing what’s going to happen in advance, you can relax, participate and enjoy your first visits with us. We often hear from our newest patients that this brief orientation virtually eliminated any trace of apprehension.

When you’re ready to watch, simply click the play button.

Pain of any kind is a signal that something’s amiss. Some people silence their symptoms with a pain reliever and ignore the message. But that would be like removing the battery to quiet a smoke detector!

Two Common Causes

The nerve-rich facet joints on the back side of each spinal bone are a common cause of back pain. The pain can be a sign these interlocking “fingers” aren’t moving right.

The discs between spinal bones can be involved, too. Trauma can cause the soft, pulpy material in the middle to bulge, putting pressure on nearby nerves.

Your Choices

We’ve helped many people with safe and natural chiropractic care. However, other choices include:

• Ignore it (Spinal problems may worsen.)
• Bed rest (May prolong the problem.)
• Therapy (Stresses malfunctioning joints.)
• Medicine (Numbs the body.)
• Surgery (The most serious last resort.)

 

Click here to take this simple contracted leg test.

The Chiropractic Approach

Specific chiropractic adjustments can help improve spinal function. By restoring the way your spine works, discs and soft tissues may heal, nerve involvement may be reduced, pain can ease and better stability can return.

If you don’t have a chiropractor, we’d like to be yours. Schedule a consultation today – click here to contact us.

Frequently Asked Questions:

• Isn’t some back pain normal?Pain of any kind, at any age, is a sign that something is amiss. Pain is the way your body signals that a limit has been reached or a problem has developed. Since we can adapt, minor aches and pains are often shrugged off. While they may go away, if the underlying problem remains unattended, the problem may slowly worsen until it becomes more difficult and expensive to resolve.
• What about muscle relaxers?First, chiropractors don’t dispense drugs. We rely on natural methods. When properly applied, ice can have an analgesic effect without the unwanted effects associated with some pain medications.
• How does chiropractic work?Chiropractic works because you are a self-healing, self-regulating organism controlled by your nervous system. Millions of instructions flow from your brain, down the spinal cord, and out to every organ and tissue. Signals sent back to the brain confirm if the body is working correctly. Improper motion or position of the moving bones of the spine can interfere with this vital exchange by irritating nerves and compromising the function of affected organs and tissues. Specific spinal adjustments are designed to improve mind/body communications. Health often returns with improved nervous system control of the body.
• Does insurance pay for chiropractic?These days, many policies cover at least a little of the care you’ll need. It’s convenient when an insurance company or some other third party helps pay the bill. But be careful! Don’t allow the profit motives of a huge corporation to make decisions for you. If you sincerely want your health back, we can probably help. Find out how we make chiropractic care affordable for just about anyone.

Chiropractic techniques that work so well with the spine can be applied to other joints of the body. Virtually every joint is susceptible to fixations and malfunctions that impair function and range of motion. Trauma, micro-traumas, vibrations and repetitive motions are often culprits.

The Tunnel

The carpal tunnel is a band of ligaments and small bones in your wrist. Painful symptoms can result when nerves are compressed by a collapse of this nerve “tunnel.”

The Spine

Many are surprised to learn that the cause of their wrist problem may be due to functional changes to one or more joints of the neck, shoulder, elbow or wrist. Subluxations in the upper spine may compromise the workings of any structure between it and the tip of your littlest finger. This is often called the double crush syndrome.

Click here to try this at-home carpal tunnel test.

Other Extremities

Shoulders, hip problems, knees, ankles and even jaw problems have been shown to respond to chiropractic care. Find out before resorting to more drastic treatments such as surgery!

Chiropractic First

It just makes sense to take the more conservative approach first: chiropractic first, drugs second and surgery last! Schedule a no-obligation consultation and find out what safe and natural chiropractic may do for you.

