FAQ
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About Chiropractic Services
What is chiropractic care?
Chiropractic care is a holistic, drug and surgery free approach used to treat neuromusculoskeletal injuries that can occur to people of all ages and lifestyles, including infants, children, pregnant women, athletes, adults and elderly people. A chiropractor can correct spinal, back, knee, and joint injuries as well as a wide variety of other conditions. The main philosophy behind chiropractic treatment is to restore and maintain health by understanding and treating the root cause of the illness or injury versus just addressing the symptoms.
The chiropractic approach to healing, recovery and optimal health is to locate and remove any interference (subluxations, misaligned vertebrae, lesions) to your nervous and soft tissue system. Chiropractors use a hands-on, patient centered approach focused on relieving pain and restoring normal functioning of the spine, body and nerve system using safe, gentle yet very effective methods that produce lasting results.
Is chiropractic treatment safe?
YES. Chiropractic treatment is safe AND effective when administered by a licensed, experienced chiropractor. Statistics have proven that risk due to chiropractic treatment is extremely low, while prescription drugs and surgery cause hundreds of thousands of deaths per year.
Is chiropractic treatment painful?
Most patients report that chiropractic adjustments and treatments feel good. If the condition or injury is chronic or acute, there may be some muscle soreness after treatment, which should go away within 24 hours.
What is a chiropractic adjustment?
A chiropractic adjustment uses a specific force in a precise direction, applied to a subluxated (“locked up”) joint that is not moving properly. Adjustments are safe and gentle, effectively removing interference to the nervous system and spinal function. Adjustments not only remove painful subluxations but also work to boost the entire body’s immune system.
What is subluxation and how is it treated?
Subluxation, also called vertebral subluxation complex, what happens when the spinal bones lose their normal motion or position due to accidents, trauma, injury, stress, inherited spinal weaknesses or chemical imbalances. Subluxations can be caused by prolonged sitting, poor sleeping habits, poor posture, slips and falls, car accidents, sports injuries, obesity, internal organ dysfunction, or overuse due to repetitive motion.
Chiropractors treat subluxations using hands-on techniques, such as gentle adjustments, stretches, exercises, heat or ice, that adjust the spine so that the bones return to their proper position and motion. After years of training, Dr. Kwait is an expert in applying just the right amount of pressure and combining the most effective chiropractic methods tailored to the patient’s condition, age and size.
What is the popping sound I hear during chiropractic adjustments?
Sometimes when a joint is being adjusted, gas bubbles trapped between the joints are released with the pressure change and a slight popping sound can be heard, similar to the sound made when cracking your knuckles. Despite the sounds, adjustments are painless and harmless.
Does chiropractic treatment require a referral from an MD?
No, chiropractors are defined as first contact physicians and do not require a referral by an MD. After the first visit, the chiropractor will diagnose and either recommend a chiropractic treatment plan or make a referral to the appropriate health care provider.
What type of education and training is required for chiropractors?
Educational requirements for Doctors of Chiropractic (DC) are among the most stringent of any health care professions. Typically, chiropractors take four years of pre-medical undergraduate courses, including biology, inorganic and organic chemistry, physics, psychology and lab work. They then do four or five years of further professional study at an accredited chiropractic college, with significant amounts of time spent in clinical training. To receive a DC degree, chiropractors must complete a minimum of 4,200 classroom, laboratory, and clinical hours. After completing their degree, chiropractors must still pass a licensing test administered by the National Board Examinations. Even after this, chiropractors continue their education to keep abreast of new developments and adjustment techniques as well as to meet requirements for license renewal.
How long will chiropractic treatment take?
The length of treatments depends on the nature of your condition and whether the chiropractor is providing acute, chronic and/or preventative care. After the initial consultation and evaluation, the doctor of chiropractor can tell you the extent of treatment recommended. Patients generally first seek chiropractic care for specific conditions with the primary goal of treatment being to relieve pain. Once the pain is eliminated, it is suggested that periodic maintenance visits be scheduled to keep the spinal structure strengthened and prevent recurrence.
