- What’s Wrong With Me?
- Can Chiropractic Help Me?
- How Long Will It Take?
- How Much Will It Cost?
- Do I Have To Keep Coming Back For Treatments?
- Are Chiropractic Treatments Safe and Do They Hurt?
What’s Wrong With Me?
As “mechanical beings” we cannot expect to function efficiently our whole lives without taking the steps necessary to identify, correct and maintain such function.
In order to accurately diagnose the cause of a particular symptom a patient is experiencing a thorough examination is required. Often time’s patients will assume their condition is being caused by the same thing that caused a similar effect in a friend or family member. This is not the case, just as every patient is unique and different from one another, so to are their ailments and how what treatments will work for them.
The overwhelming majority of conditions that walk into our office on a daily basis are of a functional or biomechanical origin. What this means is that the pain or other symptoms are not the result of something structural such as arthritis or a disc bulge but rather the result of the breakdown in the normal way in which your body should function. Normal joint mobility, muscle balance and tone (biomechanics) are vital to normal, efficient and pain free movement. Once these biomechanics begin to falter, your body is forced into compensatory changes. There is only so long we can endure these altered, inefficient biomechanics until symptoms begin.
Even in the presence of structural changes (arthritis, disc issues, etc.) it is often the biomechanical changes that are generating symptoms.
Our team of doctors are highly trained in the diagnosis and treatment of conditions affecting the entire musculoskeletal system (muscles, joints, bones, etc.). Rest assured that if you are suffering from back or neck problems, extremity problems or other musculoskeletal related ailments, chiropractic can provide you with the appropriate diagnosis and course of action to resolve the issue. If your condition is out of the scope of what we do at Howard County chiropractic or would be more appropriately managed by another health care specialist, we will gladly make the necessary referral and recommendations.
Can Chiropractic Help Me?
That depends of what the problem is…no one form of health care is the cure-all for anything. Having said that, Chiropractic care has helped millions of people worldwide and continues to be the fastest form of health care in the world. People suffering from all types of musculoskeletal problems and not just back and neck ailments have experienced tremendous results from this type of care. Chiropractic works with the body as a whole. Focus is placed on the spinal column and its intimate relationship with the nervous system – the major controller of all bodily functions and the entire musculoskeletal system.
Chiropractors are most commonly known for their experience in treating back and neck related conditions. At Howard county Chiropractic, we use a combination of spinal adjustments, Active Release Techniques, and many other highly specialized treatments to make sure our patients are on their way to recovery in a timely manner.
A chiropractor is a great place to start for most musculoskeletal conditions. They are trained to examine, diagnose and administer treatment for the vast majority of conditions.
How Long Will It Take?
While each person’s recovery will be vary in length as well as difficulty, there are a few general guidelines you can follow to base your timeline from:
If minor injuries are treated appropriately and within a short period of time from occurrence, the recovery time tends to be much shorter. Many of these less complicate3d injuries can be managed and normal mobility restored with as few as 3-6 visits. Injuries or conditions that have been presenting themselves for more than 3 months as well as reoccurring injuries tend to be more difficult to manage. Restoring normal mobility and well-being can take 12 visits or more.
Changing the way in which your body functions is not an easy thing. This is especially true when the condition is the result of something that is done every day such as sitting at a desk, running, etc. A correct diagnosis as well as strict adherence to treatment recommendations is vital to a successful outcome.
How Much Will It Cost?
The cost of recovery varies from patient to patient and depends on several factors: 1) the types of treatments that are required to restore your healthy mobility, 2) they type of insurance coverage you may or may not have. Over the years, research has shown that chiropractic and conservative care are more cost effective when compared to other forms of treatment or care for similar conditions.
According to the 1993 Manga Report,
There would be highly significant cost savings if more management of low-back pain was transferred from physicians to chiropractors. Users of chiropractic care have substantially lower health care costs, especially inpatient costs, than those who use medical care only.
Do I Have To Keep Coming Back For Treatments?
Of course not…your approach to long term wellness is up to you. You may have heard that once you go to a chiropractor you have to keep going back. Although often times continued care is of great benefit, the notion that you HAVE TO keep receiving care is simply not true. We are a condition specific office. This means that we diagnose your condition, treat it until it resolves or until we have done everything we can to help you and then we release you from care. If patients are interested and/or their condition warrants on-going care it will be discussed at the conclusion of their active treatment plan.
Like your dentist and many other medical experts are now recognizing, prevention is the key to reducing recurrences of existing health conditions, minimizing new injuries and optimizing health.
So the answer is no, you do not HAVE TO continue with periodic care but once our patients have gone through a treatment plan and have been educated as to the benefit of maintaining proper biomechanics, many decide that periodic, preventative care just makes good sense.
Are Chiropractic Treatments Safe and Do They Hurt?
Chiropractic treatments are safe for patients of all ages – including small children and the elderly. What makes chiropractic treatments so safe is that we use only a conservative and noninvasive approach to treating conditions. It has long been discussed and proven that conservative care from a chiropractor is among the safest care available and our treatments and methods are years beyond others as far as safety goes.
Not only do chiropractic treatments not hurt, most people look forward to, and enjoy their treatments. Like visiting your dentist, at times certain treatments can cause temporary discomfort but this is typically very transient and short lived. Individuals who are suffering with moderate to severe pain may experience some minor discomfort for obvious reasons, however, our treatment is always gentle, safe and noninvasive.
