What’s wrong with me?

Accurately identifying the cause of your pain or other discomforts always requires a thorough consultation and examination. Individuals should not assume their pain stems from the same problem, for example, their neighbor had, and thus what has helped their neighbor will help them. Just as every individual is unique and different from the next, so too are the health conditions they suffer and the treatments they require. Our chiropractic doctors are highly trained in the diagnosis and treatment of soft tissue injuries and abnormalities common to the spine, extremities, and rest of the body. Rest assured that if you are suffering from back or neck problems, extremity problems, or other health related ailments – Vertical Chiropractic® can provide you with the effective professional relief you deserve. If your condition is out of the chiropractic scope or would be more appropriately managed by another healthcare specialist, we will gladly and promptly make the necessary referral.

Can Chiropractic Help Me?

Chiropractic has helped millions of people worldwide suffering from all types of problems including back and neck problems. Chiropractic works with the spinal column and it’s intimate relationship with the nervous system – the major controller of all bodily functions. By optimizing spinal column structure and biomechanics, irritation and stress are removed and health can once again be restored. You may be surprised to learn that research studies have provided scientific evidence showing chiropractic care is not only effective in the treatment of back and neck problems, but can also provide effective relief with children suffering from ear infections, women suffering from dysmenorrhea (painful menses), and a number of other seemingly “non-spinal” conditions. While it’s not prudent to guarantee relief from such conditions or claim to “treat” these conditions, chiropractic has successfully helped millions of individuals with all sorts of health conditions by positively affecting the nervous system. Of course, our doctors of chiropractic are best known for their success in treating back and neck problems. Through the use of specific Gonstead chiropractic spinal adjustments, our chiropractors have established themselves as the back and neck injury specialists. Many medical experts are now coming to understand the true effectiveness of chiropractic care and are recommending major changes in the way our healthcare system manages many common spinal problems. Chiropractic care will benefit everybody in some way just as dental care will benefit almost everyone in some way. The reason being it is very difficult to go through life without having the stress of life affect the structure of your spine in some way.

What is Chiropractic?

Chiropractic is based on the scientific fact that your body can regulate and heal itself. This is controlled via the nervous system – which consists of the brain, spinal cord, and all the nerves of the body. All functions in the body are controlled by the nervous system. Every muscle, joint and organ relies on nerves from the brain to control their function. Various physical, emotional and chemical stressors in our lives can disrupt the ability of nervous system performing optimally. Hence affecting our body’s ability to regulate and heal itself. Chiropractic is the science, art and philosophy of locating and correcting these problematic areas in the nervous system known as Subluxation.

What is a Subluxation?

The nervous system consists of the brain, spinal cord, and all the nerves of the body. The skull protects the delicate tissues of the brain, and the spinal vertebrae protect the spinal cord. Your spinal column is made of 24 vertebrae and their discs, plus their supporting ligaments and tendons. In addition to providing structural support, it also houses and protects the spinal cord as it travels from the brain. Between each vertebra, nerves branch out to every part of the body. To perform at your peak, your brain must both send and receive signals to and from your body via these exiting spinal nerves. If a vertebra is slightly displaced, interference with the spinal nerves is likely to result. This interference often reduces your body’s ability to coordinate its functions, adapt to changing requirements and heal itself. All of which can have dramatic affects on your health, lifestyle, and lower the body’s resistance to illness and dis-ease. Chiropractors are the only specialist in finding and correcting subluxations to restore optimal nervous system function.

Are Chiropractic Treatments Safe and Do They Hurt?

Chiropractic treatments are extremely safe for individuals of all ages – from infants to 100 year olds. No significant risk of complications from receiving a Gonstead Method chiropractic adjustment is known to exist. Our treatments are safe because we only use natural and noninvasive methods of care. Research consistently shows that care from chiropractors is among the safest care available and is literally light years ahead of traditional medical care in terms of “safeness”. The treatments themselves are generally not painful. In fact, most patients look forward to their treatments as many experience instantaneous relief immediately afterwards. Individuals who present with moderate to severe pain may experience some minor discomfort for obvious reasons, however, care is always gentle, safe and effective.

How Long Will it Take?