Frequently Asked Questions:

• Can chiropractic repair bone spurs?Bone spurs and other arthritic change to joints throughout the body is a common response to long-standing malfunction. While no research exists, restoring proper joint function is hoped to at least slow this degenerative process.
• Does cracking your knuckles cause damage?Limited studies suggest that knuckle cracking does not damage the metacarpal joints of the hand. While there may be danger of overextending already loose knuckle joints, adding motion to these or other joints of the body is best left to an experienced chiropractor.
• Is it okay to wear a wrist brace?A brace is often prescribed to help protect the wrist and reduce mobility. While it may alleviate certain symptoms, it virtually ignores the malfunctioning joints causing the problem. The chiropractic approach is to help restore proper motion to affected joints and strengthen supporting muscles and soft tissues. While this may require some type of ongoing supportive care, many patients are able to resume their activities without bracing.

It’s called a pinched nerve because that’s what it feels like. But there’s a lot more going on!

Like an open window, nerve openings along your spine must be clear and unobstructed.

The 24 moving bones of your spine protect your spinal cord while permitting normal turning and bending. Pairs of nerve roots, one on each side, branch off your spinal cord at each segmental level to service the organs and tissues of your body. When these openings are obstructed, even slightly, your brain can’t properly control and regulate your body.

When a spinal bone is malpositioned, it can encroach upon these important nerve openings. Nerve irritation can result. We call that a subluxation.

Two Types

When spinal bones lose their normal motion or position, it can cause one of two types of nerve disturbances:

• Compressed lesion – This is just a fancy name for a pinched nerve. What surprises many is that it’s actually quite rare. More common is a…
• Facilitative lesion – This is when the nerve root is stretched, twisted or chafed. Think: hard tissue rubbing on soft tissue.

But remember, bones are static structures. They don’t move unless muscles move them. And muscles don’t move bones unless commanded by the nervous system. An irritated nerve creates a vicious loop. Our job is to locate these areas of your spine and reduce their impact on your nervous system.

A Precise Nudge

A thorough examination helps us identify areas of your spine where spinal bones are stuck and not moving correctly. Then, we give them a precise little nudge called a chiropractic adjustment. Your body uses this energy to “right itself” as nerve irritation is reduced.

Because chiropractic addresses the integrity of your nervous system, it’s a natural solution to many health problems. Give us a call.

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Frequently Asked Questions:

• How long does it take for nerve irritation to be reduced?Some patients experience almost instant relief. Others discover it can take many weeks or months. Many factors can affect the healing process. How long have you had your problem? Are you keeping your appointments? Are you getting the proper rest, exercise and nutrition? Do you smoke? Are you in otherwise good condition? Within a short period, most patients sense enough progress to justify completing our recommendations.
• What about my friend who only needed one visit?It’s true there are rare instances in which a single visit can produce the pain relief that many patients seek. However, the effect is often short lived. Because underlying muscles and soft tissues have not been strengthened and retrained, a relapse often occurs. Our experience has found that when patients begin chiropractic care as adults, they have considerable structural and functional damage from years of neglect. A single “miracle” adjustment rarely produces permanent change.

At first glance, most people don’t see the connection between chiropractic and pregnancy. However, there are four stages in which having an optimally working nervous system can help both mother and child.

Many pregnant patients often report shorter, more pleasant deliveries when they receive chiropractic care.

Pre-Conception

Chiropractic care prepares the body to be as strong, supple and balanced as possible to carry the pregnancy.

Pregnancy

Regular chiropractic care during pregnancy appeals to mothers who seek a natural approach to better health.

Labor and Birth

Many rely on chiropractic care to help assure optimum biomechanics of the hips and spine in the hopes of reducing the need for interventions during the birth process.

After Birth

Even natural births can stress a baby’s spine. Breastfeeding problems can arise if the baby has a subluxation and is unable to comfortably turn its head to one side.

Relax. We use special approaches to make our adjustments safe and comfortable for you and your child.

