Category Archives: Chiropractor

You are mistaken if you think just your back or neck can benefit from chiropractic care! There are benefits to be obtained from chiropractic care you may never have expected. Many people first visit a chiropractor to relieve back or neck pain – they keep coming back even when the pain has gone because of the amazing benefits they have experienced. Here are some of the benefits you may not have expected that can come from chiropractic care.

Chiropractic Care Boosts Your Immunity

The nervous system is responsible for the functions, of organs, cells, and tissues in the body. if you suffer from a misalignment, the power of the immune system can be reduced. But chiropractic care can realign the spine, releasing the immune system to fight back. Studies show people have fewer colds when they have chiropractic maintenance.

Chiropractic Adjustments Aid Digestion

The nerves running through your spine also control the functions of your stomach. When a vertebra in this area is out o alignment, the nerve may signal a need for greater production of acid resulting in heartburn, gas and acid reflux. As a chiropractic adjustment can help the nerves in the thoracic spine work correctly, the final result is frequently the resolution of problems with the stomach.

Chiropractic Treatments Increase Energy Levels

This can be done in two ways. The reduction of tension in the spine frees nerves to work more effectively. We become used to pain and constantly feel tired and run down. You can remove the pressure with chiropractic adjustments freeing the body to operate properly.

Chiropractic Care Can Help To Lower Blood Pressure

A WebMD study draws a conclusion a chiropractic adjustment in the nerves of the upper neck may be as effective as taking a double dose of conventional medications for blood pressure. Known in the trade as an “Atlas Adjustment” it has been shown to have a stabilizing effect on blood pressure.

Chiropractic Care Can Help You Breathe Easier

The brain to the spinal cord nerve function controls the lungs. A misalignment in the mid-cervical and thoracic areas of the spine can be the cause of abnormalities of the lung such as asthma. The correction of subluxations can help to reduce lung inflammation and increase our ability to properly breathe.

Chiropractic Care Can Assist In A Healthier Pregnancy

During pregnancy, a woman’s body obviously goes through many significant changes impacting the function of the nervous system. The added weight in a woman’s core can lead to instability putting undue stress on the spine of the expectant mother. If you choose regular chiropractic care through your time of pregnancy it helps to ensure a healthier child and mother!

As you can see there are many fantastic reasons to go and see a chiropractor beside for relief from pain in the back or neck. it is also a great way to assist the body in healing itself. After all, chiropractic care is not a way of fixing physical problems, it is really a way for the body to perform the healing it is equipped to do if you give it the respect and care it deserves.

Glendale, AZ Chiropractic Care

If you are looking for affordable yet professional chiropractic care in Glendale, Arizona; We Care Chiropractic Clinic can help!  We specialize in providing relief from a wide variety of common chiropractic problems, such as auto accidents, headaches, disc problems, neck pain, back pain, work injuries and much more.  In addition to our chiropractic care, we also offer massage therapy.

To cure degenerative disc disease naturally you can use physical therapy, exercise, yoga, chiropractic adjustments, dietary supplements, and eating healthy.

85% of people will have some evidence of degenerative disc disease by age 50.

The pain from degenerative disc disease can be debilitating and affect quality of life.

In this post we’ll explore how to treat this pain naturally and live better.

How To Cure Degenerative Disc Disease Naturally

Degenerative disc disease is caused by aging.  As we age the discs between our vertebrae dehydrate and can’t absorb shock.  So when we walk the discs don’t cushion as they once did.  Ligaments and bones also thicken and become less flexible with age.  While muscles can repair themselves discs receive very little blood flow and don’t repair.  While the discs cannot be repaired; quality of life can be restored naturally.

Physical Therapy

Passive and active physical therapy treatments can help reduce the pain and discomfort from degenerative disc disease.  These treatments include approaches like spinal traction, deep tissues massage, and treating your condition with alternating heat and cold.  Physical therapy exercises also will help improve your stability, strength, flexibility, and range of motion.

Exercise

Exercise can increase strength around the degenerating discs.  With greater strength comes better stability and support that leads to improved mobility.  Types of exercise that help treat degenerative disc disease include: swimming, cycling, walking, and pilates.

Yoga

While yoga is exercise it is also mental relaxation.  It helps you improve your range of motion via muscle strengthening positions and stretching.  By improving your core strength it will help support your spine and relive some of the discomfort associated with degenerative disc disease.  In addition to helping with physical relief yoga is known for managing stress and anxiety.

