Tag: X Rays

Chiropractic Care: Your First Visit

You may have heard that chiropractic care has many benefits. It is a natural form of healthcare that can lead to long-term relief of pain, discomfort, and improved mobility. Most patients see a chiropractor when in pain, but you do not have to wait. If you want to lead a natural and healthy life, seek natural medical care through a chiropractor.

Regardless of your reason for seeking chiropractic care, you may wonder about your first appointment. What can you expect?

Paperwork. Many new patients mistakenly believe they will not need to fill out a lot of paperwork. Unfortunately, all medication professionals recommend it. This is for your own safety though. Even though chiropractors do not administer medication, they still need all the information on your background and medical history. In addition to the medical history forms, you will be required to provide your contact and payment information.

On average, it can take 10 to 20 minutes to fill out all required paperwork. Your chiropractor may ask you to arrive early. If you are pressed for time, ask to pickup these forms ahead of time. You can complete them at home and bring with you to your appointment.

Education. Chiropractic care is unlike traditional medical care. Yes, there are many similarities, but there are also many differences. As previously stated, they do not administer medication. They also do not perform surgery. What they do use is diagnosable medical tools, such as sonograms, x-rays, and MRIs. After these tools are used to get a proper diagnosis, manual therapy kicks in. Chiropractors use their hands, precise force, and their training to treat spinal and joint problems.

As for why education is important, many are unfamiliar with chiropractic care. Most Americans have it drilled into their heads that rest, relaxation, and pain medications are the best way to seek relief. After all, we have heard this for years. Your chiropractor will educate you on the history of chiropractic care, its benefits, the differences between other forms of medical care, and why you made the right choice to come in for an appointment.

Examination. You will undergo a number of tests when at a first chiropractic appointment. As previously stated, you will get a quick physical exam. Your doctor may take your height and weight, test your blood pressure, or take your temperature. If he or she suspects a serious injury, a sonogram, MRI, or x-ray may be used. If not, your chiropractor will rely on their hands to get a good feel of the area causing you pain.

Consultation. This step varies depending on appointment length, chiropractor preferences, and diagnosis. If your doctor wants to wait and review your tests or take time to think about a course of treatment, you will need to return for a second appointment. This should conclude your first one. Some chiropractors can and will diagnose right away. They will then consult their findings and preferred method of treatment right away. In fact, treatment may begin. This may involve a simple therapeutic massage or a spinal or joint adjustment.

Picture taking. Although optional, many chiropractors like to take pictures of their new patients. Some want to highlight improvements. Your chiropractor may use before and after pictures to show to new patients or at medical conferences, but most will ask for permission first. They may also want you to see the difference at the end of treatment.

So, there you have it. You can expect some of these things at your first appointment. All medical professionals are different, so your first appointment may vary slightly.

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Chiropractic Care versus Traditional Medical Care

Are you suffering from mild to severe pain and discomfort? Whether it is your knees, hands, neck, back, fingers, toes, or another part of the body that hurts, you may be ready to schedule an appointment with your primary care physician. This is nice, but have you considered chiropractic care? If not, you should. It is similar, but also very different from traditional medical care. How?

Natural versus Artificial

Over the past few years, a lot of focus has been placed on natural and organic. Many Americans are making the switch to all natural and organic foods and supplements. This nice, but many of those same people turn to traditional forms of medicine and over-the-counter pain relievers to seek relief. This is not natural. Chiropractic care is. Chiropractors may use x-rays and MRIs to diagnose a problem and decide on a course of treatment, but that treatment is done with the precision of the hands. It is manual therapy.

Medications

Medications are commonly prescribed in traditional forms of medical care. They are not with chiropractic care. In fact, chiropractors are unable to write prescriptions. Some believe this is because they arent enough of a doctor. This is not true. The main reason for their inability to write prescriptions is because they do not believe in their use. Patients are not discouraged from seeking temporarily pain relief with over-the-counter products, but it is only temporary. Chiropractors prefer to make adjustments to treat the problem of pain at it source, not mask the problem with prescription medication.

Side Effects

In keeping with medication, it is important to note the side effects. They are common. It is rare to find a prescribed pain reliever without side effects. Even little side effects, such as an upset stomach or dizziness, can have a profound impact on your life. When seeking medical care, you want to seek relief, not have a new set of problems to deal with. That is why chiropractic care is best to treat pain, discomfort, and decreased mobility. Since there are no drugs prescribed, you will not experience side effects. But, you will get positive effects from either proper adjustments or therapeutic massages.

