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There are a lot of questions out there about how chiropractic care can help patients. Not only can chiropractic care treat your current pain, but it can also help prevent new pains from starting without using drugs. Find out how chiropractic care can benefit everyone, children, teens, and adults of all ages.
Here are some of the most common concerns people have about chiropractic care.
- What is a Chiropractor?
- What Type of Training Does a Chiropractor Do?
- Will a Chiropractor Prescribe Medicine?
- What is a Chiropractic Adjustment?
- Who Should See a Chiropractor?
- Is Chiropractic Care Suitable for Children?
- Are there Side Effects of Chiropractic Care?
- Can Pregnant Women See a Chiropractor?
- How Long Do Chiropractic Sessions Last?
- Is Chiropractic Care Ongoing?
- Do I Need a Referral Before Chiropractic Treatment?
- Does My Insurance Plan Cover Chiropractic Treatment?
- What Are the Key Benefits of Chiropractic Care?
What is a Chiropractor?
A chiropractor, or a Doctor of Chiropractic (DC), is an expert on the neuromuscular system including the spine, bones, central nervous system, muscles, tendons, and ligaments. They are trained to identify the root cause of pain and resolve the issue through a variety of techniques to help relieve your pain. While people often think that chiropractors just deal with the spine, they are actually focused on all of the joints in your body to identify and treat the causes of your pain. Chiropractors use a variety of different techniques to help treat your pain and help you move without pain. They can also help with maintaining a healthy lifestyle with a plan for nutrition, exercise, and diet.
What Type of Training Does a Chiropractor Do?
Chiropractors complete their undergraduate degree, followed by four years of specialized chiropractic school.
Additionally, chiropractors in every state are required to pass a National Board of Chiropractic Examiners Exam, and obtain licensing in each state to practice.
Will a Chiropractor Prescribe Medicine?
While chiropractors have a complete set of tools, techniques and technology they can use to help treat your pain, they don’t offer pain medications and do not perform surgery. However, chiropractors frequently work in tandem with other doctors. If medication is necessary, or you’re using either prescription or non-prescription medicines to address the pain that the chiropractor is going to treat, be sure you tell them.
What is a Chiropractic Adjustment?
Chiropractic adjustment (also referred to as chiropractic manipulation) is a manual procedure to reposition the vertebrae in the spine. This helps realign your joints throughout the body including the hips, neck and shoulders. The chiropractor uses his hands or a small instrument to manipulate the spine. It is a highly controlled procedure and must be performed only by trained experts.
Who Should See a Chiropractor?
Chiropractors can take care of patients with a variety of health conditions or as a porgram to prevent pain. Chiropractic care is helpful for people with neck pain, back pain, knee pain, sciatica, headaches, as well as muscular and ligament pain caused by working out, a car accident or just getting older. People suffering from digestive issues, insomnia, and fatigue can also benefit from chiropractic care.
Additionally, many people seek the help of a chiropractor before their pain starts. Chiropractic care can be especially helpful as a routine visit for individuals who are highly active, have previous injuries, genetic ties to somebody with chiropractic issues, or who just want to ensure they continue to move without pain.
Is Chiropractic Care Suitable for Children?
Yes. Children are active and can pull muscles and cause their spine to be out of alignment. Chiropractic care can provide relief from stiffness, soreness, and pain caused by the day to day activities of being a kid. Chiropractors are trained to help children at their various stages of growth and development.
Are there Side Effects of Chiropractic Care?
Because chiropractors don’t use pharmaceutical or surgical treatment, there are very low risks of adverse side effects. Fortunately, chiropractic patients rarely experience any side effects, but when they do, those effects are often mild. They can include issues like muscle or joint tenderness and swelling, or some stiffness. This is typically mild and resolves in a matter of hours or a few days. Many patients compare their issues as muscle soreness that is similar to the muscle soreness caused by exercise.
Can Pregnant Women See a Chiropractor?
Yes, chiropractors can make pregnancy easier from conception to delivery. The chiropractor can treat a misaligned pelvis and increase the woman’s ability to have a natural, non-invasive birth. Common benefits of chiropractic care during pregnancy include:
- Better sleep
- Controlled nausea
- Relief from back pain
- Lowering the chances of C-section
- Making labor easier by treating a condition called intrauterine constraint
How Long Do Chiropractic Sessions Last?
Your first chiropractic session may last up to an hour as you discuss your condition with the chiropractor. The first session involves a complete physical examination and includes a discussion of your medical history. In some cases, the chiropractor may recommend some imaging tests. An individualized treatment plan is then prepared.
Chiropractic care tends to require several short sessions after the initial visit for the treatments to work most effectively. Those chiropractic sessions may last about 20 minutes or less. The chiropractor schedules your sessions based on your convenience as well as your body’s response to the treatment.
Is Chiropractic Care Ongoing?
It may take several sessions of chiropractic care to relieve pain. The chiropractor discusses the treatment plan along with the timeline at the start of the treatment. You might start to feel better as soon as the first session. But try to stick with the treatment plan that includes several visits for the relief to last.
For those patients using chiropractic care as pain prevention, you can come up to weekly for adjustments and stretching for a few minutes each visit. Talk to the chiropractor about what they recommend specifically for you.
Do I Need a Referral Before Chiropractic Treatment?
Chiropractors are considered primary care providers across the United States and therefore should not require a referral from another doctor for the treatments to be covered by insurance. While you can receive treatment from a chiropractor without a referral, it’s usually a good idea to make sure that your primary care physician understands the various treatments you are receiving, including chiropractic care.
Does My Insurance Plan Cover Chiropractic Treatment?
Most insurance plans (including Medicare Part B and Medicaid plans) cover chiropractic care when the doctor is a part of the health plan and the treatment is deemed medically necessary. Also, workers’ compensation and Blue Cross Blue Shield for federal workers cover chiropractic treatment. You should check your healthcare policy for the way chiropractic care is handled by your health plan.
Additionally, regardless of your health care plan, you have the option to pay cash if chiropractic care. In some instances, your visit may actually cost less than your co-pay.
What Are the Key Benefits of Chiropractic Care?
Chiropractic care is an effective pain management approach. Unlike other treatments, chiropractic care does not focus on the symptoms. Instead, it penetrates deeper into the root cause of the problem and resolves it permanently.
Chiropractic care has a long record of safety.
- It can be applied to patients from all age groups
- It has very few side effects
- The mild discomfort during some treatments is highly manageable and many people return to work immediately following their appointment
- You may experience pain relief after your first session (but be sure you stick to your plan for long-lasting relief)
- Many people find their appointments to be relaxing
- There are no pharmaceuticals used in chiropractic care
Ready to Visit a Chiropractor?
We hope our FAQs help you better understand what a chiropractor is, who is a good candidate for treatment and how it’s paid for.
Our team at Village Chiropractic is conveniently located in The Woodlands, offering our community unsurpassed care without having to leave your own backyard. Here, our friendly staff offers a patient-first approach where we’ll work to understand your needs and create a treatment plan that is tailored to your unique needs and condition. Request an appointment whether it’s your first time or you’re a chiropractic veteran!