Chiropractic Adjustments

Chiropractic adjustments that help treat degenerative disc disease aim to reduce inflammation and improve spinal range of motion.  Techniques that chiropractors use to treat this disease include hand held instruments, flexion-distraction techniques, and spinal manipulation to restore movement.  Other treatments your chiropractor might recommend are ultrasound treatment, electrical stimulation, and therapeutic massage.

Acupuncture

A healthy body is full of energy that’s flowing freely through it.  When we have disorders or diseases such as degenerative disc disease it hinders the free flowing energy.  Acupuncture treatment is designed to heal you through directing energy to specific locations in your body.  This can help reduce inflammation, discomfort, and pain associated with degenerative disc disease.

Massage Therapy

While a massage when you’re in good health is a luxury having massage therapy for degenerative disc disease is practically a necessity.  It will help you reduce stress by relaxing and help treat the muscles around your spine.  Degenerative disc disease forces the muscles around your spine to support you so you don’t feel the full discomfort of your degenerated discs.  This causes them to work harder and be under more strain.  Massage therapy helps reduce muscle discomfort and restore better quality of life.

Dietary Supplements

While dietary supplements cannot be the only approach you utilize to treat your degenerative disc disease they can add to the success of conventional treatments.  Discuss using the following treatments to help naturally manage your symptoms associated with DDD.  Dietary supplements that many patients have found therapeutic include white willow bark and turmeric supplements.  These two supplements are long known for helping reduce pain and inflammation.  Discuss your options with your healthcare professional before adding these to your approach.

Eating Healthy

One of the main causes apart from aging that lead to degenerative disc disease is being overweight.  While you can’t go back and avoid degenerative disc disease now, you can reduce the discomfort by eating healthier and losing weight.  This will make it so your body can more easily hold your spine in a comfortable position.  Also better nutrition will support overall better body health and reduce strain.

Degenerative Disc Disease Chiropractor

If you live in or near Glendale, Arizona; We Care Chiropractic can help treat your degenerative disc disease.  While there’s no cure for it you can live better through chiropractic treatment and using the natural treatment approaches listed in this post.  For more information about how we can help you live better with our chiropractic treatments please give us a call at (623) 825-4444

If you’re searching for lower back pain treatment you’re not alone.  Over 22,000 people search for it each month and are seeking relief.  Read about the wonders of chiropractic treatments for lower back pain on this post.

Causes of Lower Back Pain

Most people will feel the effects of lower back pain at least once during their life time. Lower back pain can be caused from being in or having some type of accident or engaging in an activity that causes the muscles to be overly strained, causing the tendons and ligaments to be strained. Lower back pain can also be from misaligned vertebrae. This type of pain can range from being mild to being extremely painful, and it can also become debilitating. Those who experience lower back pain finds it to be very annoying.

Lower Back Pain & Aging

Lower back pain happens more with older people than it does in younger people. For the record, lower back pain is not classified as something that only happens to elderly people. This is because it is quite common and can be from a number of different causes, including a minor sprain or a muscular strain. Lower back pain can only be classified as one of three categories, which are the acute, sub-acute, or the chronic

Acute Lower Back Pain

LBP. Acute lower back pain will last around 4 weeks or less, and sub-acute can last anywhere from 4 weeks to 12 weeks, whereas, chronic lower back pain will continue to hurt for more than 12 weeks.

Lower Back Pain Chiropractic Treatments

Depending on the severity of the pain and the doctor’s diagnosis, the treatments will vary. For instance, the pain may be mild enough that hot packs and/or over the counter pain relief may relieve it. On the other hand, it could be severe enough that surgery might be the only option for relieving the pain. Among the alternative treatments available are those that a Chiropractic Doctor gives. A Chiropractic can perform spinal adjustments and physical therapy modalities, including massage therapy. It’s important that a misaligned lumbar joint be treated and also the soft tissue surrounds it for a sprained or strain. Combining the treatments for both of these will make recovery more rapid.

Effective Treatments You Can Trust

A lot of patients believe that the methods of treatments used by the Chiropractic are effective, yet others remain skeptical. Considered to be a safe method of treatment for those who have acute and chronic lower back pain, spinal manipulation, along with Chiropractic care is effective. An injury that happens suddenly from moving around the furniture, lifting incorrectly, or being tackled, would be considered to be acute LBP. Whereas, it is more common for people to have acute lower back pain than it is for them to have chronic lower back pain.

