ARE YOUR MEDICAL BILLS COVERED? Did you know there is a portion of your automobile policy that not only allows you to go to any doctor you want regardless of your health insurance but pays your bills? Your car insurance protects your car, not the people inside of it. Medical Payments (often called Med Pay) or Personal Injury Protection (PIP) covers the medical cost of all passengers in your vehicle including you if they are injured in an accident. Med Pay will cover the medical cost resulting from an accident regardless of who was at fault. Only injuries caused directly by the accident will be covered by Med Pay. Keep in mind Med Pay is purchased on a by vehicle basis. This means if you have two cars you must purchase Med Pay for both if you wish to be covered in either car. It's also very important to point out that Med Pay is not a replacement for health insurance. Med Pay coverage is strictly limited to injuries that occur during auto accidents and almost always has a limit (We suggest a minimum of $10,000 in coverage). Your health insurance can also cover your injuries if you are in a car accident: the difference is that Med Pay will cover the other people in the car. Additionally, Med Pay or PIP covers your medical cost from an accident at 100%, usually without deductibles and co-payments. If you use your health insurance to cover your accident-related medical expenses you may be subject to plan restrictions, high deductible, co-payments and re-payment. What does all that mean for you? It means that at the end of your accident related treatment you may not have any outstanding doctor bills to pay and so have decreased your liability. This low cost insurance can be an effective way to pay for your treatment bills. Check your automobile declaration page or call your insurance agent to find out your specific coverage's. Most insurance agents do not recommended it. It is an optional coverage and you must request it.  Contact your insurance agent to find the right coverage to fit your individual needs. If you or anyone you know has been involved in an automobile accident the key to recover is early evaluation and treatment. Don't wait to see if it goes away, call our office immediately.

An often overlooked treatment that is highly successful for slipped or herniated disc is NOW available in our office. This is a non-surgical alternative procedure for relieving low back, neck, arm and leg (sciatica) pain.

Treatment is directed towards relieving pressure on structures such as nerves and disc that are often a major source of pain. It can relieve the pain associated with bulging, herniated and degenerative disc. If you have had a positive MRI you are very much an excellent candidate. If you or someone you know have any one of these conditions have them call and schedule an appointment to see if they are a candidate for spinal decompression. Chiropractic first, Drugs second and Surgery last!

With all the studies evaluating the prevalence and cause of back pain, few have focused on back pain in our children and adolescents and none have been conducted on a larger scale.  Fortunately, this changed when doctors at the Hospital of Special Surgery in New York City surveyed 3,669 children and adolescents across the United States.  Their goal was to establish the prevalence of back pain in 10-18 year olds as well as identify any demographic or physical activity factors.  Their findings revealed that overall, 29% of the boys experienced back pain in the previous year.  Perhaps more surprisingly, this number rose to 38% in the girls.  Additionally, the occurrence of back pain increased steadily with the age of the children/adolescents.  Almost 80% of those studied stated they participated in a sport or physical activity.  As the level of competition increased and became more intense (travel teams vs. recreational athletes), so too did the occurrence of back pain.  Additionally, there was a strong correlation between the incidence of back pain and the style of backpack used.  Those using a two strap backpack were less likely to experience back pain as compared with those using rolling backpacks with two straps and the waistband fastened, or, those using backpacks with a single strap.  The data collected from this study shed light on the serious risk our youth face when it comes to back injuries.  Chiropractors undergo years of extensive study and training to identify and treat back pain, in both adults and children.  In fact, of those youth surveyed above who experienced back pain within the last year, approximately 34% sought chiropractic care.  If your child or adolescent is or has experienced back pain, we encourage you to schedule a no-commitment consultation with a licensed doctor of chiropractic today!

Millions of U.S. adults would choose chiropractic care first to treat neck or back pain, according to a recent nationwide survey. The Gallup-Palmer report revealed 57% of all U.S. adults believe in the effectiveness of treatment and are likely to visit a chiropractor. Over 50% of adults have visited a chiropractic doctor in the past, and over 25% would choose a chiropractor over any other type of doctor if they experienced back or neck pain. The nationally representative survey, commissioned by the Palmer College of Chiropractic in Iowa, also found that more adults are seeking chiropractic treatment than previously estimated. The survey found that 33.6 million Americans visited a chiropractor in 2014, up from the 2012 estimate of 20.6 million Americans. Chiropractic care takes a trained, conservative approach to the treatment of neuromusculoskeltal concerns, limiting the need for prescription painkillers or surgery. However, about four in ten U.S. adults reported concerns about cost, and nearly half did not know whether their insurance plan covered chiropractic services. According to the American Chiropractic Association (ACA), numerous recent studies refute these misconceptions. The ACA reports that chiropractic care is at least partially covered by most insurance plans and is considered a cost-effective form of treatment for back and neck pain.

Skipping breakfast can lead to a reduced athletic performance later in the day according to U.K. researchers.  In a group of 10 males, researchers compared performance later in the day when eating breakfast as well as when skipping breakfast.  In this particular group of individuals, when breakfast was skipped, even though more calories tended to be consumed during lunch (an average of approximately 200 additional calories), their later day performance was still reduced.  More studies will need to be performed but if you're an athlete with an athletic performance later it the day, making a decision to skip breakfast may reduce your overall performance, even if more calories are consumed later in the day.