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Frequently Asked Questions:

• Will adjustments hurt my baby?Of course not. This is a common concern among parents who mistakenly think their child will receive adjustments like the ones they receive. Not only are adjusting techniques modified for each person’s size and unique spinal problem, an infant’s spine rarely has the long-standing muscle tightness seen in adults. This makes the energy needed to adjust a child’s spine considerably less than an adult’s does.
• Will adjustments make my spine too loose?No. Only the spinal joints that are “locked up” receive adjustments. This allows weakened muscles and ligaments to stabilize and heal.
• Pregnancy is natural. Why would I need chiropractic?Being born is a natural phenomenon. It’s what we’ve done to the birth process that has become increasingly suspect. In hospitals, birth is often treated like a disease. A newborn’s introduction to the world is often accompanied by a severe drop in temperature, loud noises and other insensitivities. The administration of drugs and anesthesia can have a profound effect on a newborn.
• Will my medical doctor approve?First, you don’t need anyone’s approval to seek a chiropractic opinion about health issues affecting your child! The judgment of another health care expert is always helpful in the decision-making process. Medical practitioners keeping up with the latest pediatric chiropractic research are starting to understand the value of this natural, drug-free approach to better health.
• What does my spine have to do with my baby?Pregnancy may be one of the best times to receive chiropractic care! While it’s always good to have an optimally functioning nervous system, it’s especially helpful now. Both mother and baby can benefit. Adjusting methods are adapted to a mother’s size, weight and condition. During this period of weight gain and hormonal changes, many mothers seek chiropractic care. Some report shorter and easier births.

A disc can’t slip. But it can wedge, bulge, protrude and herniate. Chiropractic care may help.

Space for Nerves

The most serious disc problem is a prolapsed disc in which the soft center ruptures and leaks.

The disc is a special cartilage between the bones of your spinal column. It attaches to the vertebra above and below it. This creates the separation between spinal bones so pairs of nerves can exit the spine.

Turning and Bending

Each spinal disc has a jelly-like “ball bearing” core that is contained by bands of fibrous tissue. Healthy discs give you flexibility for normal turning and bending. Improper lifting, slips, falls and car accidents can cause the core to shift:

Herniation – disc wedging narrows nerve openings. Obvious symptoms may not be present.

Protrusion – like a blister, the disc bulges where it is the weakest, causing nerve pressure.

Prolapse – with the cushioning and separating compromised by rupture, movement is painful.

Chiropractic First

Chiropractic has been a natural solution helping people with a variety of disc problems.

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Frequently Asked Questions:

• How does chiropractic help disc problems?The purpose of chiropractic care is to locate and correct areas of the spine interfering with the proper nervous system control of your body. Because the intervertebral discs are so close to the spinal cord and nerve roots, disc involvement is quite common in chiropractic cases. Chiropractic adjustments help restore proper motion and position of malfunctioning spinal bones, reducing nervous system involvement. If caught before permanent damage, disc tissue often returns to a more normal size and shape by restoring proper motion and position of affected spinal joints.
• Aren’t disc problems simply the normal aging process?No. However, many disc problems are the result of years of neglect. Many spinal problems are nonsymptomatic until the advanced stages of degeneration. There are many cases of elderly patients who have maintained their spine throughout their lives who enjoy excellent spinal health and function.
• I didn’t do anything so how can a disc be involved?This is a common refrain. Because our bodies are unusually adaptive, we can often accommodate a variety of stresses for years. Finally, like the “straw that broke the camel’s back,” we turn or bend funny and suddenly our spine succumbs to the accumulation of stress.

You’re waiting at a stoplight. The sound of screeching tires is followed by the harsh sound of metal hitting metal. Your car is suddenly being pushed forward!

You’re being rear-ended!

In a split second, your body is pushed against your seat. Your head, isolated by your neck, delays its reaction.

Then, your body changes directions, moving forward to the limits of your seatbelt. Then your head is snapped backwards! You can’t stop it.

Even a minor fender bender can produce a whiplash injury. It may take a day or two, or sometimes months for symptoms to appear. Now what?

Get to our practice for an examination!

Specific chiropractic spinal adjustments, because they can help restore proper motion and position of individual spinal bones, can help promote proper healing.

The longer you wait the more unseen damage there is and the longer it seems to take to recover.

