Frequently Asked Questions

Chiropractic adjustment is a manual procedure that utilizes the highly refined skills developed during the Doctor of Chiropractic’s intensive years of chiropractic education. The Chiropractor typically uses his or her hands or an instrument to manipulate the joints of the body, particularly the spine, in order to restore or enhance joint function. This often helps resolve joint inflammation and reduces the patient’s pain. Chiropractic adjustment is a highly controlled procedure that rarely causes discomfort. The chiropractor adapts the procedure to meet the specific needs of each patient. Patients often note positive changes in their symptoms immediately following treatment.

Adjustment of a joint may result in the release of a gas bubble between the joints, which makes a popping sound. The same thing occurs when you “crack” your knuckles. The noise is caused by the change in pressure within the joint, which results in gas bubbles being released. There is usually minimal, if any, discomfort involved.

After an adjustment or other chiropractic procedures, you may experience minor side effects like soreness for a few minutes to hours, but these will soon fade. As with anything your mileage may vary, but you can expect to notice a marked improvement after the first few visits. Soon you may find yourself looking forward to your treatment days in advance.

Chiropractors are known for their expertise in caring for patients with back pain, neck pain, and headaches. They also treat sports injuries and other disorders involving muscles, ligaments and joints. The benefits of chiropractic care go beyond this and extend into general health as our core body structure affects overall function and health.

Yes. Chiropractic care is safe and effective. Over the past 20 years, many controlled and independent research studies have shown again and again that chiropractic care is safe and effective for treating low back pain, neck pain, headaches, and other conditions relating to the spine. Based on these scientific studies, the consensus is that chiropractic care is the treatment of choice for most spinal problems. The extent to which a person can benefit from care varies depending on their problem and how long it has existed.

People do get addicted to feeling better than they have in a long, long time. Will you be going to a dentist, or your medical doctor or optometrist the rest of your life? How long should you exercise or eat right? These are just healthy lifestyle choices. Many people recognize the value of having a body that functions at its highest capacity and choose regular care to keep it that way.

There are many techniques in chiropractic. One technique in which I specialize uses an adjusting instrument that gently taps to get the bone off of the nerve. Sometimes people do go through a process called retracing. This can be uncomfortable but is a wonderful sign because it is the body restoring function to nerves and tissues that may have been damaged, allowing for a more complete healing.

Compared to what? Braces for the teeth - $4,000-$6,000, M.R.I. for the full spine, - $1,800-$2,400, Lasik Eye Surgery - $3,500-$5,000, Breast Augmentation - $4,000-$10,000, Dental Implants - $1,250-$3000 per tooth, Year supply of Claritin - $1,200, Year supply of Cholesterol lowering drugs - $1,500 (without doctor visits), 6-12 month Chiropractic care plan - $1,800-$3,600 (plus the savings of getting off of medications), What is the value of having your brain communicate properly with the rest of your body?

Studies show that there is very little risk with the chiropractic adjustment and virtually none with the adjustment instrument. Statistically, it is more of a risk to take 2 Advil a day for 2 weeks than to get adjusted. A look at malpractice insurance premium costs says it all; M.D. costs $22,000 - $175,000 per year while Chiropractic malpractice insurance premium costs are $1,500 - $3,000 for the same liability limits.

There is a big difference between cracking your own back and having a specific spinal adjustment. When someone feels the need to crack their own spine it is a sign that things aren’t working right. When you crack your back, if you don’t mess it up, it will generally feel better but the fixations and biomechanical issues can’t be addressed by yourself. That is why a few hours later you feel the need to do it again. All this self cracking creates looseness in the joints that can lead to degeneration. The main fixations or misalignments will still be there, creating havoc with your nervous system.

a) In simplest terms, a subluxation is when one or more of the bones of your spine (Vertebrae) move out of normal position or aren’t moving correctly and create pressure on, or irritate spinal nerves. This pressure or irritation on the nerves then causes a change in the signals traveling through those nerves. Sometimes this causes pain and other times it shows up as dysfunction in the way your brain communicates with the rest of your body.
Another way to look at it is: A complete break of the spinal cord = death -A partial break of the spinal cord = paraplegia -A minor break of the spinal cord = subluxation

Well, if a nervous system is pinched and it goes to your stomach, your stomach will decrease its function by as much as 60%. So if your stomach doesn’t digest your food as it should, it could lead to ulcers or acid reflux.

