Chiropractic Appointment

Yes. Chiropractors receive a bachelor degree and then continue on to a 3-4 year post graduate doctorate program from an accredited institution. Upon completion of credits, the chiropractor must also pass national board examinations as directed by the National Board of Chiropractic Examiners (NBCE), as well as a state board examination.

As with any treatment, the Chiropractic adjustment/treatment is based on the individual’s needs so cost can vary. Though there is no “one-size-fits-most” treatment, on average adjustments can range from $35-65 dollars. Many major medical insurance providers, including Medicare, cover some form of treatment from a chiropractor, however every health care insurance policy is different and it is up to the patient to call his/her provider and ask what is covered.

Essentially, Chiropractors are concerned with restoring proper movement to areas of the spine that have fallen into a poor alignment, poor movements, or have become simply stuck in some way. These spine problems are most often due to postural distortions or injuries. If you think of your spine as having a design where function and proper painless movement is the normal, then you can think of misaligned or stuck spinal bones as places where your spine is out of agreement with the normal design. Chiropractors restore agreement between you and your spine and allow them to return to normal function. Once function is restored, pain often goes away.

Often there can be a release of lactic acid as spasmed muscle groups begin to relax.

When this question comes up, the concern is usually surrounding the perceived risk around neck manipulations/adjustments and stroke. To answer the question: By and large, yes, chiropractic is a safe and effective treatment for back and neck pain for both you and your family. That being said, like any medical intervention there is always risk. The good news is the actual rate of injuries that occur from chiropractic adjustments is incredibly low. Since most people’s concerns over safety revolve around spinal neck manipulations let’s look at the actual numbers.

The actual rate of association between neck manipulation and stroke is less than 1 case per 1 million. To give that number some context, the overall risk of death from spine surgery is 1800 per million; the risk of serious side effects/death from cervical spine (neck) surgery is 500 per million; the risk of death from combined use of NSAIDS/aspirin is 153 per million; the risk of death from aspirin alone is 25 per million. So to reiterate, the actual rate of association between neck manipulation and stroke is less than 1 case per 1 million.

Furthermore, in the November 2021 issue of the Journal of Stroke and Cerebrovascular Disease, a study was published in which the authors concluded that there was no excessive risk of carotid artery stroke after chiropractic care. That link: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27884458/

Chiropractors are among some of the safest primary care physicians you can seek out.

Yes and Yes. Sciatica is an irritation of the Sciatic nerve which is actually a bundled nerve made up of 5 spinal nerve roots. The nerve roots exit the spine at the levels of L4, L5, S1,S2, & S3. When the spine is mechanically disturbed or stuck in these areas, chiropractic adjustments are often very successful in fixing this problem.

TMJ, or more correctly, TMJD (Temporomandibular Joint Dysfunction), is very commonly helped with chiropractic treatments for the neck and Temporomandibular joint itself. Dr. Posada is certified in TMJD correction.

Yes, but not all insurances participate with chiropractors. It is generally considered the patient’s responsibility to understand what their health insurance covers.

No. Chiropractic as a profession has always been a drug-free intervention by choice. Chiropractic is not against medicine, but chiropractors choose to rely on their adjustment to help the patient’s body to heal once the spine comes back into agreement with itself and its design.