Frequently Asked
Questions
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What can I expect on my first
visit?The first thing a chiropractor will do is ask you about the
health complaints of which you are chiefly concerned. The DC will also ask about your family history,
dietary habits, other care you may have had (chiropractic, osteopathic, medical, etc.), your job, and
other questions designed to help determine the nature of your illness and the best way to go about
treating the problem.
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How long does the initial exam
take?The initial exam will take about 30
minutes.
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How long does the initial exam
take?The initial exam will take about 30 minutes.
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What is an
Adjustment?In basic terms, adjustment refers to the process in
which the doctor of chiropractic skillfully applies controlled force into one or more "subluxated"
vertebrae (vertebrae out of place) of the spine. When appropriate, adjustments can also be used on most
of the bodies other joints, from head and jaw to knees and toes.
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What do spinal adjustments
do?Adjusting helps correct vertebral subluxations. Correcting
subluxations reduces pain and inflammation, reduces muscle spasm and tension, normalizes spinal
biomechanics and more importantly, can remove nerve irritation and interference, which can improve
overall health and wellness of the individual. Chiropractic adjustments are
the only way to eliminate vertebral subluxations and deliver the chiropractic spinal adjustment to
correct subluxations.
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How long will I have to continue getting
treatments?While treatment lengths vary somewhat from person to
person and from condition to condition, there are a few rules of thumb you can follow.
First, new injuries, if treated appropriately and immediately, tend to respond to fewer visits assuming
that major tissue injury has not occurred. Many of these first time injuries can be effectively managed
in as little as 3 to 4 visits. Conditions that have been present for greater than 3 months and
recurring conditions are generally more stubborn and difficult to manage. Resolution may require 12
visits or more.
The only sure way to determine how long your treatment will take is to schedule a consultation and/or 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.
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How much will it
cost?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 1993 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".
Note: We also offer different treatment plans and payment options, placing chiropractic care within
reach for all who wish to receive its benefits.
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Will my Insurance cover Chiropractic
care?Most insurance polices cover chiropractic care. These
carriers including HMO's and PPO's recognize that chiropractic care effectively treats many conditions!
Recent articles published in the Journal for Managed Care cited Chiropractic care as being more cost
effective than conventional medical therapies in treating low back pain. Your chiropractor is a
provider for Blue Cross/ Blue Shield, Medicare, ASHN, VHN, and more.
Auto injuries are typically covered 100% by your auto insurance company. If your accident was caused by
someone else, their insurance will pay for your care. I accept auto accident liens, and wait for
payment when your case settles.
If you've been hurt on the job, Workers Compensation Insurance also covers my services. Studies show
that most on the job injuries respond quicker with Chiropractic Care than any other type of
treatment!
If you would like, we can contact your insurance company and let you know what your benefits and
limitations are before you commit to care. Give my office a call at 209-384-2100.
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What if I don't have insurance or if my insurance
company offers little, or no Chiropractic coverage?If you have
little or no coverage, you are not alone! That's why I have very affordable, no-interest payment plans
that are amazingly low cost and affordable! After your examination and any necessary diagnostic tests
Dr. Ekizian will determine if he can help you. A "Recommended Action Plan" that spells out how
much treatment and care will cost, how long different phases will take, and what options you have to
pay for the care, is then provided to you. At that time, you can decide if you want to proceed with
care. If not, there is no obligation what-so-ever!
If you're not comfortable with the Recommended Action Plan, or aren't sure about anything I suggest,
that's just fine. Whenever you're ready, I'll be ready. If you decide to take a pass, that's your
choice, and I'll respect your decision with the utmost professionalism.
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What are the stages of
care?The typical patient will encounter 3 stages of care. The
first stage focuses on symptomatic relief such as reduction of pain and other discomforts. The
following stage addresses tissue healing and function normalization. The final stage consists of
periodic spinal care to prevent the formation of new injures, minimize future flare-ups of old
injuries, and prevent degenerative spinal processes from occurring.
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Do I have to keep coming back for treatments?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 visited the dentist. Like most people,
you've probably gone dozens of times. Why? Quite simply, to prevent your teeth from literally rotting
out of your head.
Once we have eliminated your pain and rehabilitated 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 and minimizes degenerative processes, which enhances overall health and
wellness.
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Do Chiropractors prescribe drugs or surgical
procedures?The Doctor of Chiropractic prescribes no drugs,
medications, or surgeries. Doctors of Chiropractic focus on restoring proper function as a way of pain
relief and optimal health. In many cases, drugs are used to cover up your pain but do nothing to “fix”
the causes of your problem.
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I’ve been to many doctors for my condition. No
matter what they do, I don’t get better. Why would going to a Chiropractor get me
better?A misalignment of one or more of the 24 movable bones or
“vertebrae” of your spine can irritate or cause pressure or pinching on spinal nerves and result in a
serious health-robbing, damaging interference (irritation or blockage) to normal nerve control of your
body. Since the brain controls all parts of your body through the nervous system, this nerve
interference can cause pain and many health problems. It can also lower your body’s resistance so that
you become even more susceptible to contagious and infectious illness and disease. Therefore, if your
problem is caused by a misalignment of one or more of the bones of your spine, only chiropractic care
will get you better.
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