Q: Does chiropractic treatment require a referral from an MD?

A: A referral is usually not needed to see a Doctor of Chiropractic (DC); however, your health plan may have specific referral requirements. You may want to contact your employer’s human resources department—or the insurance plan directly—to find out if there are any referral requirements. Most plans allow you to just call and schedule an appointment with a DC.

Q: What conditions do we treat at Connecticut Chiropractic, LLC?

A: At Connecticut Chiropractic, LLC we care for patients with a variety of health conditions. Chiropractors are especially well known for their expertise in caring for patients with back pain, neck pain and headaches. We also care for patients with a wide range of injuries and disorders of the musculoskeletal system, involving the muscles, ligaments and joints. These painful conditions often involve or impact the nervous system, which can cause referred pain and dysfunction distant to the region of injury. DCs also counsel patients on diet, nutrition, exercise, healthy habits, and occupational and lifestyle modification.

Q: Are chiropractors safe?

Chiropractic care is safe, effective, and generally free of side effects. In fact, recent studies have shown that patients with back pain have a higher chance of more serious side effects (including gastrointestinal bleeding) when taking over the counter (OTC) non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as ibuprofen.

As Mayo Clinic notes: “Chiropractic adjustment is safe when it’s performed by someone trained and licensed to deliver chiropractic care.” It’s important to find a chiropractor near you who is appropriately trained and comes with great credentials.

Q: What is a myofascial release?

Muscles that are over stressed can develop various problems, such as trigger points, adhesions and scar tissue, which can affect that muscle and the joint to which it is attached. These problems can cause the motion of muscles or joints to be altered, resulting in a wide variety of symptoms including pain, weakness and reduced range of motion, numbness and tingling. We identify areas of stress and tension and use the appropriate technique to restore proper function.

Q: How many chiropractic sessions do you need?

The answer to this question depends mainly on the patient, and his or her pain condition. However, as Spine-Health.com reports:

“Good chiropractors do everything in their power to help their patients feel better as fast as possible with as few chiropractic treatments as necessary, ultimately reducing care to an as-needed follow-up plan. They also give advice on how to avoid future problems by evaluating lifestyle activities, ergonomics, posture, orthotics, and/or diet.”

At Connecticut Chiropractic, LLC we do not promote long term initial treatment plans. We know every patient responds differently to care. Setting up long term treatment plans often leads to unnecessary visits and expenses.

Q: Is there a difference between dry needling and acupuncture?

Acupuncture is a complementary medical practice rooted in traditional Chinese medicine that entails stimulating certain points on the body – most often with a needle penetrating the skin – to alleviate pain or to help treat various health conditions.

Dry needling is a technique that is similar in that a needle is inserted into the skin to alleviate pain. However the primary difference between acupuncture and dry needling is that acupuncture treats for the purpose of altering the flow of Qi (or energy) along traditional Chinese meridians while dry needling follows evidence-based guidelines, recommended “point” locations, and dosages for the treatment of specific conditions.