HARBOR BAY CLINIC OF CHIROPRACTIC, LLC
23620 Three Notch Rd. #104 Hollywood, MD 20636
(301) 373-3731
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Q: WHAT IS CHIROPRACTIC CARE?
A: Chiropractic care is a science, philosophy, and art focused on the intricate relationship between the spine and nervous system. Chiropractors detect and remove subluxations.
A Subluxation [suhb-luhk-sey-shuhn] is a misalignment in the spine that cause tension in the nervous system and dis-ease. You may not even feel it, but it may still be there. This can put pressure on or irritate the spinal nerves that come out between each vertebra. This interference can lead to decreased function, loss of energy, pain, and ill-health. Chiropractors use a gentle adjustment to realign the spine, restore normal nervous system function, and allow the body to heal, naturally.
Q: HOW DOES A SUBLUXATION AFFECT YOU?
A: Your nervous system controls and coordinates all of your bodily functions. If signals traveling over our nerves are interfered with, altered nerve messages will be sent to your body. This doesn't allow your body to function to the best of its ability- at 100%. Chiropractic care realigns your spine and helps your body clear the way for your nervous system to send signals between your brain and your body again.
Q: WHY WOULD ANYONE NEED CHIROPRACTIC CARE?
A: In adults, after years of stress to the spine, pain is usually the last thing that results from dysfunction and trauma. So when your pain disappears, it doesn't mean the cause of your problem has been corrected since the problem has taken so long to manifest.
Subluxations are misalignments in the spine that cause tension in the nervous system. Sometimes subluxations can cause symptoms like pain, stiffness, weakness, muscle spasms, etc. However, most of the time subluxations are silent and cause decreased function without causing pain.
Less than 10% of the nerves in your entire body sense pain. So even if those aren’t irritated, there’s still 90% that could be affected without you even knowing it. That’s why getting checked by a Doctor of Chiropractic is so important.
Q: WHAT IS WELLNESS AND HOW CAN I ACHIEVE IT?
A: A wellness approach to better health means adopting a variety of healthy habits for optimum function on all levels - physical, mental, social, and spiritual. Because of its focus on the nervous system, chiropractic care can be an important part of a wellness lifestyle. The nervous system controls the function of virtually every aspect of our lives. Maintaining a properly functioning nervous system is essential if you want to be your very best. Those who want to be their very best, add regular chiropractic care to their other health practices. The pleasant result is often more vitality, endurance, and the capacity to enjoy life to its fullest.
Q: HOW DO I GET SUBLUXATED?
A: There are many ways a person can become subluxated. Everyday activities like sleeping, sitting, and standing for extended periods of time can lead to subluxations. Other possible causes may include accidents like slipping on the ice, falling down stairs, and even bumping your head. Stressful events at work or school can also contribute.
Our environment and what we use to fuel our bodies is also a factor in the development of subluxations. Birth is often the first place someone develops a subluxation when the doctors use force of up to 60 to 100 pounds to aid the delivery. Normal childhood activities such as spills from a bicycle, sledding, sports events, and any other activity resulting in a jarring fall, can lead to subluxations.
Many times when subluxations first develop, they go un noticed because pain is not involved. As time goes on and symptoms develop, the subluxated area has already been significantly compromised.
Q: WILL THIS CURE MY BACK/NECK PAIN?
A: While correcting subluxations might bring you relief from pain or other symptoms, the general aim of the chiropractor is not to merely fix painful backs and necks, but to enable the body to express itself to the fullest, without any interference from subluxations. Relief from back and neck pain, which are the most common reasons that bring people into a chiropractic office, may come about from the adjustments. However, there can be no certain guarantee because everyone’s body responds differently. Correcting subluxations opens up the body’s ability to heal and function as it was designed to. Without any interference in nerve transmission, the body can optimize its immune system, which in turn enables the body to more effectively fight disease and illness.
Q: DOES AN ADJUSTMENT HURT?
A: Just the opposite! Chiropractic releases tension in the nervous system that develops over time from the physical, chemical, and emotional stress we experience. Most of the time our patients comment on how wonderful they feel – more energy, less pressure, decreased pain, increased life!
Our doctors are trained in a variety of chiropractic techniques to take care of everyone. If you’re nervous about an adjustment, just let us know and we’ll help you through the process safely and comfortably.
Q: WHAT WILL HAPPEN ON MY FIRST VISIT?
A: We always start with a complimentary consultation. After completing the initial paperwork, you’ll sit down with one of our doctors for a conversation about your health goals, your concerns, and all aspects of care to make sure our practice is the right fit for you. If we determine you may have a subluxation, our doctors will perform a thorough chiropractic evaluation to determine how we can best help you. We’ll review the findings with you, come up with an initial plan of correction, and get started.
When Atlas Orthogonal treatment is indicated for children or adults, the first step of the diagnosis is to determine the degree in which the atlas is misaligned. Very precise x-rays are taken which show the doctor exactly how the atlas is subluxated to make the most precise atlas correction. Then a specific treatment protocol is developed to align the atlas into the correct neutral/orthogonal position.
The first adjustment is given on the second visit so the doctors can study your x-rays and discuss your findings with you. One of the most important steps after the first adjustment are post x-rays, which are taken immediately after the initial treatment. There is no guess work in this program. These x-rays are taken and analyzed to verify that the best possible correction was rendered. The doctor may then show you the comparison between before and after x-rays. Post x-rays are an illustration of the exact change that has taken place because of the atlas orthogonal correction.
Q: WILL I GET AN ADJUSTMENT ON MY FIRST VISIT?
A: Usually not. Your health is our main priority. We always thoroughly evaluate the results of your first visit before initiating care. On your first visit we perform a consultation, examination, necessary x-rays, and an extensive assessment of your nervous system. We take the time necessary to properly evaluate the results and make appropriate recommendations. Your follow-up visit will include a personalized report of findings and answers to any questions you may have.
Babies, children (depending on age and history) and pregnant mothers will not have an x-ray analysis taken, but if indicated will receive an adjustment the same day.
Q: HOW MUCH DOES AN ADJUSTMENT COST?
A: We always start with a complimentary consultation, a conversation with our office staff and doctors to discuss your goals, how our practice works, and all aspects of care – including fees. Chiropractic is best utilized with regular adjustments, therefore we don’t recommend a “per visit” option. It’s similar to exercise…one work out does not get you in shape, and typically neither does one adjustment.
Our doctors will spend time with you reviewing the results from your exam and make recommendations to get the best results. That will include a care plan based on the severity of subluxations in your spine and your individual health goals.
Our office is out-of-network, but we are happy to provide you with all of the necessary paperwork to submit to insurance for evaluation for your reimbursement. It is best to call your insurance provider and ask your coverage on out-of-network chiropractic services prior to your first visit.
When you first arrive, we will discuss all aspects of care, including insurance and finances, before starting care. This will give you an opportunity to determine if our office will be a good fit before any charges are incurred.