Take the cost of medications + physical therapy + doctor visits (your primary care physician and specialists) + surgery. Add that all up and what do you get? You get a plethora of medical bills that, even with insurance, you will be paying off for the rest of your life. People are constantly complaining about how much they have to pay for medical care and wish there was something less expensive and just as effective, if not more, than traditional methods of treatment. Don't worry, there is an extremely simple solution to this ever growing problem...chiropractic care.
"Isn't chiropractic care expensive"? When compared to traditional methods of healthcare, the answer if no. Each chiropractic clinic creates its own prices for the various services they provide. That being said, the average cost of basic services is anywhere from $34 to $100. Your initial consultation and full exam will run higher than a regular session, because all the preliminaries (X-rays, complete physical and paperwork) must be handled before beginning any therapy sessions. Once the initial session is out of the way, fees for the actual therapy sessions will be much lower than the first visit. Another factor that can affect chiropractic fees is living in different areas of the United States. For example, you should expect to pay higher fees if you live in the south, but pay lower fees if you live in the mid-west.
There are other fees that patients should be aware of. Almost every chiropractor will require X-rays, MRI's and/or Thermal Scans, unless you bring current and usable test results/scans with you to your first visit. On the other hand, some doctors prefer to do their own testing at their clinic or at a location they frequently do business with. These are not covered in the initial consultation/session fee; although, the chiropractic clinic/office will sometimes offer a special discount. Chiropractic clinics may reduce the amount of regular session fees over time if long-term treatment is recommended. They also offer special package deals or set up a payment plan that you and your budget can live with. Every chiropractic clinic/office is different, so make sure you ask about their fees for each service. It is also important to get any fees, discounts and/or special offer in writing. This insures that there is no chance of any misunderstandings.
Massage therapy is a service that some chiropractors provide. It is recommended by about 50% of chiropractic clinics and will cost about $40 per session. Acupressure and acupuncture is recommended by about 20% of chiropractic clinics. The initial visit/consultation will cost around $100 to $150, and the follow-up sessions average out to around $65 each visit. Again, each chiropractic clinic/office is different so make sure you ask about any and all fees up front before receiving any treatment and get the fee schedule, discounts and/or special offers in writing.
Another plus is most insurance companies are now covering chiropractic services. They are beginning to realize that chiropractic care is not only a recognized and proven method of healthcare, but is more cost effective when compared to traditional medical treatments. Insurance companies look at the bottom line. With chiropractic care, they are only paying a small fraction of the cost for treatment when compared to the thousands of dollars they would spend on prescription medication, numerous hours of physical therapy, doctor and specialist office visits, long-term medical care or more evasive treatment(s) such as surgery. Chiropractic care is by far the smartest choice for rehabilitation.
You have finally made your appointment for an initial visit/consultation with a chiropractor, so what's next? You need to be fully aware of what to expect on this first visit. Just about every visit the chiropractor will do manual adjustments. The areas to be adjusted are at the discretion of your doctor. S/he will be able to tell which areas are needing the most attention. The response to treatment is a major factor in determining your treatment plan and it can change from session to session. S/he may also add other treatments to work in conjunction with the adjustments. Some of these additional treatments are ice/heat therapy, physical therapy (on land and/or in the water), massage therapy, TENS unit, acupressure and/or acupuncture. By having open and honest communication with your chiropractor, s/he will be able to devise a treatment plan tailored to meet your specific needs.
The key to obtaining optimal health is find a properly licensed chiropractor that is highly skilled/experienced in treating patients that have similar injuries/conditions as you. Once you have found one, write down all of your questions and bring them to your initial visit. Be sure to ask about fees, payment plans and discounts they may offer. The mark of a great chiropractor is if s/he values your health and well being over the all mighty dollar. By choosing chiropractic therapy, you have taken the first step in building a better and healthier you.
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