Effective Chiropractic Health & Wellness Has the Answers

Q: What conditions does chiropractic care address?

A: Our professional staff gives our patients relief for back, neck, and shoulder pain, headaches, migraines, and other pain associated with musculoskeletal injuries. We offer treatments in the form of spinal manipulation and adjustments to alleviate the stress surrounding their injuries and improve spinal function. We also help with the following symptoms and conditions:

• Arthritis
• Auto accident or work injury’s
• Frequent headaches and migraines
• Fibromyalgia
• Herniated disc
• Knee pain
• Lower back pain or discomfort
• Muscle spasms
• Neck pain
• Pinched nerve or constrained movement
• Shoulder pain
• Upper back pain

Q: Are chiropractic services safe?

A: Yes! Our team is professionally trained and board-certified in chiropractic and physical therapy to offer relief through safe, non-invasive, and drug-free methods. Every patient and their pain are unique to themselves, which is why we provide personalized care to everyone who comes throughout our doors seeking help. We also have the professional tools to perform an alignment if manual adjustments aren’t a treatment option for them.

Q: Do chiropractic services require a referral from a doctor?

A: Most of the time, you can simply walk into the office or call to schedule your appointment with the excellent staff at Effective Chiropractic Health & Wellness. Some insurances will require one, though, so it is best to speak with your human resources representative or your health care plan company directly to ensure you are doing everything necessary for proper coverage.

Q: Are chiropractic treatments safe for children?

A: Recent studies done by the ACA (American Chiropractic Association) have proven the effectiveness and safety of having your child receiving chiropractic treatments for spinal and other ailments. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported 3 percent of children in America had received chiropractic or osteopathic manipulation in 2016. Not only is pediatric chiropractic care safe, but there are benefits to be had by seeking it out, such as improved sleep, immune system, behavior, nervous system functions, and brain development.

Q: Do insurance plans cover chiropractic services?

A: Most insurances cover chiropractic treatments now given their effectiveness. While they may not cover your entire experience at our office, they will cover a portion of your treatment at Effective Chiropractic Health & Wellness. And there may be things you need to do to receive this coverage, such as getting a referral from your regular doctor. You can call and speak with your health care representative, or you can visit our office as we have an insurance department who can help get the necessary answers. Once they finish helping you, scheduling an appointment is even easier since you are already there!

Q: What type of education and training do chiropractors have?

A: To be considered a chiropractor, the state of Maryland requires you to receive a bachelor’s degree in health science, which takes four years to achieve. You will also need a Doctor of Chiropractic (DC) degree, which takes another four years, and then acquire a state license. During your DC studies, you will also need to take a clinical experience/externship. Even after you obtain all the required documents to open a practice, you must continue to do research and study because the field is continuously evolving and changing with new methods being developed frequently.

Q: Are chiropractic services ongoing?

A: Treatments will require multiple visits because most conditions take time to develop, it will also take time to correct them as well. The chiropractors at Effective Chiropractic will ensure your care plan is customized for your specific condition. We will explain the number of visits required in your initial consultation to ensure we can get a working schedule for your lifestyle.

Q: Do chiropractic adjustments provide immediate relief?

A: The number of treatments required will be based on your individual needs, but some patients do feel acute relief once we are finished with the first session. Often though, you will need to come in for multiple visits, so we can monitor the progress of your affected area and perform treatments as needed for total health improvements. As well, your injury may affect other areas as time goes on, which is why most aren’t totally healed in one session.

Q: What do I do after I get a chiropractic adjustment?

A: Once you finish your treatment at Effective Chiropractic, you may feel wonderful, but there are steps you will need to take in order to continue this feeling until your next treatment. Make sure you are drinking plenty of water to stay hydrated and help flush the released toxins from your adjustment. You will also want to keep moving and avoid sitting or standing in one place for too long, but you will also want to do so carefully. You will want to follow the exercise routine laid out by your chiropractor and get plenty of rest, whether at night or during the day with a cat nap! All of this will be discussed before and after you receive your treatment at our facility.