In fact, Chiropractic care would be more beneficial in relieving lower back pain that is acute, than it would be for chronic lower back pain. A Chiropractic Doctor needs to know a patient’s medical history before being able to decide if a patient should have a spinal manipulation. Spinal manipulation is not for those who suffering from osteoporosis, including several other conditions relating to health, for it is contraindication.

It is left up to the patient to decide on whether they want to use this method or not. Although there are other methods that help to relieve pain, like physical therapy, there are a number of testimonies which confirm that the treatment given by a Chiropractic gives faster results and that it is also much more soothing, and many of the patients are saying they are getting relief after having only one treatment!

Glendale Lower Back Pain Chiropractic Treatments

The treatments that Chiropractic’s offer is seriously worth giving a try. However, be sure to see a Chiropractic that has many years of experience in order to be certain you are going to be getting a treatment that is going to be effective, and to be on the safe side. These treatments will not just make you feel better, they will also help you to function better too! The treatments can help you to say good riddance to lower back pains.

To schedule lower back pain chiropractic treatments
in Glendale call  (623) 825-4444

A lot of Glendale residents are asking “Does medicare cover chiropractic care?”  Scores of people end up with back and neck pain which can be treated with chiropractic visits.  For some seniors the cost of chiropractic care can be a challenge, but in many cases Medicare may cover some or all of the cost to receive chiropractic care.

If you are one of those people who has chronic musculoskeletal pain in the neck, back, and in the joints having regular scheduled Chiropractic adjustments may be integral for long term treatments. Being under the care of a Chiropractor is something that may be done alone, or it could be combined with other types of medical treatments, however, there are no drugs involved when you are under the care of a Chiropractor alone.

Just as it is with other kinds of medical care, if you are not covered by some type of insurance things can get costly, and rapidly. This is especially true for those who are on a limited income. It would be wise to find out more on whether or not Medicare is going t cover the care of a Chiropractor.

Medicare Part B & Chiropractic Treatments

In fact, Medicare Part B does cover a limited amount of Chiropractic treatments. Which includes a manual manipulation and also a manipulation that uses a hand-held device for the correction of a spinal subluxation (when the vertebrae bones are not aligned properly). On the other hand, Medicare Part B will not cover the initial physical examinations needed, x-rays, diagnostic services, physical therapy, acupuncture, orthopedic devices, nutritional supplements, and Chiropractic treatments that are for anything beside the spinal subluxation.

Moreover, if you fall into one of the following categories Medicare will cover the Chiropractic treatments: 

• You have been diagnosed with a condition of spinal subluxation.
• You have a condition which your referring physician has made a recommendation for a manual manipulation to try and improve that condition.
• You have been diagnosed with a chronic condition of neuromusculoskeletal and it is going to require treatment for pain, swelling, numbness in limbs, inflammation, etc.

Part B Deducibles

You will have to pay the deductible for Medicare Part B, plus 20% of the amount that was approved by Medicare for the Chiropractic services. You will also be responsible for covering any other fees for the Chiropractic services which was not approved by Medicare. Unless your physician states that it is medically necessary, Medicare limits your Chiropractic visits to only one time per day and as long as there are signs of improvement this same coverage will stay in effect. The Medicare coverage will end for these visits at any time it begins showing there is no more improvements being made.

Chiropractor Participation

Always check with the Chiropractic you are intending to use Medicare with to make certain they are going to accept it, as there are many Physicians, Chiropractors, and other medical professionals who will not accept patients that have Medicare for their medical insurance. However, you will still be responsible for your Medicare deductibles, co-pays, out-of-pocket expenses. Should the Chiropractic not accept assignment (Medicare), there is always the option of you paying the Chiropractic for the treatment as an out-of-pocket expense, you can then turn around and bill Medicare yourself and they will send you the payment in a matter of weeks.

Medigap & Supplement Insurance

Moreover, should it turn out that your Chiropractic does not take participation in the Medicare program, nor will they pay for any of the treatments. However, if you have some coverage with the Medigap/Medicare Supplement Plan, you just might get out of having to pay the Chiropractic at all or at most, very little for the treatments. You can ask the manager of your plan just how much coverage that you have.

