What is a Chiropractic Adjustment?
A chiropractic adjustment is the art of introducing a specific force in a precise direction, applied to a vertebra that is subluxated or out of place. The Chiropractor identifies the location of the subluxation, determines the exact direction and the best way to correct the positioning. The adjustment itself is done either by hand or with a instrument in a very quick movement. The adjustment assists the vertebra back into the normal alignment which restores proper motion to a joint and relieves nerve pressure. There are approximately 40 different ways to analyze and adjust the spine, so the actual adjustment will vary depending on the patient.

What Is That "Cracking" Noise?
Your joints contain fluid that helps keep them healthy and lubricated (like oil in a car). This "synovial fluid" contains gas (like carbonation in soft drinks). When a manual adjustment is made you may hear a noise. This is known as an "audible release" and is simply the release of gas in the joint much like when you open a can of soda.  If a patient has an aversion to this noise, an instrument can be used to do the adjustment which will not result in an audible release.

Can I Correct a Misalignment or Subluxation Myself?
It is virtually impossible to adjust yourself since a chiropractic adjustment is a specific force applied in a specific direction to a specific spinal joint. One method some people use to try to correct a misalignment is to "pop" their spine themselves by twisting or turning. Although this movement may cause the bones to move and often "pop", it is not specific enough to solve a problem, and is often counterproductive because it makes the unstable areas of the spine more mobile and therefore less stable. Adjusting the spine is not for amateurs and can cause further discomfort and spinal damage if done incorrectly.

Will I get addicted to chiropractic adjustments?
Benefit as long as you like.
No. Many people feel a pleasant sense of ease and well-being after their chiropractic adjustments. Some feel as though their power has been “turned on.”  Others feel more whole or “connected.” (This is what “normal” feels like!) Once people experience this feeling, they often choose to adopt some type of ongoing schedule of care so they continue to feel this way all the time.  It’s not an addiction.

What are the Effects of Subluxations on the Body?
The nervous system controls everything that happens in your body. Spinal subluxations alter normal nerve impulses and thereby cause pain and disease conditions, not only in the back, but elsewhere in the body. The nerve impulses travel along the spinal cord and exit the nerves heading toward every cell, tissue, organ, and system of your body.
The following is a partial listing of conditions or symptoms which frequently result from subluxations and often respond positively to chiropractic treatment:

What Levels of Care Can I Choose From?
Depending on your condition, health care goals (feel better, get better, or stay better), finances and schedule, you may choose from different levels of care.

Acute/Relief Care - This initial treatment is intended to decrease inflammation, reduce spasms, and alleviate pain. The number of treatments necessary to accomplish this depends on your age, underlying spinal condition, duration of your probelm and other lifestyle choices.
Corrective/Rehabilitative Care - During this level of care, we are primarily concerned with restoring proper structure to the spine. This structural approach is designed to give the best long term results.
Maintenance or Wellness Care - Maintenance care helps prevent lapses of previous conditions and addresses new conditions before symptoms appear.

Will My Insurance Cover Chiropractic Care?
80% of our patients have insurance that does not cover chiropractic care (including people with S&W & Tricare). For these patients, we give a 30% "Time of Service" discount. Many insurance plans cover Chiropractic care; however, it is difficult to break down all the insurance plans individually on this site. We currently have a great number of patients who have insurance coverage through PPOs, Medicare, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Mail Handlers, Cigna, Aetna, etc. which covers part or all of their care. We are happy to call and check your insurance coverage.

Why so many visits?
By the time many people consult our office, they’ve had their problem for several month or years.  No matter the problem and no matter the recommended treatment, it takes time for your body to heal.  Remember, you’re body is doing the healing, not the chiropractor!

Using back pain as an example:  If you have chronic low back pain and you go to your medical doctor you will most likely be given a medication and sent on your way.  People see this as only one visit/treatment and the problem has been addressed.  What people fail to understand is that when you take the medication every day, you are receiving a treatment without going to the doctor’s office.  This is possible because the treatment is a pill, you cannot put what a chiropractor does in a pill.  Chiropractors approach problems differently so it takes actual office visits to address.

If you are content with the outcome of your chiropractic care, you can discontinue the treatment plan the doctor has prepared for you at any time.  How long you decide to benefit from chiropractic care is always up to you.

Why Fix it if it's Not Broken?
Symptoms are a poor judge of one's health.

Many people make a fatal error thinking that as soon as something is wrong with their bodies/health they will know it by having pain or some other symptom.  These are folks who never miss a day of work in their life and then out of the blue, drop dead of a heart attack.  That’s the problem with the lifestyle-induced health problems facing our culture. They quietly fester in the background, slowly worsening, often without any obvious symptom until it’s too late.  The changes occur so gradually over years that you do not even notice the incremental change.  Ironically, these are often the same folks who religiously change their oil and do other preventive maintenance to lengthen the life, appearance and performance of their car!

If you’re one to avoid doctors, you’ll love visiting our office. No shots.  No drugs.  No preaching.  We simply evaluate your health status, make recommendations, tell you what everything will cost and then you decide what treatments you want to receive.  After all, it’s your body and your have to live with it.

Can I be seen by the doctor today?
Yes, we accept same day appointments.