Answering Chiropractic Questions With Total Chiropractic Care & Wellness
Whether it’s because of back pain, neck pain, headaches, car accident injuries, sports injuries or any other type of injury or body pain, more people are finding both short-term and long-term relief via their chiropractors. Indeed, an increasing number of people are turning to chiropractic care to help them achieve pain relief, improved posture and better overall health.
However, if you’re new to the world of chiropractic care and how it can help you, then you will surely have questions. Here’s a list of the types of questions you should ask about chiropractic treatment techniques, especially when choosing a chiropractor:
What are your qualifications? How long have you been practicing chiropractic? What treatment techniques do you use and why?
You’ll want to know the chiropractor’s background and experience, as well as the training it took him or her to become a doctor of chiropractic. Obtaining references – a mix of a few patients and other health care professionals who’ve worked with the chiropractor – will also help you determine his or her qualifications. You should also understand the particular techniques he or she is trained to perform to help determine if his or her treatment style will work for your specific condition or injury.
How much training and experience do you have with my particular condition? How often do you treat it?
Because there can be several different techniques for different conditions, you’ll want to ask these questions to decide if he or she is the best chiropractor for your health needs.
Do you use your hands or an instrument for chiropractic manipulation? Do you apply a deeper joint-popping adjustment or a low-force adjustment? What’s the difference?
Chiropractors will often use their hands, or occasionally an instrument, to manipulate the joints, spine and soft tissue to restore or improve the healthy function of your body. You’ll want to know how your chiropractor performs adjustments.
What typically happens during a chiropractic adjustment?
Your chiropractor should be able to explain the technique he or she will be using and tell you what you should experience during chiropractic adjustment treatment. While spinal adjustments shouldn’t cause increased discomfort, there might be some mild soreness a few days post-treatment.
Will you be able to help me recover? How long is the treatment plan? What can I expect from the first visit and from follow-up visits? What are the side effects and possible complications of the process, if any? Will my chiropractic treatment be on-going? How do you determine how many visits I need? Will you give me your recommendations in writing?
Your chiropractor should be able to outline a course of treatment, how many regular visits it should take and how he or she measures progress. He or she should also be able to tell you what you should expect and explain any and all side effects. Last, but not least, your chiropractor should be able to put his diagnosis and treatment recommendation in writing so you could review it and make an educated decision about treatment.
What type of additional diagnostic testing is needed? Do you take x-rays when necessary? Will I need additional care from other health care professionals?
Your chiropractor should be able to tell you if you require additional tests or x-rays to ensure the right diagnosis, to prevent further or different injury and to gauge progress. He or she may work in tandem with other health professionals or refer you to other health professionals to enhance treatment or check for other underlying conditions.
Will my insurance cover my chiropractic care? Do you offer free consultations? Do you have payment plans available?
Asking these questions and obtaining the costs up front in writing will help you make an informed decision, as well.
What do you recommend I do at home in between treatments to help facilitate healing?
Your chiropractor might suggest at-home treatments or stretches, lifestyle changes and nutrition information to go hand in hand with chiropractic care and pain management.
All of these questions will help you decide what type of chiropractic treatment techniques will work for you and which chiropractor to choose.
If you are experiencing back or neck pain, headaches or other chronic pain, then give Dr. Todd Goldman at Total Chiropractic Care and Wellness in Medford a call at (631) 447-2299 today. Dr. Goldman has helped many patients naturally manage their pain via chiropractic care.
He follows evidenced-based treatment procedures that begin with diagnostic exams to precisely determine the cause of your pain. The adjustments the doctor provides his patients are based on his diagnostic findings and address the underlying musculoskeletal misalignments triggering a patient’s pain, rather than simply “hiding” these symptoms with medication.