Q: What are the symptoms of auto accident injury?

A: You may not feel all the physical effects of a car accident right after because your body will experience a rush of adrenaline. The following are some symptoms you may experience a day or two afterward. Please reach out to Effective Chiropractic Health & Wellness to receive useful and non-invasive treatments for these ailments:

• Headaches and migraines
• Neck and shoulder pain
• Stiffness in neck and shoulders
• Abdominal pain and swelling
• Numbness throughout body

Q: What are the common types of auto accident injuries?

A: Neck, back, and head pains, spinal injuries, and soft tissue damage are all commonly experienced after auto accidents. The professionals at Effective Chiropractic Health & Wellness can help give you treatments for all of them through many different drug-free and non-invasive treatments. Please call to schedule your initial consultation.

Q: How can a chiropractor help with auto accident injuries?

A: The specialists at Effective Chiropractic are well versed in treating auto accident injuries and do so by stabilizing your spinal system, alleviating muscle strains, relieving severe back pain, and even treating whiplash. When you are looking for an improvement in your quality of life, we have the answers.

Q: What are the benefits of chiropractic care for auto accident injuries?

A: Many of our chiropractor’s patients rejoice at the many benefits they receive after going through our drug-free and non-invasive treatment process. Benefits such as:

• Decreased Pain
• Increased Mobility
• Symptom Relief
• Better Range of Motion
• Overall Improved Daily Function

Q: How does insurance work with auto accident injuries for chiropractic treatments?

A: Our professional staff is happy to work with your attorney and insurance provider to help get your treatments covered after being in an auto accident. Maryland is a no-fault for auto accidents. You should immediately contact your insurance company to report the accident and set up a medical claim. You should then be given an adjustor or team who is handling your claim and receive a claim number. Our team will need this information in order to send medical claims so you won’t have to pay out of pocket.

Q: What is the point of physical therapy?

A: Physical therapy was designed to help you recover from a variety of issues you suffer after traumatic accidents, such as a car accident or sports-related injury. Through a series of massages, exercises, and more, we help you get regular function back to your body. Each treatment is personalized to the patient and what they need to get through their daily life and profession. We also pair our physical therapy practice with chiropractic alignments to give you the most effective and longer-lasting results.

Q: How long do physical therapy sessions last?

A: You and your chiropractor will develop a personalized treatment plan, but most sessions last 45 minutes to an hour. The two of you will then go over the length of your physical therapy sessions and how many will be necessary. As well, they will give you at-home assignments to fast track your physical goals. If you are even in a time crunch for a session, let our team know, and we will help the best we can to accommodate your schedule and needs.

Q: Is physical therapy ongoing?

A: In most cases, physical therapy will take multiple visits to our office, depending on the damage done or the severity of your injuries. There will be tasks for you to accomplish in between visits, but you will need to come in for assessments on your progress.

Q: Does physical therapy provide immediate relief?

A: You may experience slight relief after leaving your first session with Effective Chiropractic, but more sessions are generally required to feel lasting effects. We build personalized and flexible consolidated recovery plans for our patients. You will also be responsible for completing exercises at home to help lengthen the impact of your treatments.

Q: What should I do after each physical therapy session?

A: Each patient feels the effects of physical therapy, but we have included some standard practices you should do when getting home from your appointment to help receive the healing physical therapy can provide. You should ice the sore areas for 20 minutes at a time and drink plenty of water. You need to stay hydrated, and this helps remove toxins from your body and helps your muscles heal quicker. You should also make a note of any additional pain or soreness so your specialist at Effective Chiropractic can improve upon your treatment plan.

Q: What are the next steps once physical therapy is completed?

A: When developing your personalized treatment plan at Effective Chiropractic, a part of it will be what to do at home when you have finished your in-office visits. You and your specialist will help develop exercises you can do at home to continue working on the progress you’ve made. Most assume they will be as good as new once finished. You still may not be able to return to your favorite sport or lift as much as you used to. We have to develop life-changing plans; otherwise, you will end up with the same painful symptoms that brought you to our practice in the first place.

