Frequently Asked Questions About Chiropractic Care

Here are answers to frequently asked questions about improving your health with chiropractic care.

Q: Do the doctors adjust children?

A: Yes. Chiropractic care is important for all ages. Everyone's spine needs to be in alignment to allow their nervous systems to function at 100% efficiency and for your entire body to function to its fullest potential

Q: How many times do I need to see the Hughes Chiropractic Health Center doctor before I feel better?

A: You will probably see the doctor more frequently as you begin your care. After your body stabilizes, your visits will become less frequent. Everyone's body is unique and individual. Some heal and respond faster than others. Maintenance care consists of once-per-month check-ups to ensure your freedom from subluxlation that would hinder your body from functioning properly.

Q: How long will my first visit take? And how long is each subsequent visit?

A: Your first visit at Hughes Chiropractic Health Center will last approximately one hour so the doctor can take the necessary spinal x-rays and spend all the time needed to answer all of your pertinent questions. Each subsequent visit will take approximately 15 minutes.

Q: Will Hughes Chiropractic Health Center take my insurance?

A: We will be happy to research your benefits and, if you're covered, do the insurance paperwork for you.

Q: Do you accept auto accident claims?

A: We certainly do. We are experienced in processing auto claims for our patients.

Q: Do you accept L&I claims?

A: Yes. When you have been injured on the job – or anywhere else – we are here for you.

Q: What will it cost to see the chiropractor?

A: After we have your insurance information, we can quote your benefits. If you don't have insurance, you qualify for a reduced rate that you'll pay at the time of the visit.

Q: I am on vacation and don't live in the area. Can I just get an adjustment?

A: The doctors will be happy to take care of you while you're visiting. You'll simply complete the standard forms like our regular patients, even if you're here for just a single adjustment/office visit.

Q: Does the doctor really need to take x-rays?

A: The doctors at Hughes Chiropractic Health Center are very conservative about taking x-rays. The initial x-rays show us your spine's structure, so there'll be no need for any follow-up x-rays to continue your care. If your condition changes, we have other instruments to tell us if you're suffering nerve pressure. By using the best technology available, we ensure that our patients receive the very lowest exposure possible, with the least amount of radiation. These views, taken on your first visit to Hughes Chiropractic Health Center, are specific stereoscopic x-rays – or 3D x-rays. They are a necessary analytical tool for providing you with excellent care.

Q: What other specialized equipment to you use in your office to treat patients?

A: To achieve the best spinal analysis and ideal spinal adjustment for our patients, we use these specialized instruments:

A Thermoscribe temperature-measurement device to check for thermal areas that indicate misalignment in the spine. (Dr. Palmer originally called the instrument a neurocalograph.)
A cervical drop-head piece that assists in patient comfort during cervical adjustments.
Low-level adjustment tables that give the doctors greater flexibility and a better line of adjustment to ensure optimal results for our patients.

Q: I've heard that sometimes people feel worse right after an initial adjustment? I thought they were supposed to feel better.

A: Sometimes this happens. What you are experiencing means that you are actually getting better. When your spine has been out of alignment for very long, your body has compensated for it. You've gotten used to the incorrect posture. After the chiropractor adjusts your spine to allow your nerve system to work properly again, the discomfort you feel is your muscles trying to get used to the correct position. It's like when you cut yourself and the wound begins to heal. The healing happens in stages. At first it can sting and burn. Then it will itch. But eventually, the cut will be healed. You may also notice what the healthcare profession calls "retracing." Let's say that twenty years ago you had asthma and migraines, but now you have a painful back. As nerve interference is corrected and your body recovers, you may find the backache goes away but your headaches return or you have asthma symptoms you haven't had in several years. This is normal and will pass. Recovery and change are ongoing processes. The important thing is that you are on the road to the optimum state of health you were meant to have.

Q: What exactly does "chiropractic care" entail, and what on earth are "subluxations"?

A: Chiropractic is a natural philosophy of life and health and the art and science of locating, analyzing and correcting vertebral subluxations. The major premise of Chiropractic is that there is universal intelligence in all matter constantly giving to it all of its properties and activities, thus maintaining it in existence. Innate intelligence is that specific localized portion of the universal intelligence which exists in living things to nurture and protect. A subluxation is a condition in which a vertebra has lost its normal juxta relation with the one above, to the one below, or both, to an extent less than a luxation, occluding an opening, impinging nerves, and interfering with the transmission of mental impulses between the brain and the tissue cells of the body. The four distinct parts of a subluxation are loss of alignment, occlusion of opening, impingement of nerve (impingement means to encroach or infringe on or upon), and interference with transmission.

Do you have a question you don’t see here? Contact us today. We'll be happy to answer any questions you may have so your body can reach its full potential in restoring and maintaining health.