Frequently Asked Questions
Chiropractic Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Are Chiropractors Doctors?
A: Yes. Doctors of Chiropractic (aka “Chiropractors), are not medical doctors, but go through a similar four year post-graduate school to become licensed in the field of Chiropractic care.
Q: What Does A Chiropractor Treat?
A: Chiropractors can address a variety of pain and dysfunction under their license. Some common issues they address are neck pain, back pain, sciatica, migraines, shoulder and joint pain, and can make recommendations that pertain to other issues such as sleep disorders, immune issues, GI problems, and more.
Q: What Is A Chiropractic Adjustment?
A: An adjustment is the using a specific, controlled force in a precise direction applied to a specific area of the body (usually the spine, but could also be elbow, knee, hip, or wrist) to create structural alignment and eliminate interference to the nervous system. This creates more mobility and improved function, reduction in pain, and an overall elevation in health and wellness.
Q: Do Adjustments Hurt?
A: Adjustments should not hurt. Most patients feel relief when receiving an adjustment. Some post-adjustment soreness is common for those starting care, similar to the feeling one gets when starting a new exercise program.
Q: Are Adjustments Safe?
A: Yes. Chiropractic care, provided by a licensed Doctor of Chiropractic, is widely recognized as one of the safest, drug-free, non-invasive therapies available to address pain in the body.
Q: Why Do Adjustments Make That “Popping” or “Cracking” Sound?
A: That is the sound of air being released from joints. An adjustment affects the tissues that hold a joint together, and stretching those tissues releases small pockets of air.
Q: Are All Patients Adjusted The Same Way?
A: No. Adjustments are customized based on a patients individual physiology, symptoms, diagnostics, and structure. Each adjustment is designed for a specific outcome. A “one size fits all” approach is not something we utilize, or recommend.
Q: Will One Adjustment Remove All My Pain?
A: Probably not. A single tooth-brushing does not eliminate all the plaque from a tooth. A single workout does not get someone their ideal physique. A single dosage of pain medication does not permanently remove all pain.
Generally speaking, patients require more care at first (to correct whatever problem is happening in their body), and less over time as their body responds to care.
Q: Can I See A Chiropractor If I’m Pregnant?
A: Yes. Many pregnant women utilize Chiropractic care to relieve discomfort during pregnancy, and create an easier, more enjoyable birthing experience. Our clinic has worked with many pregnant women.
Q: Will I Need To Remove My Clothing At My Appointment?
A: No. In fact, we require you to be fully clothed at all appointments.
Q: Will I Need To Be Adjusted Forever?
A: The best way to understand the benefits of Chiropractic care, it’s helpful to put it in the category of “lifestyle” benefits. Whether it’s regular bathing, tooth brushing, exercise, or sleeping, these activities are simply choices people make to support their health, and their benefits are realized over time.
Chiropractic is both corrective in nature, and preventative in nature. It can “fix” things, and it can also prevent things from happening in the first place. Similar to the other activities listed above.
Where Chiropractic care fits into your priorities is 100% your choice, based on your goals, and we support your choice because it is your health.
Q: Why Would I Need X-Rays?
A: X-rays are used to understand what is happening within the body.
Check out the following X-ray:
What you see is a compression fracture. If we adjust this patient with a drop-table adjustment, they will be in so much pain they will leave the clinic crawling. This patient requires a very specific type of adjustment, delivered at a very specific angle, to get any kind of pain relief. We would never know that, without X-rays.
When it comes to health, we do not want to guess; we want to know we are actually helping a patient, and not making their problems worse. X-rays do that.
We also use them as a measure of progress. If someone has lost disk height, or spinal curvature, and they are experiencing the negative symptoms of that condition, then we want to track and manage the progress over time to improve it. We use objective diagnostics – like X-Rays – to hold ourselves accountable to progress.
Q: Does Chiropractic Care Really Work?
A: Yes. Please see our documented case studies, or our reviews online.
Q: How Long Is An Appointment?
A: It depends the type of appointment.
New patient appointments last 45 minutes.
Reports of Findings appointments last 30-45 minutes.
An adjustment lasts 5-7 minutes. A Decompression appointment lasts 15 minutes, as does a Class IV laser appointment.
A massage lasts 30 minutes, 60 minutes, or 90 minutes (depending on how long a massage you want).
Functional Movement Training lasts 60 minutes.
Functional Medicine Consultations last 15-30 minutes, as does Nutritional Counseling Appointments.
Re-Exam appointments last 15 minutes.
