Chiropractic Care

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS IN WILLISTON ND

Find out the answers Williston ND Chiropractors frequently give to patients seeking to learn more about chiropractic care at their office. Learning more about chiropractic and its benefits can help you find the best chiropractor for you. If you have a question you don't see answered below, reach out to your team at Health Solutions Chiropractic & Neuropathy at (701) 577-7771​​​​​​​.

HOW DOES CHIROPRACTIC CARE HELP?

Chiropractic care, when properly administered, is a time-tested and amazingly effective treatment, not just for back pain. A few common problems that we help people with include headaches, numbness or tingling in the hands or feet, dizziness, fibromyalgia, and yes, even heartburn. How does it help? By improving the function of the nerves that exit the spine. The nervous system controls every cell, tissue, muscle, and organ of our bodies. Chiropractic adjustments relieve pressure on the nerves at the location where this nerve interference most commonly occurs: in the joints of the spine.

I DIDN'T HEAR A SOUND. DOES THAT MEAN THE ADJUSTMENT DIDN'T WORK?

A chiropractic adjustment often produces a distinct sound. However, just getting a spinal joint to pop is not our goal. Any 6 year old can do that walking on your back! The science of Chiropractic involves identifying the exact vertebra that needs to be adjusted and then applying a gentle and specific force to that joint in the exact direction necessary to correct misalignment. This is what produces such amazing results. Make sure to find a chiropractor that does a thorough spinal analysis including x-rays before their treatment, and doesn’t just put you on the table and start popping things.

DOES INSURANCE COVER CHIROPRACTIC VISITS?

Most insurances do cover Chiropractic services, but if yours doesn't, we offer Care Credit and convenient payment plans for the uninsured. Call the phone number on the back of your insurance card to find out your specific coverage.

HOW SAFE IS CHIROPRACTIC?

Chiropractic care is much safer than aspirin, and far safer than any over-the-counter pain reliever. Statistics clearly show this.

IS CHIROPRACTIC CARE SAFE WHILE I'M PREGNANT?

In a word, yes. In fact, it makes pregnancy much easier, more comfortable, and in many cases can even make the birth process easier. The reason is simply that chiropractic improves mobility and flexibility of the pelvis and lower back.

CAN I BECOME ADDICTED TO CHIROPRACTIC ADJUSTMENTS?

A chiropractic adjustment, properly administered to correct misalignment and unlock stuck joints, will result in long-term pain relief and is definitely NOT addictive. Having said that, “popping” joints of the spine, otherwise known as spinal manipulation, can be addictive because it releases endorphins, the body’s natural pain killer. Manipulation of the spine often falls short because it does not make corrective changes in the spine, so the effects are only temporary. Popping the joints in the spine will always give temporary pain relief because of the release of endorphins, but the relief only lasts for a few hours at best, if the source of the pain (usually a misaligned vertebra) is not properly corrected.

IS CHIROPRACTIC SAFE FOR CHILDREN?

As a chiropractor, I could not imagine raising my four children without it! Chiropractic is safe and effective for so many of the problems that children experience: headaches, growing pains, scoliosis, and so much more. Please see my article entitled, “Your Child’s Spinal Development”, here on the website.

HOW MUCH SCHOOLING DOES A CHIROPRACTOR HAVE?

Typically, seven years of college are required to become a chiropractor. A Bachelor’s degree is required to enter chiropractic college, and chiropractors receive about the same number of classroom hours as a general practitioner medical doctor. Instead of studying pharmacology, chiropractors study nutrition, biomechanics, joint and nervous system physiology, and spinal corrective techniques.

CAN I SEE A CHIROPRACTOR IF I'VE HAD BACK SURGERY?

In my 30 years as a doctor, I have worked with patients who have had every kind of surgery, and with every kind of imaginable hardware in their spine. In almost every case, something can be done to relieve pain and improve the quality of life with these patients. Even in cases where the spinal joints have been fused, or rods or screws inserted, we can work around those areas and provide help. Problems above or below spinal fusions are commonly to blame for symptoms and can be safely managed in many cases.

MY DOCTOR IS RECOMMENDING SURGERY. SHOULD I CONSULT A CHIROPRACTOR?

My father was in a serious car accident when he was in his 20’s. The doctor shared his findings, and then explained that he had scheduled an appointment for my dad with the surgeon, to have three vertebrae in his neck surgically fused. My dad replied that he was going to get a second opinion, and went to visit a chiropractor for the first time. In a matter of weeks under chiropractic care, his condition improved tremendously. He never had to have surgery, and was an advocate of chiropractic for the rest of his life! He lived to be 87, and with both of his sons as chiropractors, he continued receiving adjustments right up until the month before he passed. And now you know the reason why I decided to become a chiropractor when I was only 12 years old!

HOW LONG WILL IT TAKE TO WORK?

Response time varies from patient to patient, but the majority tend to feel the results within the first week or two. Some feel relief immediately following the first adjustment. However, if a problem has been brewing in the spine for many years, with evidence of degenerative disc disease, these still respond well to corrective care in most cases, but more slowly because of their chronic nature.