Not always. A subluxation is like a dental cavity-you may have it for a long time before symptoms appear. That’s why periodic spinal check-ups are so important. Although it may be possible to know you have a subluxation, it is rarely possible to be sure you don’t. An occasional spinal check-up is always a good idea.

Our schooling is almost the same as medical schools. The difference is our philosophy. M.D.’s have two ways to treat: drugs and surgery. Their philosophy is that healing comes from the outside. “This pill will make you better”, or “I’ll remove this body part to make you better”. Our philosophy is that healing comes from the inside and our bodies are self-healing as long as there is no interference and we give it the right ingredients for health (nutrition, exercise, etc). We get you functioning better so that your body can do what it is designed to do, heal itself.

Unfortunately, many people wait until they are in pain before giving us a call. However, chiropractic is ultimately for anybody who wants to achieve balance in his or her life and optimize body function. So, really, anytime is appropriate—as long as we’re open.

Yes, this is one of Dr. Tran’s specialties. Dr. Tran has helped hundreds of expectant mothers find balance and peace when they were just plain uncomfortable. In addition to discomfort, Dr. Tran also assists women with breach pregnancies by using the Webster’s technique.

Care plans depend on your individual body and what is needed to bring your body back to a state of balance. Specific treatments vary from person to person depending on conditions such as age, previous medical history and trauma. Our priority is put on your care as an individual so that you can live the fullest expression of life.

Yes, chiropractic treatment is appropriate for children. One of the biggest traumas we ever go through is being born and that can put a strain on our spine. Also, children are very physically active and experience many types of falls and blows from activities of daily living as well as from participating in sports. Injuries such as these may cause many symptoms including back and neck pain, stiffness, soreness or discomfort. Chiropractic care is always adapted to the individual patient. The method of treatment tends to differ from adults in that it is a highly skilled treatment, and the adjustments are very gentle.

Our fees are billed per procedure, as required by insurance companies, and your final cost will be dependent on your coverage and deductible. We are willing to work with people under difficult circumstances. If you are paying at time of service, the initial evaluation fee is $100-$230, depending on whether or not x-rays are taken.

In general, after the first visit, it is not suggested. This is to give your body time to respond and integrate the adjustment. During the normal course of care, working out before or after an adjustment is fine.

Chiropractic is widely recognized as one of the safest drug-free, non-invasive therapies available for the treatment of neuromusculoskeletal complaints. Although chiropractic has an excellent safety record, no health treatment is completely free of potential adverse effects. The risks associated with chiropractic, however, are very small. Many patients feel immediate relief following chiropractic treatment, but some may experience mild soreness, stiffness or aching, just as they do after some forms of exercise. Current research shows that minor discomfort or soreness following spinal manipulation typically fades within 24 hours.

Doctors of Chiropractic (DCs) care for patients of all ages, with a variety of health conditions. DCs are especially well known for their expertise in caring for patients with back pain, neck pain and headaches…particularly with their highly skilled manipulations or chiropractic adjustments. They also care for patients with a wide range of injuries and disorders of the musculoskeletal system, involving the muscles, ligaments and joints. These painful conditions often involve or impact the nervous system, which can cause referred pain and dysfunction distant to the region of injury. The benefits of chiropractic care extend to general health issues, as well, since our body structure affects our overall function. DCs also counsel patients on diet, nutrition, exercise, healthy habits, and occupational and lifestyle modification.

The hands-on nature of the chiropractic treatment is essentially what requires patients to visit the chiropractor a number of times. To be treated by a chiropractor, a patient needs to be in his or her office. In contrast, a course of treatment from medical doctors often involves a pre-established plan that is conducted at home (i.e. taking a course of antibiotics once a day for a couple of weeks). A chiropractor may provide acute, chronic, and/or preventive care thus making a certain number of visits sometimes necessary. Your doctor of chiropractic should tell you the extent of treatment recommended and how long you can expect it to last.