What
Causes low back pain?
What
if I Don't "Believe" In Chiropractic?
What
if I'm Afraid It Is Going To Hurt?
Once
I Start Going I Have To Go for The Rest Of My Life?
What
If I Don't Think You Can Help Me?
My
pain is Not That Bad - Won't It Just Get Better All By Itself?
Why
Should I Choose You If You Are Not Covered By My Insurance Or
On My HMO List?
What
causes low back pain?
Low back pain can be caused by a number of factors from injuries
to the effects of aging.The spinal cord is protected by the vertebrae,
which are made of bone. Between each vertebra are soft discs with
a ligamentous outer layer. These discs function as shock absorbers
to protect the vertebra and the spinal cord. Many of the problems
that cause back pain are the result of herniation and degeneration
of the intervertebral disc. Degeneration is a process where wear
and tear causes deterioration of the disc. Herniations, or bulging
of the disc are protrusions from the disc that press on surrounding
nerves, causing pain or numbness.
What
if I Don't "Believe" In Chiropractic?
Chiropractic is not a "belief" system. It has been helping
suffering people since 1895 and has countless scientific studies
as proof. So, if you have been misinformed, let me offer some
REAL PROOF from some leading experts:
"There
is an overwhelming body of evidence indicating that Chiropractic
management of low back pain is more cost-effective than medical
management. Chiropractic manipulation is safer than medical management
of low back pain. Chiropractic management is greatly superior
to medical management in terms of scientific validity, safety,
cost-effectiveness and patient satisfaction."
Pran Manga, PhD.
The Effectiveness And Cost Effectiveness Of Chiropractic Management
Of Low Back Pain. University Of Ottowa, 1993
"There
are more than 30 randomized controlled clinical trials studying
the effectiveness of spinal manipulation in the relief of spinal
pain, the majority of which have looked at acute low back pain.
Manipulation has been compared to most non-surgical treatment
modalities including placebo, ultrasound, traction, exercise,
bed rest, analgesics and corsets. The meta-analyses performed
by Anderson et al led to the conclusion that the average patient
receiving spinal manipulation is better off than 54 to 85% of
the patients receiving the comparison treatment."
Dr. Scott Halderman, M.D., D.C., PhD., FRCP(C), Department of
Neurology, University of California, Irvine. Presented at the
Alternative And Complementary Medicine And The Orthopedic Surgeon,
February, 28, 2001
There is much more proof, but, I think you get the picture.
What if I'm Afraid It Is Going To
Hurt?
This one's easy. Chiropractic care should not hurt! Our techniques
are extremely gentle and most patients say they either felt only
gentle pressure. or. almost nothing at all. The only time there
is any discomfort at all is when you are in such severe pain you
can not even move or be touched. But in that case, your pain will
come from getting to my office. my treatments should hopefully
start ending your pain. In many cases - immediately.
If you have been to another Chiropractor and it was painful, they
possibly either used the wrong technique for you. or. may not
have been proficient in their chosen technique. Most people know
Chiropractic has been proven to work wonders with back and neck
pain. but. most people don't know is -- there are many different
Chiropractic techniques. Last I heard, there were over 300.
What
this means is: you can walk into two different Chiropractor's
offices on the same block. and. get two very different treatments
--- with two very different results! What this also means is:
you can give one Chiropractor a try. and if he or she does not
produce the results you want. you think CHIROPRATIC failed. And,
you give up on Chiropractic altogether.
Nothing
could be further from the truth and making that conclusion could
lead to many years of unnecessary pain and suffering. I'm not
sure why so many people think this way. Everyone knows all dentists
are different. One can completely ruin your teeth while another
fixes the mess and gives you a movie-star smile.
Have
you seen any of those shows where a good plastic surgeon takes
a patient that was totally butchered by another surgeon and works
absolute miracles? The same is true for heart surgeons, car mechanics
and, of course, Chiropractors. But, I think it's even more difficult
to choose a Chiropractor that's right for you because of all those
techniques and different ways of practicing. Which brings us to.
Once
I Start Going I Have To Go
For The Rest Of My Life?
