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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
How much does it cost?
The provincial government has made changes
to the B.C. Medical Services Plan coverage for chiropractic treatment.
It came into effect as of January 1st, 2002. All patients fall into
one of a few different categories.
Patients
who have a "net household income of under $24,000.00"
or are "status native" are eligible for partial coverage
of a "combined total of ten visits for all the following practitioners:
chiropractor, physiotherapist, massage therapist, podiatrist, or
naturopath". For each of these ten visits, patients in our
office will pay a $7.50 user fee. After the patient has received
a combined total of ten treatments from the five practitioners,
the fee is $28.00 for each subsequent chiropractic treatment.
Patients
who have a "net household income over $24,000.00" will
pay a private fee of $35.00 for an initial examination/treatment
only on their first visit in our office. If they have been in our
office before, the $35.00 fee does not apply. For every other treatment,
the private fee is $28.00. It is the provincial government that
determines which of the above two income categories each patient
is in.
The
user fee for ICBC related injuries is $7.50 per session. Depending
on whether or not the patient was at fault for the accident, ICBC
may reimburse the patient for this user fee. As well, there is no
maximum number of treatments that the patient may receive.
There
is no user fee for the treatment of Worker's Compensation Board
related injuries. The fees are fully paid by WCB.
NOTE: If
the patient has "extended health" or additional health
coverage through their place of employment, the user fee and/or
private fee receipts can be submitted for partial reimbursement
- usually 80% of the total cost.
Do
I need x-rays?
No. Not all patients need to have
x-rays. Depending on your condition and information obtained from
your exam and your history, conservative treatment can often be
administered without x-rays. This is particularly true when the
patient has not experienced any sort of trauma. If the problem we
are dealing with is due to a traumatic injury or if the symptoms
are of an uncommon and persistent nature, it is sometimes necessary
to have x-rays done to rule out fractures or other potential problems
such as bone infections/tumors. All of our x-rays are done at the
hospital in conjunction with your Medical Doctor. You should expect
to make an appointment to be examined by your Medical Doctor before
an x-ray is potentially taken. There is no cost to the patient for
the x-rays, as the Medical Services Plan is billed directly, usually
by the Medical Doctor.
Do
I need a referral from my Medical Doctor?
No. Chiropractor's are licensed "primary
contact" practitioners. This means that you can walk into our
office and receive treatment without a referral from anyone else.
How
many visits will I require?
Everyone is different. It depends
on the type of condition, mechanism of injury, age and physical
makeup of the patient. On average, patients are seen 8 to 15 times.
However, sometimes it is much less.
Are
all chiropractors the same?
No. Depending on where they received
their training and their philosophical traits, there may be a significant
difference. Asking lots of questions is encouraged in our office.
The more you understand about the doctor and our office, the more
enjoyable your chiropractic experience will be.
Is
chiropractic safe?
Chiropractic is among the safest of
health care fields. As proof one really has to compare malpractice
rates between chiropractors and other health-care professionals.
Chiropractor's malpractice insurance premiums are small fraction
of those for medical doctors, especially orthopedists and surgeons.
There is plenty of good information demonstrating how safe chiropractic
treatment is. For more information, contact our office and we will
gladly provide it.
Can
I see a chiropractor after I have had back surgery?
Yes. It is an unfortunate fact that
half of those people who have had spinal surgery discover a return
of their original symptoms months or even years later. They then
face the prospect of additional surgery. This too common occurrence
is known "failed back surgery". It is unlikely that a
patient should receive chiropractic treatment immediately after
surgery. The people who have had surgery in the not so near past
may however receive conservative chiropractic care. This of course
depends on the type and location of the previous surgery.
What causes the sound of an adjustment?
Actually, not all chiropractic adjusting
techniques produce the sound associated with "cracking your
knuckles". Some techniques create no sound all, some a little.
Many techniques however, do create the sound. To determine what
the sound is caused by, a British research team took x-ray movies
of people's hands while cracking their knuckles. The sound was actually
caused by a gas bubble forming within the joint being worked on.
Can
I go only once?
Of course. Once is better than never,
but most patients require at least a few treatments to get good
long-term results. There is no form of treatment, by any type of
practitioner, for musculoskeletal complaints that will cure the
problem for good in one session. Very rarely is it that easy.
How
long will it take before I see a difference?
Most patients feel a 25 to 30 percent
improvement in their symptoms after their first or second visit.