How much does chiropractic services cost, and do insurance plans cover treatment?
Chiropractic care has been determined to be one of the most cost-effective forms of health care, and many health care plans provide coverage for chiropractic services. For more information about Kwait Chiropractic fees and insurance coverage, please click here.
Is it safe to see a chiropractor if I’ve had back surgery?
Yes, in fact, chiropractic care can help avoid the need for repeated surgeries by maintaining and strengthening spinal functioning. Kwait has helped numerous patients who have had various types of back surgery with successful, long-lasting results.
Conditions a Chiropractor Treats
What conditions can a chiropractor treat?
Chiropractic care is used to treat back, neck, head, and joint pain, as well as many other musculoskeletal and nervous system disorders.
For a complete list of conditions that benefit from chiropractic treatment, click here:
Can a chiropractor treat sports injuries?
Chiropractic treatment is extensively used by both amateur and professional athletes, and Kwait Chiropractic specializes in treating sports injuries. Treatments restore function to joints and helps speed healing of soft tissues due to overuse and injury. In addition, Dr. Kwait teaches patients how to reduce injuries with warm up, stretching and cooling down techniques specific to athletes.
Is chiropractic care appropriate for infants and children?
Both children and infants can benefit from chiropractic care. Dr. Kwait, a father of two, is skilled in adapting and delivering gentle treatments for infants and young children. Most children are physically active and also experience falls and blows to the head from play, daily activities, and sports participation. Children will complain of back and neck pain, stiffness, soreness, and discomfort. Chiropractic care can relieve the pain and keep children’s spinal functioning healthy, preventing problems from becoming chronic with age.
Can I see a chiropractor if I’m pregnant?
Chiropractic care can relieve low back, neck, and shoulder pain due to weight gain and hormonal changes during pregnancy as well as make delivery easier for the mother as well as the infant. Dr. Kwait adapts and adjusts treatment depending on the mother’s size, weight, stage of pregnancy, and physical condition.
Can chiropractic treatment relieve headaches?
Research shows that 9 out of 10 people suffer from headaches. Headaches can be caused by a malfunction of spinal bones in the neck and upper back, which then affect the nerves and blood vessels connected to the head. Tension headaches can also be a result of temporomandibular joint disorders (TMJ) or grinding of the teeth. Spinal manipulation and chiropractic treatments can offer immediate relief and improvement at the source of the headache, versus over the counter or prescription drug treatments that merely treat the symptoms.
Dr. Kwait knows how tension in the spine relates to headaches and can help provide relief to patients in 3 main ways:
Performing gentle adjustments or spinal manipulation to alleviate tension and stress on the system, improving overall spinal function.
Providing nutritional and lifestyle advice, such as diet, recommended water intake, and use of vitamins.
Offering advice on posture and ergonomics and teaching exercises and relaxation techniques that relieve recurring joint irritation and tension in the muscles of the neck and upper back.
Can chiropractic treatment help whiplash or if I am in an accident?
If you have been involved in a car accident or sustained whiplash and are experiencing sharp, immediate pain or immobility it is important to seek chiropractic attention immediately. Injuries treated within 5-7 days with chiropractic care greatly accelerate the healing process. When caught early enough, inflammation and scar tissue is minimized, allowing better chances of faster and complete recovery.
Questions Returning Patients Ask
If it’s been some time since my last visit, will I need to retake my x-rays?
In most cases, you will not need to retake x-rays unless you are seeking treatment after a significant accident or acute injury in a part of your spine where existing x-rays would not be usable. Dr. Kwait considers each case on an individual basis, recommending what is best for the current situation.
How long do you keep my records and X-rays on file?
We keep all treatment records for each of our patients, however if you have requested your X-rays for submission to another location, we may no longer have them.
Will it take as long for treatment as the first time?
Length, degree and type of treatment for new conditions are evaluated on an individual basis. If you are seeking chiropractic care for the same or similar condition as before in which substantial misalignment was corrected, treatment usually is not as extensive.
