Frequently Asked Questions in Spring Lake Park

Spring Lake Park Chiropractic is committed to providing affordable chiropractic care. We are currently accepting new patients and are in network providers with all automobile insurance, worker's compensation and a wide majority of health insurance carriers in Minnesota. Contact our office and we will assist you in verifying your chiropractic benefits. Below are answers to the most frequently asked questions:

When is Chiropractic care covered by my health insurance plan?

Chiropractic care is covered under most health insurance plans if it is for an acute (short-term) condition such as for a recent injury, or for a condition where treatment offers lasting benefit or curative value. An exam or re-exam may be conducted to establish what condition is being treated. Coverage for exams vary by plan.

Is there a certain amount of treatment that is covered?

For most plans, the amount or length of treatment that is covered by insurance is not necessarily defined by the number of visits or types of treatment (though some plans require pre-authorization with a specified number of visits). Rather, the treatment is covered as long as it demonstrates significant, lasting, or progressive improvement to your condition. (Many plans have a maximum number of chiropractic visits allowed in a plan year, even if treating for an acute condition).

When is chiropractic care NOT covered by my health insurance plan?

Chiropractic care is NOT covered under most health insurance plans when you reach a point in treatment where chronic symptoms remain stable or where you no longer show progress in reducing these chronic symptoms through chiropractic care. At this point, you have reached what is called "maintenance" care.

How will I know if I have reached the end of covered care?

Your chiropractor will let you know when you have reached a point of "maintenance" care and will discuss further care options.

What happens when I am determined to have reached the end of covered treatment but I still want to have regular chiropractic adjustments?

You may continue maintenance treatment, but you must pay for it completely out-of-pocket. If you choose to receive chiropractic care beyond acute care, it is a self-pay service where you would be responsible for payment. Contact your insurance provider to determine if you have coverage for maintenance care.

How will I know the cost to me for maintenance care?

Prior to receiving maintenance care, our staff will have you sign a Financial Disclosure Form (ABN for Medicare patients), letting you know in advance the costs of the elected services.

Is it possible to move from maintenance care back to chiropractic care covered by my insurance plan?

If you sustain a future incident or injury, your chiropractic care would again meet the criteria for acute care and would be covered by your health plan, until that condition has reached a plateau level and does not provide any more lasting, curative value. (Again, many plans do have a plan year maximum of visits, even if treating for an acute condition.)

Who should I contact with questions?

Our staff will be happy to assist you with verification of your chiropractic benefits with your insurance provider prior to your appointment. Please contact your health plan's customer service department for any specific questions regarding your benefit coverage. As with all verifications, the insurer does not guarantee coverage for services until they receive the claim for review.

Chiropractic adjustments emphasize the body's natural ability to maintain and heal. Chiropractors work to align the spine and help the body function at its optimal levels, providing relief from a variety of ailments. Chiropractors see surgery and medications as last resorts because they address the symptoms and not the problems themselves.

Modern chiropractic is not just about putting bones back into place, chiropractic adjustments mobilize the bones and restore proper joint and spinal mechanics. When a chiropractor gives a chiropractic adjustment, built-up pressure, created by stress and physical movement, in the patient's body is released and motion can be restored. Some patients feel immediate relief, while many others gain relief and mobility over time. While relief is not a cure, it is the path to living a healthier, happier life more free of pain and stiffness.

Chiropractic protects the integrity of the nervous system and protects the body's natural healing ability. If your nervous system is functioning properly then all cells, organs, and tissues of your body will function at their max potential as well. The human body is designed to resist and fight disease and illness. The chiropractic lifestyle is about preventing bad things before they happen to your body. Chiropractic exams find and eliminate misalignments and subluxations.

When a chiropractor performs an adjustment, the patient's lower back undergoes quick and gentle stretching of the spinal joint. The patient might hear a popping noise as the joint is opened as the chiropractor makes adjustments. Research proves that small pockets of air are found in the tissue fluid surrounding the joint capsules. As the chiropractor stretches the patient's joint tissue during a chiropractic adjustment, the pockets of air "pop" as they shift.

No. Adjustments do not always create a sound. It is a myth that it is the bones that create the sound. The sound is being produced by the synovial fluid which is a lubricant that is found in all joints throughout the body. Synovial fluid contains dissolved gases and during an adjustment the slight movement causes a release of pressure. This release of pressure is kind of like the pressure that is released when a bottle of champagne is opened and just like with champagne, a popping sound occurs. It is not important to hear a sound when you get adjusted. It's important that there was movement and the movement was in the right direction.