Q: Does dry needling hurt?

A: The needles used in the dry needling process are very small. So small, in fact, most patients report not even feeling them enter the trigger points. In sensitive or shortened muscles, though, you may feel what we call a “twitch response.” It will feel similar to a muscle cramp but shouldn’t be overly painful. Through multiple sessions, the body should start to recognize this sensation because the myofascial trigger point is deactivating. It is best practice to inform your specialist about these sensations throughout your treatment to help them better design your options for restored muscle function.

Q: How long does dry needling take?

A: Each session is typically 30 minutes long, but the number of them you need will depend on your individual scenario and injury. We will go over your individualized care plan in your initial consultation and update it as needed throughout the treatments. There are instances where you won’t require as many, or you may need more than initially thought.

Q: What is dry needling used to treat?

A: Dry needling is a medical practice used to help treat chronic muscle pains and spasms throughout the body. We can also use the needles to help treat limited mobility with stellar results and only minimal side effects. Our staff will use small filament needles to target hard-to-detect muscle tissues to inactivate trigger points. It was specially designed to relieve pain.

Q: Is dry needling covered with insurance?

A: Dry needling is generally not covered by insurance and would be a treatment you would pay for out of pocket. There are instances though of some insurances covering it. The procedure is still considered investigational, which is why it isn’t included in most basic health insurance policies. We do, however, offer affordable cash pricing, which we are more than happy to go over with you as another payment option.

Q: How many sessions are needed with dry needling?

A: Each patient will have a personal care plan created by the professionals at Effective Chiropractic, so there is no specific answer to this question. While each session lasts about a half-hour, each patient will have an individualized treatment plan laying out how many sessions you will need. Be sure to update your specialist with improvements or declines in your pain levels to help them adjust the number of sessions over the course of your dry needling treatment.

Q: Do you sell or rent orthopedic supplies?

A: We have an extensive selection of different orthopedics and can even customize pieces for your specific needs. While we do offer free consultations, we do only carry orthopedics for you to purchase. Most patients need them for an extended amount of time, and they become form-fit to either your wrist, foot, knee, etc. making them ineffective for others to utilize when you are finished.

Q: Are orthopedic supplies covered with insurance?

A: The best way to get this answer is to speak directly with your healthcare provider or human resources representative. They will be able to dissect your plan to see if orthopedics are covered under your policy and give you all the necessary information needed when visiting Effective Chiropractic for treatment. You can also visit our insurance department to get the necessary answers and schedule your appointment. We will do our best to help in any way we can to make sure you get the equipment you need to live a pain-free life.

Q: Do you have custom fitting orthopedic supplies?

A: We do! Effective Chiropractic can help you with the perfect fitting orthopedics, even if it means we need to build a custom-fit piece. Our staff is dedicated to ensuring you have everything you need to live a pain-free life, so if your orthopedic supplies are doing more harm than help, please let us know so we can get a form-fitting piece.

Q: Does orthopedic equipment provide pain relief?

A: Orthopedic equipment was built and designed to help you live your best pain-free life. Pillow, back, knee, and wrist braces along with others are all available at Effective Chiropractic Health & Wellness. Our specialists work with you to see which option would be best for your specific pain issues and can even offer custom fitting pieces if the regular model ones don’t fit quite right.

Q: Do you offer work injury advice for the next steps?

A: Our specialists can help you discover the next steps, whether you had an emergency incident, or you are suffering from a repetitive work-related injury. You should alert your manager as soon as possible and then make sure you get the proper treatment needed to help get you back to work. Make sure you let us know the injury you are having us treat was work-related, so we can get you all the documentation needed to collect compensation from your employer.

Q: Does insurance cover work injuries?

A: Most companies are required to have a worker’s compensation plan for when their employees get injured on the job. Reach out to your manager or human relations representative to get all the information required to make a claim if you suffer an injury while on the clock or because the work has caused pain in joints or muscles due to repetitive use.