Chiropractic Treatment in Glendale Arizona

If you’re interested in getting more information about receiving chiropractic treatment in Glendale, Arizona please give us a call.  We can help you explore you options for receiving chiropractic treatment through your Medicare or insurance coverage so you pay little to nothing at all.

Please call 623-825-4444 for more information or to schedule.

If you’re searching for “lower back pain relief” maybe you forgot the correct way to go about lifting something that was very heavy. There is also the possibility that it a degenerative disease, such as arthritis. No matter what the cause is, after the onset of lower back pain, it is difficult to shake it off.

Furthermore, there is approximately one out of every four Americans who has complained of having bouts of lower back pain. In fact, nearly everyone at one point or another, is going to experience back pain during their life time.

Occasionally, it is obviously serious, especially if you were injured, and your legs are feeling weak, numb, and/or they are tingling. Then it is time to call the doctor.

Lower Back Pain Prevention & Treatment

Some lower back pain is a way of life for many Americans but there are things that patients can do to minimize or alleviate a good portion of the discomfort.  Read through some of these great ways to prevent, reduce, and remove lower back pain from your life.

Put it on ice:

“During the 24 to 48 hours after an injury, putting ice on it would be the best thing as it is going to help in reducing inflammation,” according to E. Anne Reicherter, PhD, PT, DPT, and associate professor in the Physical Therapy department of the University of Maryland, School of Medicine. “Something warm will feel good to the injury, however, this is merely covering up the pain and is not doing anything for the swelling, nor does it help to relax the muscles. In fact, heat will actually increase the inflammatory process,” she says. If after 48 hours, you are wanting to begin using heat on the injury that will be fine,” claims Reicherter. She went on to say, “Regardless of which you are using, heat or ice, it should be removed every twenty minutes for the skin to breath (rest). Should the pain continue to pe4rsist, speak with your doctor.”

Keep it moving:

“Our body was designed to be able to move, and so was our spines,” says Reicherter. You need to continue with your daily activities. Things such as, making our beds, going to work, and walking the dog. After you began to feel better, start taking up regular aerobic exercises, such as bicycling, swimming, and even walking, which will help to keep your back and the rest of your body more mobile. Of course, you do not want to overdo it. Never try to run in a marathon at times when your back is hurting.

Continue being strong:

As soon as your lower back pain has stopped hurting, you can begin keeping future episodes from flare-ups by working those muscles in the lower back, those back extensor muscles included. “These help in maintaining a proper posture and alignment in the spine,” says Reicherter. When you keep your hips, pelvic, and abdominal muscles strong, it will give your back more support. However, you should avoid abdominal crunches, as they will actually put more strain on your back.

Stretch regularly:

Being slump in your desk chair all day is a bad thing. Be sure to get up and move about every 20 minutes or so throughout the day. “This is because the majority of us have a lot of bending forward during our work, and that makes it significant to take the time to stand-up, stretch backwards some during our daily routines,” says Reicherter. Also, do not forget about stretching those legs as well. Many people find that regular stretching, such as with yoga helps.

Think ergonomically:

Make sure that your work space is set-up so that hunching forward will not be an issue, for instance, reaching for your computer monitor and/or your mouse. Always use a chair at your desk that fits the lower part of your back and make sure you place your feet firmly on the floor.

Control your posture:

When you slump, it is harder for the back to be able to support your weight. Pay close attention at times you are lifting heavy items. You should never bend from your waist, for the proper way is to bend from the knees.

Give heels a break:

Turn in those heels for shoes that are flat, they should not be more than one inch in height. High heels create an unstable posture, while increasing the pressure on the lower spine.

Kick the habit:

If you smoke, it can most certainly put you at more of a risk to get osteoporosis in your spine, as well as other problems with the bones. Having osteoporosis can do damage to compression fractions in the spine. Recently, research has found that smokers have more of a chance to get lower back pain as compared to non-smokers.

Keep your weight under control:

It is important to keep your weight in a healthy range for your height. There is too much stress place on the spine when your overweight.

