FAQ

Chiropractic has helped millions of people worldwide suffering from all types of problems by working with the spinal column and its intimate relationship with the nervous system – the major controller of all bodily functions. By optimizing spinal column structure and biomechanics, irritation and stress are removed and health can once again be restored. Research studies have provided scientific evidence showing chiropractic care is not only effective in the treatment of back and neck problems, but can also provide effective relief with children suffering from ear infections, women suffering from dysmenorrhea (painful menses), and a number of other seemingly “non-spinal” conditions. While it’s not prudent to guarantee relief from such conditions or claim to “treat” these conditions, chiropractic has successfully helped millions of individuals with all sorts of health conditions by positively affecting the nervous system. Through the use of specific Gonstead chiropractic spinal adjustments, our chiropractors have established themselves as spine and nervous system specialists. Many medical experts are now coming to understand the true effectiveness of chiropractic care and are recommending major changes in the way our healthcare system manages many common spinal problems. Since it is difficult to avoid the stressors of life affecting the structure of your spine, chiropractic care can benefit everybody.

Chiropractic is based on the scientific fact that your body can regulate and heal itself. This is controlled via the nervous system – which consists of the brain, spinal cord, and all the nerves of the body. All functions in the body are controlled by the nervous system. Every muscle, joint and organ relies on nerves from the brain to control their function. Various physical, emotional and chemical stressors in our lives can disrupt the ability of nervous system performing optimally. Hence affecting our body’s ability to regulate and heal itself. Chiropractic is the science, art and philosophy of locating and correcting these problematic areas in the nervous system known as a subluxation.

The nervous system consists of the brain, spinal cord, and all the nerves of the body. The skull protects the delicate tissues of the brain, and the spinal vertebrae protect the spinal cord. Your spinal column is made of 24 vertebrae and their discs, plus their supporting ligaments and tendons. In addition to providing structural support, it also houses and protects the spinal cord as it travels from the brain. Between each vertebra, nerves branch out to every part of the body. To perform at your peak, your brain must both send and receive signals to and from your body via these exiting spinal nerves. If a vertebra is slightly displaced, interference with the spinal nerves is likely to result. This interference often reduces your body’s ability to coordinate its functions, adapt to changing requirements and heal itself. All of which can have dramatic effects on your health, lifestyle, and lower the body’s resistance to illness and dis-ease. Chiropractors are the only specialist in finding and correcting subluxations.

Chiropractic treatments are extremely safe for individuals of all ages. No significant risk of complications from receiving a Gonstead Method chiropractic adjustment is known to exist. Our treatments are safe because we only use natural and noninvasive methods of care. Research consistently shows that care from chiropractors is among the safest care available. The treatments themselves are generally not painful. In fact, most patients look forward to their treatments as many experience relief immediately after adjustments. Individuals who present with moderate to severe pain may experience some minor discomfort for obvious reasons, however, care is always gentle, safe and effective.

It is impossible to predict exactly how many visits a new patient will need to resolve their initial condition because each injury is unique and each individual’s healing response is different. While treatment lengths vary from person to person and from condition to condition, there are a few rules of thumb you can follow. First, newer injuries, if treated appropriately and immediately, tend to respond to fewer visits assuming that major tissue injury has not occurred. Conditions that have been present for greater than 1 month and recurring conditions are generally more stubborn and difficult to manage. The only sure way to determine how long your treatment will take is to schedule a consultation and/or examination. We give every patient an estimate on how long his or her correction may take after the initial examination. For those of you who believe in just waiting for the problem to “go away” on it’s own – understand that the longer your condition has been around, the more treatments it will eventually require to resolve.

Costs vary and generally depend on the number of treatments required to effectively treat your condition. A number of studies have shown that chiropractic care is extremely cost effective when compared to other “medical” forms of care for similar conditions. According to the 1991 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.”

Some insurance plans do cover short-term chiropractic treatment. Since everyone’s insurance policy is different, we will be happy to verify what chiropractic benefits you have purchased. Once we determine what your benefits are, we will be able to help you maximize your personal reimbursement. We may be able to help with benefits for Auto Accidents, Medicare, and Southern Ute Indian Health Services. Whether you have good or limited insurance benefits, we make care very affordable for you and your family.

You may have heard the notion that once you go to a chiropractor you have to keep going back. Before we answer that question, ask yourself how many times you have seen your dentist? Like most people, you probably have visited your dentist dozens of times. Why? Quite simply, to prevent your teeth from rotting and to ensure you will have a healthy set of teeth for a lifetime. Once we have eliminated your pain and corrected the injured tissues we do recommend that you maintain a schedule of periodic spinal checkups. Like your dentist and like many of the medical experts are now recognizing, prevention is the key to reducing recurrences of existing health conditions and minimizing new injuries in the future. So the answer is yes, we want you to keep coming back, but just periodically. Periodic chiropractic care minimizes spinal and nerve stresses, reduces recurrences of old injuries, prevents new injuries from developing, minimizes degenerative processes, which enhances overall health and wellness.

EVERYONE. If you have a spine and a nervous system, you should be checked. Your nervous system is called the “Master System.” It controls and regulates every cell, tissue, and organ system in the body. Unfortunately, the nervous system is the most neglected organ system in our current health care system. Since our spine houses and protects our nervous system, it’s extremely important to keep in healthy. However, if individuals are getting their spine checked, it’s usually because something hurts. By the time it hurts, there is already a problem. We believe every family should have a chiropractor on their healthcare team. The doctors at Precision Chiropractic have experience in treating newborn infants from hours old to the elderly of 95 years of age.

No. In Alabama, Chiropractors are primary healthcare providers. However, some insurances require a referral to utilize specific benefits. We are happy to accept referrals as we work well with medical doctors in the community. More and more families are choosing chiropractic because of its position as the largest natural and drugless healing profession in the world.

YES. Rest assured that we will not adjust the surgically modified areas of your spine. Surgery often causes instability and degenerative joint disease above or below the involved level. This will be the focus of your chiropractic care.

Pain of any kind, at any age, is a sign that something is not right. Pain is the way your body signals that a limit has been reached or you need to make a change soon. Since we can adapt, minor aches and pains are often shrugged off. While the pain may go away, if the underlying problem remains unattended, the problem will slowly worsen until it becomes more difficult and expensive to resolve.

Yes. Your chiropractor considers the unique circumstances of each client. There are many ways to adjust the spine. The method selected will be best suited to your age, size, and condition.

NO. Some people can make their joints “pop” but that is not an adjustment. Worse yet, damage can occur by mobilizing a joint with weakened muscles and ligaments. Adjustments are specific and must only be applied to the joint that is dysfunctional.

Even today’s “natural” childbirth methods can affect an infant’s spine. Colic, ear infections, reflux, or erratic sleeping habits can be signs of spinal distress. Adjustments are gentle. Knowing exactly where to adjust, no more pressure is needed than the amount you would use to test the ripeness of a tomato.