What is Chiropractic Care?

The idea of visiting a chiropractic office for the first time can seem daunting, especially if you aren’t totally clear on what to expect. Here’s our crash course on the world of chiropractic so that you can rest easy stopping by our office in Fargo.

• What Does a Chiropractic Treatment Consist Of?
• Why Should I Visit a Chiropractor?
• What Should I Expect During My Appointment?
• What Determines How Many Visits I Will Need?

What Types of Conditions Do Chiropractors Treat?

Chiropractors provide treatments which can effectively reduce or eliminate pain, helping countless individuals who are suffering from acute and chronic joint and muscle pain.

Chiropractic techniques can include manual manipulations, instrumental adjusting, drop table, soft tissue release, and rehabilitation exercises.

• What Techniques Are Used During Treatment?

Can I See a Chiropractor During Pregnancy?

Pregnancy is a wonderful, exciting time in a woman’s life, and it is important to stay healthy and strong through every trimester. While many women focus on eating right and staying active, it’s easy to overlook the tremendous strain that pregnancy can put on the body, particularly the spine and pelvic region.

• What is a Prenatal Chiropractor?
• What are the Benefits and Risks of Visiting a Chiropractor During Pregnancy?
• What are Some Common Reasons to See a Chiropractor During Pregnancy?

Why Should Children Have Chiropractic Care?

Your child’s health is your number one priority. Beyond packing lunches and making sure your child gets physical activity, another preventative wellness practice for your child is chiropractic care. Before making an appointment, it’s normal to have some questions about how chiropractic care affects your child. Below are our most frequently asked questions when it comes to treating children.

• Is It Safe to Take a Child to a Chiropractor?
• What Are the Benefits for Children?
• Can Chiropractic Care Help With a Toddler’s Sleep?
• Does Chiropractic Have Benefits for Child Anxiety?
• Can a Chiropractor Help With a Child’s Behavior?
• When is It Appropriate to Bring My Child In?

Table of Contents

• What does an adjustment feel like?
• Are all people adjusted the same way?
• Do you take x-rays?
• What can I expect on my first visit?
• What is the popping noise?
• Is chiropractic safe?
• Should I use a chiropractor after an auto injury?
• When should I use ice and when should I use heat?
• How do you become a chiropractor?
• Does insurance cover chiropractic?
• Are chiropractors allowed to use hospitals or medical outpatient facilities?

What does an adjustment feel like?

Generally patients report and adjustment as feeling good, and describe they feel looser or are able to move much better. Occasionally, brief soreness.

Are all people adjusted the same way?

No. Treatments are tailored to individual patient to take into consideration patient presentation, age, muscle tightness, and preference.

Do you take x-rays?

Some chiropractic offices will take X-rays on all new patients; however our office policy is to evaluate the condition and gather the necessary information to determine whether an X-ray will assist in the diagnosis or treatment of the patient. In most cases of non-traumatic musculoskeletal conditions causing pain, an X-ray is not needed like in the example of back or neck pain that has developed after repetitive use or from having lifted a heavy object. Many factors are considered when making this decision.

Our office will be more likely to request or send patients out for X-rays in instances of trauma or a suspected fracture, when there is an onset of new symptoms without a clear cause, if a patient is not responding to care as expected, and especially when there are “red flags” that could indicate something more serious may be going on.

What can I expect on my first visit?

The first thing a chiropractor will do is ask you about the health complaints about which you are chiefly concerned. A physical examination will be performed in accordance with your DC’s clinical judgement, and other diagnostic procedures.

Your first visit is mostly about gathering information. As with any healthcare professional, your first visit to the chiropractor involves a lot of learning on your part, and on the part of your chiropractor. They do tests to see what’s going on in your body, so you can work together to find a solution.

What is the popping noise?

The popping noises are caused by small pockets of air or gas bubbles that form and are trapped within the fluid of the joints. As the joint is stretched, gas exchange occurs and causes this popping noise, as often noticed when someone cracks their knuckles.

Is chiropractic safe?

Chiropractic care is widely recognized as one of the safest drug-free, non-invasive therapies available for the treatment of most back and neck problems.

Should I use a chiropractor after an auto injury?

Yes, if needed. Even “fender-benders” can cause hidden injuries that can develop into pain, headaches, and arthritis. Even worse, most people who have been involved in an auto accident may not even know that they’ve been hurt. care to help restore proper motion and position of spinal bones. If caught early enough, inflammation can be reduced and scar tissue can often be minimized.

When should I use ice and when should I use heat?

Ice reduces inflammation and swelling. It is used for acute pain and injuries.  ice is a natural anti-inflammatory. If you applied heat, the swelling would increase and so would the pain. There are four phases to icing:

• Cold
• Burning/pricking
• Aching (which can be more intense than the pain)
• Numbness

You must get through all stages for icing to have a therapeutic effect.

Is it ever Ok to use heat?
Heat tends to be most effective when used on more chronic injuries and aches to keep them flexible and comfortable. Use it on areas of chronic muscle tension, to reduce achiness from chronic arthritis, or as a means of improving body flexibility prior to exercise and activity. Avoid heat in the initial stages of an acute injury or pain flare-up.

How do you become a chiropractor?

Doctors of Chiropractic (DCs) go through a minimum of 4, 200 hours of classroom, lab and clinical internships during their 4-year doctoral graduate school program. Chiropractors are educated as primary contact health care practitioners, with an emphasis on musculoskeletal diagnosis and treatment.

Most professional athlete programs use chiropractors including many HS teams.

Do insurance plans cover chiropractic?

The majority of all insured American workers have coverage for chiropractic services in their health care plans.

Are chiropractors allowed to practice in hospitals or use medical outpatient facilities?

Chiropractors are being recognized to admit and treat patients in hospitals and to use outpatient clinical facilities (such as labs, x-rays, etc.) for their non-hospitalized patients. Hospital privileges were first granted in 1983.