FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:
Are you in network with my insurance?
I am an in network provider with the following private insurance companies: Aetna, American Specialty Health (Providence plans only, for chiropractic only), HMA, Moda, PacificSource, Providence, Regence Blue Cross/Blue Shield. I am unable to accept the Oregon Health Plan (OHP).
Do I have to come 3 times a week?
Absolutely not! There are situations during the initial stages of care where multiple visits relatively close together will give the greatest benefit. Within a few weeks, however, care can often be reduced and spaced out at varying intervals that are determined for your individual treatment plan. Dr. Ebling believes that in addition to care in the office, a patient will obtain the maximum benefit when they actively participate in their wellness and she gives everyone specific self-care to achieve that goal.
Can’t I adjust myself?
It is true that when you stretch a particular way you may hear a "pop" or "crack" and feel a sense of relief. Some of you may even twist or push on a particular area and get a pop with relative ease. Those pops however are often exacerbating areas of instability while increasing the amount of tension in the adjacent muscles. While you may get a feeling of increased motion or decreased pain temporarily, the desire to "crack" it again usually comes back as you begin to self-adjust more frequently. A Chiropractic Physician is trained to feel and restore subtle areas of restriction in the spine and joints of the extremities. They have a variety of tools available to them to correctly restore proper position and tone to the muscles, tendons, ligaments and bones of the body. When that happens consistently, over time the previously unstable areas normalize and the generalized tension in the muscles decreases leaving you moving better and feeling better.
Is Chiropractic Safe?
A study published in the October 2, 2001 issue of the Canadian Medical Association Journal put the risk of stroke following a chiropractic adjustment to 1 in 5.85 million. Compare that to a 2005 Consumer Reports review on deaths caused by Non Steroidal Anti-Inflammatories (NSAIDs) like Aspirin, Aleve, Celebrex, Ibuprofen, Naproxen etc. They found the risk of dying from bleeding in the gastrointestinal tract due to NSAID use was as high as 1 in 647 for adults over the age of 75 to as low at 1 in 12,353 in individuals under the age of 45. And that is only talking about deaths related to bleeding, NSAIDs also potentially increase the risk of heart attacks and stroke, depending on the users other risk factors. Much of the negative press surrounding Chiropractic adjustments causing strokes were based on individual reports with little evidence to prove that the adjustment caused the stroke rather than the early symptoms of stroke caused the person to seek an adjustment. Additionally, some incidents of stroke following manipulation were performed by practitioners like physical therapists and medical doctors that typically receive a mere fraction of the education in manipulative procedures as Doctors of Chiropractic. Strokes have also been reported after seeing a hair dresser, flying, painting a ceiling, practicing yoga and prolonged telephone calls. While all medical procedures do carry some inherent risks, emerging evidence is that the risk of stroke following manipulation to the neck is quite low when performed by a well trained individual.
What if I don't have insurance for Chiropractic?
If you have major medical insurance that does not include Chiropractic care, sometimes it is possible to be reimbursed for out of pocket expenses that are not covered under your policy. Elemental Medicine will provide you with the necessary paperwork for you to submit and get potential reimbursement. This also applies to commonly utilized Flexible Spending Accounts or Health Savings Accounts that let you use pre-tax income to cover additional medical care. We are happy to discuss this option with you and to help you navigate the details of your policy. When you pay in full at the time of each visit you will receive a discount from our regular and customary insurance rates. See the "Forms and Fees" page for details of the likely cost of each visit.
For additional information, email contact@elementalmedicinepdx.com.