It is impossible to predict exactly how many visits a new patient will need to resolve their initial condition because each injury is unique and each individual’s healing response is different. While treatment lengths vary from person to person and from condition to condition, there are a few rules of thumb you can follow. First, newer injuries, if treated appropriately and immediately, tend to respond to fewer visits assuming that major tissue injury has not occurred. Conditions that have been present for greater than 1 month and recurring conditions are generally more stubborn and difficult to manage. The only sure way to determine how long your treatment will take is to schedule a consultation and/or examination. We give every patient an estimate on how long his or her correction may take after the initial examination. For those of you who believe in just waiting for the problem to “go away” on it’s own – understand that the longer your condition has been around, the more treatments it will eventually require to resolve.

How Much Will It Cost?

Costs vary and generally depend on the number of treatments required to effectively treat your condition. A number of studies have shown that chiropractic care is extremely cost effective when compared to other “medical” forms of care for similar conditions. According to the 1991 Manga Report, “There would be highly significant cost savings if more management of low-back pain was transferred from physicians to chiropractors. Users of chiropractic care have substantially lower health care costs, especially inpatient costs, than those who use medical care only.”

Does My Insurance Cover Chiropractic?

Some insurance plans do cover short-term chiropractic treatment. Since everyone’s insurance policy is different, we will be happy to verify what chiropractic benefits you have purchased. Once we determine what your benefits are, we will be able to help you maximize your personal reimbursement. We may be able to help with benefits for Auto Accidents, Medicare, and Southern Ute Indian Health Services. Whether you have good or limited insurance benefits, we make care very affordable for you and your family.

Do I Have To Keep Coming Back For Care?

You may have heard the notion that once you go to a chiropractor you have to keep going back. Before we answer that question, ask yourself how many times you have seen your dentist? Like most people, you probably have visited your dentist dozens of times. Why? Quite simply, to prevent your teeth from rotting and to ensure you will have a healthy set of teeth for a lifetime. Once we have eliminated your pain and corrected the injured tissues we do recommend that you maintain a schedule of periodic spinal checkups. Like your dentist and like many of the medical experts are now recognizing, prevention is the key to reducing recurrences of existing health conditions and minimizing new injuries in the future. So the answer is yes, we want you to keep coming back, but just periodically. Periodic chiropractic care minimizes spinal and nerve stresses, reduces recurrences of old injuries, prevents new injuries from developing, minimizes degenerative processes, which enhances overall health and wellness.

Who Should Be Checked For Spinal Misalignments?

EVERYONE. If you have a spine and a nervous system, you should be checked. Your spine and nervous system is the most important part of your body and is called the “Master System.” It controls and regulates every cell, tissue, and organ system in the body. Unfortunately, the spine and nervous system is the most neglected organ system in our current health care system. Most individuals are taught to get their spine checked when it hurts. By the time it hurts, there is already a problem. We believe every family should have a chiropractor on their healthcare team. The doctors at Vertical Chiropractic have experience in treating newborn infants from hours old to the elderly of 95 years of age.

Do I Need A Referral From My Medical Doctor To See A Chiropractor?

No. Chiropractors are primary healthcare providers, however, we are happy to accept referrals as we work well with medical doctors in the community. More and more families are choosing chiropractic because of its position as the largest natural and drugless healing profession in the world.

Can I Have Chiropractic Care After Back Surgery?

YES. Rest assured that we will not adjust the surgically modified areas of your spine. Surgery often causes instability and degenerative joint disease above or below the involved level. This will be the focus of your chiropractic care.

Isn't Some Back Pain Normal?

Pain of any kind, at any age, is a sign that something is not right. Pain is the way your body signals that a limit has been reached or you need to make a change soon. Since we can adapt, minor aches and pains are often shrugged off. While the pain may go away, if the underlying problem remains unattended, the problem will slowly worsen until it becomes more difficult and expensive to resolve.

Can Patients With Osteoporosis Get Chiropractic Care?

Yes. Your chiropractic doctor considers the unique circumstances of each client. There are many ways to adjust the spine. The method selected will be best suited to your age, size, and condition.

Can I Adjust Myself?

NO. Some people can make their joints “pop” but that is not an adjustment. Worse, damage can occur by mobilizing a joint with weakened muscles and ligaments. Adjustments are specific and must only be applied to the joint that is dysfunctional. It takes years to master and even your chiropractic doctor must consult a colleague to benefit from chiropractic care.

Why Would A Newborn Get Adjusted?

Even today’s “natural” childbirth methods can affect an infant’s spine. Colic, unusual crying, poor appetite, or erratic sleeping habits can be signs of spinal distress. Adjustments are gentle. Knowing exactly where to adjust, no more pressure than you would use to test the ripeness of a tomato is involved.