Q: What are the most common work injuries?

A: The following are some of the most common injuries we have treated at our Effective Chiropractic Health & Wellness facility in Lanham, MD. Most are caused by repetitive twisting and turning or when employees use improper lifting techniques, but please let us know about your injury even if it isn’t listed below:

• Sciatica
• Backache
• Arthritis
• Slipped or Herniated Disc
• Frozen Shoulders
• Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

Q: Do I receive compensation for a work injury?

A: This will all depend on your company’s individual workers’ compensation policies. It would be best to reach out to your manager or human relations representative to get clear answers about how you get compensated. Most will offer help with payments for treatment and cover some amount of your missed wages while you recover. Effective Chiropractic will help in any way we can by providing you with all the appropriate documents to give to your employer and give recommendations on treatments needed.

Q: Does the Graston Technique hurt?

A: The Graston Technique may include minor pain depending on your threshold, but you should never be in severe pain. Should experience something like this during your visit, please be sure to inform your specialist, as they will then need to make adjustments and potentially scan the scar tissue again to continue. This is also something only medically trained specialists should attempt, and you shouldn’t try to do this on your own at home, as there could painful consequences and worsening of the affected area.

Q: Does my insurance cover the Graston Technique?

A: Most insurances will not cover the Graston Technique. It is still considered an experimental treatment option akin to dry needling, acupuncture, and others. While it is growing in popularity, it is yet categorized as such and will have to be an out-of-pocket medical cost. We add this to your manual therapy performed at Effective Chiropractic Health & Wellness.

Q: What is the Graston Technique used for?

A: This newer technique is used to help break down scar tissue located on muscles. It is designed to help you regain movement in these affected areas and can also reduce inflammation. We use a stainless-steel instrument to massage the fibrotic tissue to help calm the pain caused in these as rea as well. Once the scar tissue is broken up, it can then work itself back into the body for optimal results.

Q: How long does the Graston Technique take?

A: Treatment times will vary from patient to patient with visits ranging from one visit to ten. The physical treatment itself only lasts about 30 to 60 seconds per affected area. Depending on how much scar tissue you have, immobility and pain will give you a better idea of how long the sessions last. You and your specialist will go over all the details once you go through your initial consultation

Q: Does the Graston Technique provide immediate relief?

A: You should experience some pain relief and limited mobility after your first session of the Graston Technique, but you will more than likely need more sessions to receive long-lasting relief. More sessions will also encourage more movement in the affected area and reduce inflammation. Effective Chiropractic trains the pain away over time.

Q: Does Electrical Muscle Stimulation hurt?

A: Your electrical muscle stimulation treatment at Effective Chiropractic should never hurt. There will be a slight tingling feeling, though, as we send the energy through the electrodes and into the muscles. We use this treatment to lessen the number of muscle spasms, restore their function and strength, and prevent muscle atrophy from occurring. If you do experience pain, inform your specialist right away so they may adjust the level of intensity used to get you relief.

Q: What is Electrical Muscle Stimulation used for?

A: When you are suffering from immobility and pain within your muscles, Effective Chiropractic has a newer treatment to help give you the relief you have been trying to find at other clinics. Those with musculoskeletal injuries (damages to their bones, joints, muscles, ligaments, or tendons) are the best candidates to receive electrical muscle stimulation, but if you have further questions to see how we can help, please request a free initial consultation.

Q: How long does Electrical Muscle Stimulation take?

A: The amount of treatment time needed for success will vary depending on the extent of your condition but will be laid out for you when developing your personalized care plan. Each session you attend can also vary, lasting anywhere from 5-15 minutes per visit.

Q: Does Electrical Muscle Stimulation provide immediate relief?

A: Depending on how your experience with the treatment goes, you may feel immediate relief after your first session, but you will require multiple visits to help get the lasting relief needed to continue your normal activities and daily life. It is best practice to inform your specialist about the levels of comfort and pain your experience throughout your sessions to help them decide if they can lessen or extend the number of treatments you should receive.