Use over the counter pain relief medications:

Aspirin and ibuprofen, such as Advil, Nuprin, Motrin, and naproxen sodium, which is Aleve, Naprosyn, and Anaprox, are anti-inflammatory medicines and they can all be helpful in reducing back pain. Another over the counter option that helps the management of back pain is acetaminophen, which include Actamin, Tylenol, and Panadol. Always check with a doctor or pharmacist regarding the interactions of over the counter pain relief medications when taken with any medicines you are on. There are some people who have to take certain medications for medical conditions like ulcers, liver diseases, and kidney disease which need to avoid certain other medications.

The doctor should be called if:

• If you have lower back pain that is severe and after several days it has not went away, or should it hurt even when you are laying down resting.
• Your legs become weak or have numbness in them, or it is a problem to stand and walk.
• Should you lose control of your bowels and/or bladder.

All of these could be potential signs of a nerve condition or it could be an underlying medical condition which needs to get treated by a doctor.

Phoenix Valley Chiropractic Care

If you have persistent lower back pain, have been in an accident, or injured while working or playing sports We Care Chiropractic of Glendale Arizona is here to help.  We know living with back pain is a constant distraction.  The aching, pain, tightness, and limited mobility prevents people from getting work done and enjoying free time.

Contact our caring team to find out more about how you can schedule treatment for lower back pain or ask questions by calling (623) 825-4444.

Are you wondering “Do I Need A Chiropractor” because you have bad paid in your body, back or neck? If so, this guide should help you figure out which type of treatment is best for the specific type of pain your experiencing.

The human body is an intricate and delicate mechanism, and it hurts when it breaks down. When this happens, you need to diagnose the symptoms and seek treatment, be it chiropractic treatment, medicine, or a massage. The best treatment would be determined by the problem you’re facing, the extent of it, and your preference. If you prefer all-natural treatments over medicinal treatment, you could choose between chiropractic adjustment and massage therapy. Both treatments take different approaches to facilitating your nervous system to heal, and both work with the goal of restoring your wellness and health.

Type of Pain and Patient’s Need

We’ve all experienced or will experience at some point, pain in hard tissue like the joints and spine, or in soft tissue likes ligaments and muscles.Both sudden pains caused by accidents or injuries and chronic pains rooted in day to day habits disturb the musculoskeletal system in your body. Tissue damage within your body can cause you to loose mobility or limit it, and both chiropractic and massage therapies work well in restoring this.

For individuals that prefer a drug-free treatment, both massage therapy and chiropractic care hold similar appeal and may be difficult to choose one over the other. In such a situation, the extent of the pain, its severity, and the patients insurance options and medical history must be considered to choose the most suitable treatment.

Massage Therapy

This is best for muscular pain and other muscular issues like spasms, tension in overworked muscles, and muscular strains. Massage therapy is considered by many to be a luxury treatment designed to pamper your body, however it is far from it. The therapy has medical properties that aid in managing pain and boost recovery.

By manipulating muscles and soft tissue, massage has a positive impact on your nervous system as well. Massaging the muscles stimulates healthy flow of energy and fluids and massaging soft tissue in the back can help align the spine.

Massage therapists, however, are not licensed to adjust joints and spine or prescribe medicines for the purpose like chiropractors can, but they can suggest homeopathic remedies in addition to the massage therapy they are providing.There are a number of massage therapies that exist today ranging from Swedish and deep tissue massages to trigger point and cranial sacral therapies.All these massage therapies promise benefits like:

• Boosting the Immune System
• Rejuvenating the Skin
• Increasing the Flow of Blood
• Reducing Anxiety
• Aiding athletes, cancer patients, and expectant mothers with healing properties

When Do You Need a Chiropractor?

If you are suffering from disorders of the nervous system or musculoskeletal disorders, you should consider chiropractic care. Where massage therapy targets muscles and soft tissue, chiropractic care targets hard tissue like the joints and spine. Chiropractors are trained and licensed to realign the spine and prescribe medicine as well as therapeutic exercise; they may often massage as well in their treatment.Common back and neck pains are often resolved by spinal adjustment and manipulation during the course of the treatment. Other ailments that chiropractic care effectively resolves include:

• Pain in the joints
• Headaches
• Infections in the ear
• Tendonitis
• Tension
• Acute sleeplessness

Chiropractors also hold authority to order medical tests like blood work and x-rays, and can also diagnose medical conditions.