No you don't. That's one of the biggest wives tales about Chiropractic.
After your complete evaluation, you will be given the best possible
treatment plan to get you out of pain as fast as humanly possible.
If another Chiropractor told you that you had to keep coming forever,
they may not be the right one for you.
What If I Don't Think You Can Help
Me?
We're going to be very honest with you - neither do we - When
you come in, we'll be able to tell if you qualify for our program
or not. But we can tell you this: we've put together, what we
consider to be, the ultimate system for many cases of back and
neck pain that you will be hard pressed to find anywhere else
(unless you get a little lucky and stumble across another doctor
who's gone to the insane lengths we've gone to put all this together).
This system can possibly quickly relieve many. if not all. of
your back and neck pain.
· No matter how long you've been suffering. It really may not
matter. It may take a little more time if you've been suffering
for years as opposed to a "fresh" case. but in the end.
you can still get tremendous results.
· No matter if you've already had surgery. I have treated many
patients over the years. with great success. who have gone through
back or neck surgery without results. Some were even made worse
by the surgery. Because many times surgery misses the REAL cause
of your pain, there is still a good chance I can help you.
· And no matter how old or helpless you THINK your case is. Most
of my patients thought they were either too old or hopeless for
anything to help them. Many of their previous doctors told them
that. Well you're probably NOT. With this system. there is always
hope. Many of our patients have told us we were their last resort.
Last stop before packing it in and completely giving up. They
soon found out that our treatments usually made it astonishingly
easy to get relief.
My pain is Not That Bad - Won't It
Just Get Better All By Itself?
Usually NOT. I can tell you this: In most cases, back pain does
NOT get better all by itself. Research shows that 75% of back
pain sufferers will still suffer with either pain or disability
or pain and disability 12 months after consulting a doctor without
any treatment. And the worst thing is: when you ignore your pain,
thinking it will get better all by itself, you run the risk of
it getting worse. Sometimes MUCH worse.
What happens if you ignore a little toothache? Does it just "go
away all by itself?" Sometimes. But, it always comes back
- with a vengeance. Usually to the tune of a root canal, several
thousand dollars. and. a whole bunch of pain and suffering. All
unnecessary. All 100% avoidable.
Let me be crystal clear on this issue - little back and neck pains.
in most cases. do not simply go away all by themselves. Like that
toothache, they rear their ugly head again later. And like that
toothache, when they come back, it's usually much worse.
But the BIG problem is: When your teeth get bad, your Dentist
can give you a root canal. or even. replace your teeth. That is
not an option for your back and neck pain. There is no root canal.
No replacement spine. Just look around. There are people everywhere.
in constant pain. that said to themselves. 20 years ago. "it
will just get better all by itself."
Why Should I Choose You If You Are
Not
Covered By My Insurance Or On My HMO List?
If you are concerned about insurance coverage, you have every
right to be. And, I'm going to answer this question very bluntly:
Insurance companies are businesses run for profit. Their #1 priority
is to make money - not to pay for your best possible health care.
If I am not on your HMO list, it is because I have chosen not
to be. I have chosen to treat my patients the best way I know
how - with the patient's best interest in mind -- not the way
an insurance adjuster tells me to.
There
is an old saying: You almost always get what you pay for. And,
in this case, it is true.
We will be the first to admit, we are NOT the cheapest Chiropractor
around. But "expensive" is always relative. It all depends
on what you compare it to. Is our fee expensive compared to possibly
a life of pain and suffering? Is it expensive compared to getting
worse and being forced to have painful surgery? Is it expensive
compared potentially to not doing all the things you want to do
because you are constantly in pain? How about compared to a possible
life long dependency on all those pain pills you're taking. like
Advil, Motrin and Aleve that kill 155,000 people every year. Besides
the dangerous side effects. ever add up the cost of popping those
pills --- over 20 or 30 years?
The
bottom line is: You can go first or second class, that's your
decision; but you get exactly what you pay for. If you are opposed
to taking personal responsibility for your own health care, frankly,
this program is not for you.