Absolutely not. Trying to do such a thing may cause more damage. A chiropractic adjustment is specific and low force thrust that is applied in a specific direction to a particular joint(s). If you twist, turn or bend in a particular way then you might produce a similar popping noise but that does not mean that you adjusted yourself. By attempting to adjust, you could worsen your condition and make more work for yourself. Not even the world's best chiropractor can adjust his or herself.

Chiropractic in Spring Lake Park is recognized as the safest drug-free, non-invasive forms of care. All research and studies are evidence that chiropractic adjustments hold an extremely small risk. This is because chiropractic works using the body's natural healing process and doesn't interfere by using drugs or surgery. The proof lays in the difference a medical doctor pays in malpractice insurance in comparison to a chiropractor.

YES! You are now not only caring for yourself but the life of your child. Pregnancy puts a lot of stress on a woman's body creating nausea, vomiting, back pain, hip pain, etc. Getting adjusted throughout a pregnancy helps alleviate all these symptoms but the benefits don't stop there. Getting regular chiropractic care during pregnancy has been shown to reduce labor time by up to 50%. There is also decreased likelihood for the need for drugs during delivery.

No. If it was there probably would be a lot more healthy people in the world. It is likely that people just enjoy being free of pain, getting sick less and unable to remember their last headache. Chiropractic adjustments themselves are not addictive like drugs but being healthy can be.

If you consider how a child grows in a womb and the birthing process, it is a very physically traumatic experience. In Germany there was a medical study that found that because of all this physical stress 82% of all children are born with subluxations in their neck. Later, another exam was performed on the same children and it was discovered that 96% of all health conditions in the children were eliminated after the children received chiropractic adjustments. It has been learned that if given the opportunity, most parents will choose to have their children examined for subluxations. Studies have also found that many health problems that develop in adulthood have the potential to be avoid with early chiropractic care. Ridding the body of nerve interference has decrease or possibly eliminate a child's chances of being colicky and developing allergies, asthma, ADD/ADHD or ear infections.

It can be defined as a precise low force thrust in an exact direction to remove a subluxation or restore movement and nervous function. Chiropractic is the product of hundreds of years of careful research and is a safe, natural procedure.

Depending on what you're getting treated for can determine what you can expect. If you are compliant with care and follow your doctor's instructions then at the very least you can expect to have a better quality of life without drugs or surgery.

Believe it or not but it is very likely that you chiropractor has more education than your family physician. There are many similarities to the medical and chiropractic curriculum but chiropractors are able to focus more on anatomy, physiology, diagnosis, and radiology because they do not prescribe medications or perform surgeries. After receiving a bachelor's degree and graduate from grad school as a Doctor of Chiropractic (D.C.), chiropractors must pass four national board examinations in order to be required to practice. After passing national boards, chiropractors have to apply for a license in the state they practice and often have to take a state board exam. After complete this rigorous process, chiropractors are required to have yearly continuing education in order to keep their license.

Absolutely. It is a sad fact that back surgery only has a 15% success rate and only 50% of spinal fusions are considered successful. Most also have to return for more surgery because the symptoms return within the first year post surgery. Chiropractic can help prevent one back surgery but has to potential to prevent continuous surgeries.

Since everyone is different so it is hard to put one number on it for everyone. Call Spring Lake Park Chiropractic team and we would be more than happy to put you on a wellness schedule!

At Spring Lake Park Chiropractic we provide personalized care based on what we find during your examination and x-ray findings. Since no two people are the same, no two people are adjusted the same. Also, after every adjustment your body slightly changes so no two adjustments are the same twice.

It is a good rule of thumb that the longer the problem has been there, the longer it is going to take to recover. There are also many other variables to consider such as age, medical history, pre-existing conditions, etc. Children do heal quicker so it is always good to start care as early as possible. Please keep in mind that lifestyle plays a large role in how quickly your body heals.

When a chiropractor is working on restoring structure to your spine they are doing a lot more than you think. They are combating your lifestyle (diet, posture, stress, etc.) and retraining the musculature that connects and surrounds your spine. Surgery can perform quicker results but there are a lot of consequences such as the financial costs, recovery time, anesthesia, medications, etc. Getting chiropractic care is safe and natural and relies on your body to do the healing. So, patience is a virtue.