1. Why Chiropractic? 
2. What is Chiropractic? 
3. What conditions are treated by a Chiropractor?  
4. What happens during a chiropractic exam?
5. What training do chiropractors have?
6. What is the research with chiropractic?                                               
   
7. Is chiropractic cost-effective?
8.  Is chiropractic care covered by insurance?

In the past, people with pain have subjected themselves to prolonged bed rest, uncomfortable traction, medication, injections, and surgery. But there is a safer, more natural approach: Chiropractic.

Chiropractic is a natural approach to healthcare.  Doctors of Chiropractic (D.C.s) adjust the spine with easy, manual adjustments to move the spinal vertebrae back to their normal positions. A chiropractor will sometimes also adjust the joints of the neck, arms, and legs.  Spinal adjustments can relieve a spectrum of ailments such as headaches, certain types of migraines, menstrual cramps, allergies, asthma, stomach disorders, spastic colon, and arm, hand, and leg pain that's due to dysfunction of the neck or lower back. Some patients with asthma turn to chiropractic care to release tension in the chest. Research is helping to determine if manipulation of the neck helps the ears drain properly, thus alleviating otitis media -- the ear infection that plagues children.

If your lower back has bothered you, you are not alone.  Eight out of ten adults will experience low back problems at some time in their lives.  Most symptoms of low back pain are blamed on poor muscle tone in the back, muscle tension or spasm, ligament or muscle tears, and joint problems.

While many patients initially seek Active Life Chiropractic for the treatment for back pain, neck pain and headaches, know that chiropractic can also help with other symptoms:

• Sports Injuries
• Work Injuries
• Auto Injuries
• Carpal Tunnel
• Shoulder Pain
• Muscle Spasm
• Sciatica

• Whiplash
• Pediatrics (colic, ear infections, digestive disorders, etc)
• Back pain associated with pregnancy                
• Osteoarthritis
• Fibromyalgia

Dr. Bruner or Dr. McGrady will take a medical history, conduct physical, neurological, and/or orthopedic examinations. Chiropractic physicians spend a considerable amount of time assessing posture, examining the spine, testing reflexes, joint motion, and muscle strength. X-rays and other diagnostic images are often used to locate vertebral dysfunction and to rule out disorders like tumors or fractures, which require the attention of other healthcare experts.

Chiropractors are licensed in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.  A rigorous course of study is necessary to receive a degree of Doctor of Chiropractic (D.C.). According to the American Chiropractic Association, there are over 60,000 D.C.s practicing in the Untied States.  For licensure in the state of Tennessee, the Board of Chiropractic Examiners requires all D.C.’s to possess an undergraduate bachelor’s degree, completion of a 4-year chiropractic college program, and to pass all 5 national board examinations.  The State of Tennessee also requires every chiropractor to complete 24-hours of continuing education each year.

Doctors of chiropractic are uniquely trained in structural health and are highly skilled in spinal manipulation.  When you visit Active Life Chiropractic, you will know that Dr. Bruner and Dr. McGrady are qualified to perform the procedures skillfully and safely and they are concerned about your health and wellness.

A new study finds that care for low-back pain initiated with a doctor of chiropractic saves 40 percent on health care costs when compared with care initiated through a medical doctor. The study, featuring data from 85,000 Blue Cross Blue Shield beneficiaries, concludes that insurance companies that restrict access to chiropractic care for low-back pain treatment may inadvertently pay more for care than they would if they removed such restrictions

Low-back pain is a significant public health problem. Up to 85 percent of Americans have back pain at some point in their lives. In addition to its negative effects on employee productivity, back pain accounts for about $50 billion annually in health care costs—making it one of the top 10 most costly conditions treated in the United States.

Published in the December 2010 issue of the Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics, the new study, “Cost of Care for Common Back Pain Conditions Initiated With Chiropractic Doctor vs. Medical Doctor/Doctor of Osteopathy as First Physician: Experience of One Tennessee-Based General Health Insurer,” looked at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Tennessee’s intermediate and large group fully insured population over a two-year span. The insured study population had open access to MDs and DCs through self-referral, and there were no limits applied to the number of MD/ DC visits allowed and no differences in co-pays.

Results show that paid costs for episodes of care initiated by a DC were almost 40 percent less than care initiated through an MD. After risk-adjusting each patient’s costs, researchers still found significant savings in the chiropractic group. They estimated that allowing DC-initiated episodes of care would have led to an annual cost savings of $2.3 million for BCBS of Tennessee.

“As doctors of chiropractic, we know firsthand that our care often helps patients avoid or reduce more costly interventions such as drugs and surgery.  This study supports what we see in our practices every day,” said ACA President Rick McMichael, DC. “It also demonstrates the value of chiropractic care at a critical time, when our nation is attempting to reform its health care system and contain runaway costs.”

Yes.  We are in-network with many providers including most Blue-Cross/Blue-Shield, Cigna, Aetna, United Healthcare, Humana, Medicare and several additional companies.  During your first visit the Active Life Chiropractic staff will verify your coverage and benefits.  They will meet with you personally to review your insurance coverage prior to starting chiropractic care.