Frequently Asked Questions

Chiropractic works because you are a self-healing organism controlled and regulated by your nervous system. This is an innate inborn ability that we all have. When your body has a physical, chemical or emotional trauma it will produce a symptom. The symptom is merely the result of the problem and is not the actual cause. Chiropractic focuses on treating the cause of the condition by treating the physical trauma. Improper motion or position of the moving bones of the spine will interfere with this vital exchange by pinching or crushing nearby nerves and the tissues they control. As a chiropractor, we will use precise chiropractic adjustments which are intended to improve mind-body communications. Health often returns with improved nervous system control of the body.

The number and frequency of adjustments vary from patient to patient. If it is a minor spinal condition than it may only take a few visits. If there is a past history of the condition; scoliosis, arthritis and is of a more severe nature than it may take several weeks to months to correct and stabilize. This may entail a spinal corrective care plan than not only entails precise adjustments, but also specialized exercises.

Most patients see some progress within a week or two. Once the spine is stabilized then you move from a pain/symptom based care plan to a wellness based care plan. This is where the goal changes from treating for a condition to a preventative proactive model. Wellness care is for as long as you want your physical health to be at its highest.

Yes. A New Zealand government inquiry found that chiropractic adjustments are “remarkably safe.” Adjustments are about 100 times safer than taking a common over-the-counter pain reliever. The chiropractic approach uses conservative and natural solutions to reduce the chance or need of more invasive, dangerous, and costly treatments like drugs or surgery. A good example of how safe chiropractic is compared to medical treatment is the malpractice costs. The malpractice rates for a chiropractor is a small fraction of the rates charged to medical doctors.

This depends on the severity of the condition and the amount of correction needed. This will be determined by the detailed initial visit and x-rays that may be performed. The care plan will then be designed based on the results. A financial plan will then be designed utilizing your insurance benefits or limitations. We do have cash based care plans for patients with limited or no insurance coverage.

Yes. Our office is in network with all major insurance companies. Some examples include Blue Cross & Blue Shield, Cigna, Aetna, United Healthcare and many others.

Yes. This is a crucial part of your care. We will first show corrective care exercises focused on correcting your spinal condition. Once you can perform these prescribed exercises we will then go over an individualized at home/work regime. The goal is to make them time efficient and focused on the individual condition.

As Aurora chiropractors, we encourage the cooperation between multiple disciplines in your care. This synergistic relationship will allow you to get to your optimal health potential. We currently work with multiple medical doctors of all disciplines and the list is constantly growing.

If you have a PPO/POS/EPO than the answer is no. If you are in an HMO then you usually need a referral. Our office has experience in helping the patient acquire a referral and the physician with any information they may need.

Chiropractic care is the number one used conservative care discipline. The reason for this is because of how successful and less invasive chiropractic care is compared to standard medical treatment. The success rate to treat back, neck, and sciatic pain is impeccable, but these are not the only conditions that chiropractic care can help. If you or your child has headaches, allergies, sinus issues, digestive problems, asthma, immune system issues chiropractic has been shown to help. Basically if you are on a medication your body is not functioning at its fullest and chiropractic can be an effective form of adjunctive care.

A chiropractic adjustment is the art of using a specific force in a precise direction, applied to a joint that is subluxated, “locked up,” or not moving properly. The purpose of this safe and natural procedure is to eliminate interference to the nervous system, improving spinal function and overall health. There are multiple techniques that our office will use to correct any misalignment. The technique is determined based on an individual patients needs.

Chiropractic is one of the safest forms of children’s health care. A chiropractor does not adjust a baby or a child the same way as he or she adjusts an adult. A baby’s spine is very supple during the first few months of life, so the doctor of chiropractic applies slight pressure to make an adjustment. For older children whose spine is still made of mainly cartilage, slight pressure followed by a gentle push is all that is required to put the vertebra back in place.

No. The doctor evaluates each patient’s unique spinal problem and develops an individual course of care. Each chiropractic adjustment builds on the one before. The resulting recommendations are based upon years of training and experience. Each patient’s care is uniquely different from every other patient and will change depending on how the patient’s spine reacts.

No. If you feel like you need to constantly “crack your own back” this is an early warning sign of a spinal problem. Since a chiropractic adjustment is a specific force, applied in a specific direction to a specific joint, it is virtually impossible to adjust oneself correctly and accurately. It is possible to turn or bend or twist in certain ways to create a “popping” sound that sometimes accompanies a chiropractic adjustment. Unfortunately, this type of joint manipulation is usually counterproductive, often making an already unstable spine even more unstable, and can sometimes be dangerous.

Yes. It’s an unfortunate fact that up to half or more of patients who had spinal surgery discover a return of their original symptoms months or years later. They then face the prospect of additional surgery due to the permanent change the surgery created in the spine. This too common occurrence is know as “Failed Back Surgery Syndrome.” Chiropractic may help prevent repeated back surgeries by reducing correcting misalignments and restrictions in the spine. In fact, if chiropractic care is initially, utilized back surgery can often be avoided in the first place.

Pregnant mothers find that chiropractic adjustments improve their pregnancy and make delivery easier for themselves and their baby. If you notice one leg longer than another or your pants do not sit level on your hips these are signs of pelvic rotation. This could affect how the baby rests and the delivery path the baby may have to pass through. Adjusting methods are always adapted to a patients size, weight, age, and condition of health. The doctors at our office are certified in a special technique call the Webster technique and this technique is designed specifically for pregnant patients.

No. While exercise is an important part of good health it is completely different. Without normal spinal function a physical workout merely puts additional wear and tear on improperly functioning spinal joints. Exercising with a spine out of position can increase damage to a point that it may limit future exercise or decrease your ability to perform certain activities you enjoy (running, biking, skiing, even walking).