Center for Spine Pain

Educational requirements for doctors of chiropractic are as stringent as of any of the health care professions. The typical applicant at a chiropractic college has already acquired nearly four years of pre-medical undergraduate college education, including courses in biology, inorganic and organic chemistry, physics, psychology and related lab work. Once accepted into an accredited chiropractic college, which involves four to five academic years of professional study, the requirements become even more demanding. In total, the curriculum includes a minimum of 4,200 hours of classroom, laboratory and clinical experience This extensive education prepares doctors of chiropractic to diagnose health care problems, treat the problems when they are within their scope of practice and refer patients to other health care practitioners when appropriate.

Like other primary health care doctors, chiropractic students spend a significant portion of their curriculum studying clinical subjects related to evaluating and caring for patients. Because of the hands-on nature of chiropractic and the intricate adjusting techniques, a significant portion of time is spent in clinical training. Typically, as part of their professional training, they must complete a minimum of a one-year clinical-based program dealing with actual patient care.

In most cases no. The only time you are required to see your medical doctor before you see a chiropractor is when your insurance plan requires a referral from a medical doctor.

Yes. Doctors of chiropractic must pass national board examinations and become state-licensed.

Most health insurance plans have chiropractic coverage. We have various payment options based on your needs and the therapies you receive. Very reasonable self pay rates are available to patients without insurance making chiropractic care, rehabilitation, massage and acupuncture affordable for everyone. Be sure to ask about our CSP Membership Program or our ChiroCard program.

Chiropractors specialize in conditions that affect the musculoskeletal system. While neck and back problems are the most common conditions chiropractors treat, most conditions that affect the musculoskeletal problems are amenable to chiropractic care. Examples of conditions that chiropractors treat include:

• Headaches
• Sports injuries (knees, shoulder, ankle, elbow injuries)
• Carpal tunnel syndrome
• Tennis elbow
• Rotator cuff tendonitis
• Plantar fasciitis and vertigo

Chiropractic is widely recognized as one of the safest drug-free, non-invasive therapies available for the treatment of neuromusculoskeletal complaints. Although chiropractic has an excellent safety record, no health treatment is completely free of potential adverse effects.

The risks associated with chiropractic, however, are very small. Many patients feel immediate relief following chiropractic treatment, but some may experience mild soreness or aching, just as they do after some forms of exercise. Current literature shows that minor discomfort or soreness following spinal manipulation typically fades within 24 hours.

Neck pain and some types of headaches are treated through precise cervical manipulation. Cervical manipulation, often called a neck adjustment, works to improve joint mobility in the neck, restoring range of motion and reducing muscle spasm, which helps relieve pressure and tension.

Neck manipulation is a remarkably safe procedure. While some reports have associated upper high-velocity neck manipulation with a certain kind of stroke, or vertebral artery dissection, there is not yet a clear understanding of the connection. The occurrence appears to be very rare—1 in 5.85 million manipulations— based on the clinical reports and scientific studies to date. If you are visiting your doctor of chiropractic with upper-neck pain or headache, be very specific about your symptoms. This will help your doctor of chiropractic offer the safest and most effective treatment, even if it involves referral to another health care provider.

It is important for patients to understand the risks associated with some of the most common treatments for musculoskeletal pain -- prescription and over-the-counter nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS) -- as these treatments may carry risks significantly greater than those of chiropractic manipulation. According to a study from the American Journal of Gastroenterology, approximately one-third of all hospitalizations and deaths related to gastrointestinal bleeding can be attributed to the use of aspirin or NSAID painkillers like ibuprofen.

There is no contraindication to spinal manipulation for patients who are pregnant. In fact, chiropractic care is quite beneficial as the body undergoes changes related to weight gain and weight distribution.

Yes. Chiropractic care is always adapted to the individual patient. Therefore, techniques used to treat children are more gentle and are specific to their skeletal maturity and size. Children can benefit greatly from chiropractic care, particularly if they are active in sports.

Your first chiropractic visit will consist of a history of your condition, a thorough examination to determine what your treatment needs are (chiropractic manipulation, massage therapy, acupuncture, etc.) and your treatment. Subsequent visits involve your discussion of your progress and your treatment.

This is a common misconception about chiropractic care. The most common reason you come in for care is to alleviate pain. Using manual techniques, we help you alleviate your pain and improve your function. We educate patients on how to be aware of their symptoms and to get care before symptoms get out of hand. This awareness prompts you to get care and therefore is often misconceived as being “required” to come back for care “forever.” Through condition specific exercises and lifestyle changes, we teach you how to manage your symptoms on your own so that you only come in for care only when needed.

An adjustment is the term used to explain the chiropractic treatment. It is known in the medical community as spinal manipulation. It is a highly skilled procedure and should only be performed by practitioners like chiropractors with extensive education and experience in this type of treatment.

The adjustment is a painless procedure. If a person is already in pain any movement of course can be uncomfortable, but the adjustments are designed to ultimately reduce and eliminate the pain.

That "cracking" sound is air, gas and fluid escaping from the joint. It is the same thing that happens when you crack your knuckles. The patient’s bones do NOT crack.

Different patients have different healing times. Some experience relief within 1-2 weeks; others notice changes before the end of the first month. Healing is dependent on the length of time a patient has had the condition and the severity of their problem.

Most patients have seen their posture improve as a result of chiropractic care.

The doctor will determine if films are necessary during the examination and then will discuss this with you.

If you have them, please DO bring them, as they will help the doctor with his examination. If the doctor determines at the end of the examination that new films are necessary, he will advise you and discuss why he feels they are necessary.

Many insurance plans cover chiropractic. We will verify your benefits when you come to our office for the first visit.

Chiropractors use many different techniques to treat specific areas of the body. As with medicine, each technique provides the patient with various, specific benefits – depending on the patient, some may be more appropriate than others. The doctor will choose techniques that are most effective and comfortable for each individual patient.

The doctor will recommend a treatment plan for you which will best benefit your health. For you to obtain the best results from chiropractic care, it is important that you stick to the schedule the doctor recommends.

The doctor is available to see a patient in an emergency, otherwise, the patient should follow the schedule that the doctor has prescribed. Please call for an appointment prior to coming to the office.