However, there are some patients that will not feel improvements
until after the first week or so of treatment. Again, this depends
on what the problem is and how long it has been there.
At
what age should chiropractic treatment begin?
Children of all ages receive treatment
in our office. Of course, the treatment they receive is much gentler
and more conservative than what an adult would receive. Each child
is treated individually and treatment or protocol may vary considerably.
Many parents ask us why children would require treatment. If an
adult was as active and tumbled as much as a toddler does, how sore
would an adult be at the end of the day?
Do
chiropractors believe in medicine and surgery?
Definitely. If I have a medical emergency,
such as a broken bone, I will definitely be seeing my medical doctor.
Every health-care practitioner has a role to play. However, one
particular type cannot play all roles. Chiropractors have established
their role in the treatment of nerve, muscle, and joint injuries.
In our office, we not only identify and treat the patient's problem,
but we also promote the prevention of the problem from returning.
Is
it bad to "Pop" your neck or back?
The desire to "Pop" the
neck or back is caused by the pressure or tension of stiff and tight
joints. The chiropractor's job is to restore smooth movement and
full mobility to these joints. When a person tries to do this themselves,
it is unlikely that they are able to differentiate which joints
actually need to be addressed. Because of this, the stiff joints
are rarely dealt with and the symptoms will reoccur in a very short
period of time. Also, there are risk factors involved with someone
attempting to treat their own back and particularly the neck. When
someone "adjusts" their neck or back repetitively for
consecutive days, the joints may actually become too loose and degenerate
faster.
Can
I tell if I have a spinal problem without consulting a chiropractor?
Not always, spinal problems can be
like a cavity that may have been there for some time before you
have any signs are symptoms. This is why many of our patients come
in to see us fairly regularly so that their small problems can be
identified and corrected before they become painful big problems.
How
long does a chiropractic visit take?
Your first visit in our office is
usually 20-30 minutes. In this time we do a thorough history and
exam to help determine what is wrong if you and how we are going
to treat it. Subsequent visits are about 10 minutes.
Is
chiropractic care addictive? Once I go, will I always have to go?
Chiropractic care is not addictive
and once you become a patient you will not always have to go. How
long you remain an active patient is always your decision. However,
there is nothing wrong with a patient learning to like the fact
that they feel good and wish to be proactive with their health.
Is
chiropractic similar to massage?
Chiropractic and Massage Therapy differ
considerably but complement each other very well. Massage therapists
deal primarily with the soft tissues, such as the muscles. Chiropractors
deal primarily with joints, nerves, and muscles. One cannot necessarily
replace the other. Since they address different components of potentially
the same problem, most patients have found that they get the best
results by doing both at the same time.
Can
a person who has a fractured spine see a chiropractor?
This depends whether you've had a
fractured spine or you have a fractured spine. We have many patients
in the office that have had spinal fractures. They all receive some
form treatment but it may vary depending on how recently the fracture
occurred.
If
I'm receiving treatment for my medical doctor or some other health-care
practitioner, can I still see the chiropractor?
Definitely. In my experience, one
type of treatment cannot completely replace another. Usually, when
a patient receives different forms of treatment at the same time,
it only accelerates their recovery.
Does
a patient have to get an adjustment?
No. In our office patients only receive
treatment if it is necessary and if the patient gives their consent.
How
much does it cost?
Each chiropractic patient has partial
coverage by the Medical Services Plan (MSP) for twelve visits per
calendar year. Patients age sixty five years or older are allowed
fifteen visits per calendar year. This means that a patient will
pay a $5.00 or $15.00 "user fee" when they receive a treatment
and the remainder of the cost is covered by MSP as determined by
the type of coverage you have. After the twelve visits have been
used, the MSP is no longer applicable and the private fee is $25.00
per treatment. If you have "extended health" or additional
health coverage through your place of employment, the "user
fee" and/or "private fee" receipts can be submitted
for partial reimbursement -usually 80% of the total cost. The cost
of treatment for ICBC injuries vary from zero to $5.00 per session.
There is no charge for the treatment of work related injuries, they
are covered by the Worker's Compensation Board.
Do
I have to get undressed or wear a gown?
No. Very rarely does a patient have to wear a gown to receive treatment.
If there are specific reasons why a gown may be necessary, it will
be fully explained first. In the end, it is always the patients
decision.
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