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Frequently Asked Questions:

• Why do I have pain in my arms and hands?Because the nerves to the arms and hands exit the spine through the injured area of the neck, numbness and tingling are common. Even lower back pain can result directly from the trauma, or as a reaction to the loss of proper spinal curves.
• Why did my headaches start more than a week after my accident?Whether you’ve been in an accident, stressed at work, or over-exerted yourself in the garden, your body is constantly adapting to the environment. When your capacity to adapt is exhausted, symptoms can appear. This can take days, weeks, months or years to occur.
• Why do minor collisions cause so much trauma to the spine?Without getting into the laws of physics, the simple explanation is that in a more forceful automobile accident, the car itself absorbs much of the energy. In the more common parking lot “fender benders”, the energy is more directly transferred to the driver and passengers.
• Can I prevent a whiplash injury?Since car accidents are the major cause of whiplash injuries, defensive driving skills can help. Be sure your taillights and turn signals are properly working. Allow enough stopping distance in front of you. When you slow down or stop, always check your rear view mirror to see if the driver behind you is paying attention.

Spinal joints that aren’t moving right can choke or irritate nearby nerves. Chiropractic adjustments add motion to these stuck joints, reducing nervous system disruption. Then, health has the best opportunity to return.

Like lifting a heavy rock off your toe, our patients often report a pleasant sense of release directly following their adjustments.

Many Techniques

Sometimes a specific, highly-accurate thrust is used. Or an instrument delivers carefully directed energy. Or a slow, constant pressure is used. Several areas may be adjusted, or just one. Sometimes a popping sound is heard.

Feels Great

Because we rely on adjustments to help your body “right itself”, we’re highly proficient.

Most patients report a sense of well-being and ease. After all, if adjustments weren’t pleasant, our patients wouldn’t return for the multiple visits needed to retrain their spine!

Everyone Benefits

Newborns, infants, children, seniors and even back surgery patients can get adjusted. Naturally, adjustments are tailored to your size, age and particular health issue.

Find out for yourself by scheduling a no-obligation consultation to discuss your problem.

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Frequently Asked Questions:

• Are chiropractic adjustments safe?Yes. A New Zealand government study found that adjustments are “remarkably safe.” Chiropractic care enjoys an excellent track record. A thorough exam can identify the rare person for whom chiropractic care might be unsuited.
• Will adjustments make my spine too loose?No. Only the spinal joints that are “locked up” receive adjustments. The occasional spinal joints that move too much, are passed over so weakened muscles and ligaments can stabilize and heal.
• How many adjustments will I need?The number of adjustments varies with each patient and their individual health goals. Many patients sense some progress within a week or two of frequent visits. Visits are less often as your spine stabilizes. In difficult cases, complete healing can take months or even years.
• Can I adjust myself?No. Some people can make their joints “pop” but that’s not an adjustment! Adjustments are specific and take years to master. Even your chiropractor must consult a colleague to benefit from chiropractic care.
• What does an adjustment feel like?Most patients report a sense of well-being or a feeling of calmness. Since repeated adjustments are necessary, if adjustments didn’t feel good, patients wouldn’t return to finish their care. Chiropractors are experts at making adjustments feel good.
• Can patients with osteoporosis get chiropractic care?Of course. When developing a care plan, your chiropractor considers the unique circumstances of each patient. There are many ways to adjust the spine. The method selected will be best suited to your age, size and spinal problem.
• Isn’t some back pain normal?Pain of any kind, at any age, is a sign that something isn’t right. Pain is the way your body signals that a limit has been reached or a problem has developed. Since we can adapt, minor aches and pains are often shrugged off. While they may go away, if the underlying problem remains unattended, the problem can slowly worsen until it becomes more difficult and expensive to resolve.
• Can I have chiropractic care after back surgery?Yes. Rest assured that we will avoid the surgically modified areas of your spine. However, surgery may produce compensation reactions either above or below the involved level. If necessary, these other areas will be the focus of your chiropractic care.