A Combination of the Two Treatments

Rather than choosing one over the other, you may also want to consider receiving both treatments side-by-side to target chronic pain and other muscular conditions. For this reason, many if not all chiropractors will often start their treatment with massage therapy to warm up the body before the adjustment. Massaging the muscles before the adjustment releases the tension within them, allowing for the adjustments to last longer as tightened muscles also mis-align the joints. Aligning the joints through chiropractic treatment, in turn, encourages quicker healing in soft tissue. It can be said that the two treatment complement one another.

Whether you’re choosing one over the other or a combination of both, it should be noted that results take time, and you should not expect all your issues to be resolved in one appointment. It is advisable to complete the care plan that your therapist designs for you.

Glendale Chiropractor Treatment

If you need chiropractic treatment in Glendale We Care Chiropractic offers the care that returns you to a better quality of life. Our chiropractic services are a great resource for many people who have problems associated with back pain, migraines, whiplash, and all sorts of disorders and accidents.

Call Today – 623-825-4444

People in Glendale Arizona have headaches, back pain, whiplash, and all sorts of reasons that they can benefit from chiropractic treatment. Patients also naturally have questions that need to be answered to better understand treatment. This Chiropractor FAQ for Glendale, AZ should help answer these questions.

Q: What can a chiropractor treat?

A: Chiropractic Doctors (DCs) can care for any age group of patients with a variety of health conditions. Known best for their expertise in neck pain, headaches, and back pain, DCs are highly skilled in chiropractic adjustments. They also deal with a wide range of musculoskeletal system disorders and injuries involving joints, ligaments, and muscles in patients that can cause severe pain and discomfort. Causing an impact to the nervous system, these painful conditions also cause referred pain as well as dysfunction to the region of the injury. DCs also consult and counsel patients on general health issues as well. Our body structure affects the normal functions overall, because of this they assist with nutrition, dieting, healthier habits, exercise, and lifestyle modifications.

Q: How do I find a chiropractic doctor?

A: The best way is to do a search online by inserting the city and Chiropractor into the search bar. You can also find a doctor of chiropractic by being referred to one by a friend, colleague, family member, or another doctor. You can use different methods in general for contacting a doctor of chiropractic such as phone books, internet searches and websites, referrals, or walk-ins if you are already aware of a licensed chiropractic office.

Q: Is it safe to undergo treatment from a chiropractor?

1. The risk you will find for chiropractic treatment are minimal. Chiropractic treatment is notably recognized as one of the safest non-invasive, drug free methods for neuromusculoskeletal complaints. Some side effects of the treatment can be mild soreness, aching, or stiffness afterwards. This is also found in basic exercise. The research done on these effects show that the soreness and discomfort that follow after spinal manipulation general fades within the time frame of 24 hours.

Cervical manipulation, otherwise known as neck adjustment, is used to treat neck pain and some headaches. It helps improve the neck’s joint mobility, which helps with range of motion while reducing spasms of muscles. When performed by a professional chiropractor, the procedure is safe and can help relieve pressure and tension.

A few reports have related high-speed upper neck control with a specific uncommon sort of stroke, or vertebral supply route analyzation. In any case, evidence recommends that this kind of injury in the arteries frequently happens suddenly in patients who have previous diseases in the arteries. These analyzations have been related to ordinary activities in our day to day life, for example, turning your head while driving, swimming, or shampooing in a hair salon. Patients with this condition may encounter neck torment and headaches that lead them to look for expert care. However, the care sought out is not the cause of these issues. It is extremely rare for a neck adjustment to be the cause of injuries in the arteries. Studies show that only 1-3 cases in 100,000 patients suffer any kind of arterial issues associated with neck manipulation.

While looking at any risks involved with the treatment offered by DCs, it is important to also consider the risks involved with alternative treatments for the same conditions. For example, over the counter medicine offered for the treatment of musuloskeletal pain, as well as prescribed NSAIDS (Non-Steroid Anti-inflammatory Drugs) and painkillers hold a significantly increased risk for side effects that are also found to be more severe. Especially when compared to the risks of any complications from spinal manipulation.

The American Journal of Gastroenterology states that people who take NSAIDS are at a higher risk of developing adverse gastrointestinal issues such as perforation and hemorrhaging by three times as opposed to those who do not take NSAIDS. That risk is increased in people of the age 6+ by five times.

With that in mind, the CDC has reported that abuse of a growing number of powerful prescriptions such as hydrocodone and oxycodone has tripled in the last twelve years. These same painkiller abuses are also found to be leading causes of accidental deaths in the United States. Responsible for 15,000 deaths per year, overdoses of opioids are statistically greater than deaths from heroin and cocaine combined.

