Frequently Asked Questions in Johnson City

Yes. Chiropractors are classified as physicians under United States Federal Health Programs.

Many painful conditions of the spine and extremities are due to mechanical type problems. Improper alignment and faulty movement of the bones and joints will irritate and injure the surrounding tissues, Pinching and irritating nerves, tendons, ligaments, muscles as well as the spinal discs. producing inflammation and pain. These mechanical problems cause abnormal pressure on joints wearing down the cartilage, herniating discs, and eventually will result in degenerative joint disease, also called osteoarthritis. Chiropractors use a variety of techniques to realign and restore normal alignment and motion to these areas.

Absolutely. There are now literally hundreds of studies in the medical literature that show chiropractic care is effective in treating musculoskeletal disorders, and is usually far superior than standard medical treatments like medications. In fact, studies show that seeing a chiropractor for your back pain is one of the only proven ways to prevent spinal surgeries. A recent study conducted by the Dartmouth School of Medicine compared patients with the same diagnosis who went to a medical doctor or a chiropractor first with their problem. They found that of the patients who went to the medical provider first, 42.7 percent ended up having a surgical procedure performed. In contrast, only 1.5% of the chiropractic patients ended up having surgery to solve the problem. Meaning medical patients were 28 times more likely to end up having spinal surgery than chiropractic patients.

Current medical practice guidelines issued by the some of the USA's most respected medical societies recommend to try chiropractic treatment before utilizing drugs, even over-the-counter non-prescription drugs, or surgery.

Every patient's problem is unique situation. A stiff neck upon awakening one morning with no previous history of problems may only take one or two treatments to successfully treat, whereas chronic long-standing back pain, herniated and degenerative discs, or sciatica may require multiple treatments over weeks of time for adjustments to correct joint restrictions and to strengthen and retrain muscles on proper alignment and movement of the bones and joints. Your Doctor will create a treatment plan for your individual problem and review it with you before starting treatment.

 While many chiropractic clinics focus on providing solely chiropractic joint adjustments our facility take a more comprehensive approach. By utilizing not only traditional chiropractic adjustment techniques but additionally more recently developed table and instrument adjustment techniques, we can provide care that is comfortable and effective for a wider variety of problems. By combining these treatment techniques with individually tailored rehabilitative exercises and cutting edge modalities like low level laser therapy we can maximize healing potential and minimize chances of re occurrence.

Chiropractic is a health care profession that focuses on disorders of the musculoskeletal system and the nervous system. Chiropractic care is used most often to treat neuromusculoskeletal complaints, such as back, neck pain and headaches, leg pain and sciatica, pinched nerves, and herniated and degenerative discs. But it's not just for the spine either. All your bodies joints require normal alignment and movement to function pain-free. Chiropractic has a long and successful track record dealing with carpal tunnel syndrome, TMJ joint disorders, shoulder and wrist pain, hip and knee problems, and foot disorders like plantar fasciitis.

 Yes. Chiropractic care is a safe and effective treatment during pregnancy. Not only can chiropractic care help manage pain in your back, hips, and joints, it can also establish pelvic balance. That can provide your baby with as much space as possible over the course of your pregnancy.

Some types of chiropractic adjustments will cause an opening up of the joint space. This space is filled with a lubricating fluid. When the joint space is adjusted a tiny bubble will form and pop resulting in a "popping" or "cracking" sound.

Not at our clinics. Our Doctors are trained and certified in multiple ways to adjust joints. Having this advanced training allows our Doctors to have the ability to tailor a treatment that is both effective and comfortable for each patient's individual problem.

Chiropractors complete the same pre-med college coursework as all doctors before entering chiropractic school. There they undergo an additional four year curriculum that is much like their medical counterparts. The amount of classroom hours are roughly the same, with the biggest difference being chiropractic school emphasizes joint adjustments, corrective exercises and physical rehabilitation, nutritional studies, X-ray analysis and anatomy, while medical school has its study in pharmaceutical and surgical training. Both schools require extensive clinical internships treating patients under supervision of licensed providers.

Chiropractic treatment is different than typical medical treatment for these problems. Medical treatment usually involves the use of drugs to mask the symptoms, where as chiropractic treatment seeks to address the underlying mechanical cause of the symptoms. While pain relievers, anti-inflammatories, muscle relaxers and nerve pills may provide temporary relief of the pain, they often have dangerous side effects, such as permanent damage to the stomach,kidneys, liver and cardiovascular system, particularly when used long term. Even something as simple as aspirin kills over 6000 people a year due to stomach bleeds. death from opioid pain killers is now the #1 cause of death for people under 50 in this country and Addictions to prescription medications for pain are the largest addiction in our country now. Pain is a warning signal from your body that something is going wrong. Using medications to be able to perform activities that are painful can result in further damage and decay of the problem area. Think of it this way, When the oil light appears on your car's dashboard, do you reach under the dash and pull out the wire so the light goes off and then keep driving? Or do you get to the cause of the light coming on and fix the actual problem by adding oil. Chiropractic care is focused on treating the underlying mechanical issue causing the pain, not just blocking the pain nerves temporarily.