The extensive training that professional doctors of chiropractics undergo not only allow them to perform these treatments and adjustments with safety, but also help them identify special risk factors in patients. Chiropractors are train professionals that offer the most appropriate treatments even if it requires a referral to specialists for other medical conditions.

Q: Do you need an MD to refer you for chiropractic treatment?

A: To seek out treatment from a DC doesn’t normally require the referral from a medical doctor (MD). That being said, it is recommended to contact your employer or HIP (Health Insurance Provider) to check on any referral requirements. Most of the insurance plans allow you to call and set an appointment as needed with a DC, however, it is never a bad idea to double check your plan prior to doing this.

Q: Is it appropriate for a child to seek chiropractic treatment?

A: Chiropractic care is a highly skilled treatment, that can also be very gentle for children, because it adapts to the individual patient. Children naturally exercise more than adults, experiencing many blows or falls from activities and sports. There are several benefits for children to undergo chiropractic care. They too suffer from symptoms of neck and back pain, soreness and discomfort, and stiffness.

Q: Are doctors of chiropractic’s able to use medical outpatient facilities, or practice in hospitals?

A: Privileges for hospital practice were first granted in 1983. Chiropractors are known to use outpatient facilities such as x-rays, labs, etc. for non-hospitalized patients. They have also been recognized to admit and treat in hospitals as needed also.

Q: Will chiropractic treatments be covered by insurance?

A: Many major health insurance plans cover chiropractic care, even Medicare and Medicaid plans recognize it. Among the list of covering providers, Blue cross Blue Shield, and workers’ compensation. Active-duty members of the armed forces, as well as veterans, find chiropractic care available to them at more than 60 federal bases and medical facilities.

Q: What training/education do chiropractors undergo?

A: Emphasizing on diagnostics and treatments for conditions involving muscles, spinal, ligaments, joints and extremities, doctors of chiropractic are educated as health care providers primary-contact. With four years of pre-med typically required before applying for chiropractic college, they undergo courses in inorganic and organic chemistry, psychology, physics, biology, and related lab work. Following the acceptance into a college that is accredited, there are even more demanding requirements to fulfill such as; physiology, clinical diagnosis, laboratory procedures, neurology, diagnostic imaging, exercise, orthopedics, nutrition rehab, and more. Four to five years of academic, professional studies are the standard. Since the treatments that doctors of chiropractic are highly skilled adjusting techniques, and manipulation, there is a massive amount of time spent inside clinical technique training so they can perfect these procedures. Fully recognized by the United States Department of Education, and approved by an accrediting agency, this course of study mixed with the other college curriculum equals out to a minimum of 4,200 hours spent in classroom, labs and clinical experience.

Q: How do chiropractors perform an adjustment?

A: While utilizing their refined skills that are perfected during the investment of the chiropractor’s intensive education, the manipulation/adjustment procedures are often performed with their hands or use of an instrument to adjust the joints of the body. Focusing particularly on the spine, these methods restore and/or enhance joint function. This is also a great relief to join pain and inflammation. Adapting the special needs of each patient, it is a highly controlled procedure with low chances of discomfort. There are positive notations in the symptoms in patients immediately after the treatment.

Q: Is the treatment received by chiropractors ongoing?

A:  A chiropractor will usually tell you the extent of the required or recommended treatment needed, along with how long it will be expected to go on. To be treated by a chiropractor, due to the hands-on nature of their treatments, the patient is required to be present at their office. Whereas medical treatments involve a pre-established plan to be conducted at home such as taking medication throughout following weeks at specified intervals. A doctor of chiropractic can provide chronic, acute, and/or preventative care that require multiple visits. The reason why multiple visits are often required is because the hands on approach that doctors of chiropractic are trained to provide.

Q: When a join is adjusted, why is there a popping noise?

A: The reason a popping noise is present during an adjustment is the same reason why you may here popping in your fingers or joins when cracking your knuckles. There are bubbles of gas that build up between the joints, when the pressure is applied during adjustment, stretching, or force, these gas bubbles are released usually accompanied by the popping from the pressure. The change of pressure in the joints during the adjustment/manipulation is minimally accompanied by discomfort, if there is any discomfort at all.