Safety

In terms of safety, there are little to no risks associated with chiropractic care. In fact, care is recommended for individuals of all ages. Both those young and old can benefit from chiropractic care. With traditional medical care, there are more risks present. Many of the medications prescribed are only safe for certain individuals. For example, those under the age of 4 can rarely seek safe pain relief from over-the-counter or prescribed medications. They can, however, get a safe therapeutic massage or undergo a safe realignment to treat pain and discomfort.

Complications

Chiropractors cannot perform surgery. In most cases, it is not needed. Patients who seek medical care experience pain, discomfort, and decreased mobility. As previously stated, realignment or a therapeutic massage may do the trick. Since surgery is only considered a last resort and performed by surgeon, there is little risk of complications. Surgery opens up a world of complications, including the invasion of germs and infection. Since the body is naturally healed using manual therapy, complications are non-existent.

NOTE: Chiropractors encourage those suffering from pain, discomfort, and difficultly moving to seek chiropractic care. What they dont encourage is avoiding all traditional forms of medical care. Some conditions, such as the flu, cancer, and diabetes cannot be treated with manual therapy. Never put your health at risk. Chiropractic care is best to treat pain and discomfort. Always keep your primary care physician in mind for other non-pain related medical problems.

In short, there are many differences between chiropractic care and medical care. So, which should you opt for? If you suffer from pain or experience difficulty moving, contact a local chiropractor. See what they can do for you. Since there are little to no risks, you have nothing to lose.

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Chiropractic Care: Payment Options

Are you experiencing pain, discomfort, or decreased mobility? Whatever the cause or if you are unsure, you should seek chiropractic care. This care is 100% natural and has many benefits. What are they?

As previously stated, chiropractic care is natural. It involves manual therapy, also known as hand therapy. A chiropractor may use an MRI or x-rays to diagnose a problem, but that is it. Therapeutic massages, fusions, alignments, and adjustments are done with the hands and precision force. Chiropractors believe that pain needs to stop, but they do more than just mask the pain with medication. In fact, they do not prescribe medication. Instead, they go directly to the source and fix the problem.

If you like the sound of chiropractic care, you may be ready to seek relief. You will want to call and schedule an appointment with a local care provider, but what about payment. How will you pay for treatment? It depends on the care center in question, but you should have a number of options.

Before worrying about how you intend to pay for a chiropractor, consider insurance. Do you have health insurance? If so, contact your insurance provider immediately. Many insurance providers are now embracing chiropractic care. They realize the benefits and decreased costs of natural relief. If your insurance coverage includes chiropractors, examine your options. Are you free to choose any provider that accepts your insurance or must you opt for a special in-network doctor?

If you have medical coverage, determine how much is covered. You may be required to pay 20% of the bill or have an affordable $10 co-pay. If you do not have medical coverage, you will need to cover the entire cost yourself and out-of-pocket. What are your options?

Personal checks. Most chiropractors do accept personal checks as a method of payment. They realize that consumers prefer these checks to carrying around cash. Checks are ideal, as you receive an additional receipt. There is record that you paid your bill.

Credit cards. Not all chiropractors accept credit cards as a method of payment. This is usually due to fees. Credit cards fees can be costly. If your care provider does accept credit cards, only use them as a last resort. The cost of treatment can significantly increase with high interest rates and late fees.

Debit cards. If a chiropractor accepts credit cards, they should also accept debit cards, also known as bank cards. These cards will need to be processed as credit, but the funds will be withdrawn from your bank immediately. If you rarely carry personal checks, a debit card is a quick and easy way to pay for treatment.

Cash. All chiropractors should accept cash. They are ideal for low amounts, such as when you are only responsible for an insurance co-pay. Most chiropractic treatments are affordable. Unless paying an overdue balance, you will not need to have thousands of dollars on hand. If you are unsure which methods of payment your provider accepts, always bring cash.

You now know what forms of payment most chiropractors accept, but you may have affordability concerns. How will you pay your bills?

In full. Most chiropractors require payment made in full after each appointment. As previously stated, this will not be high. A little bit of planning and preparation can do the trick. At your first appointment, your chiropractor may recommend a later appointment for a therapeutic massage or adjustment. Inquire about costs. You will only get an estimate, but you should have a week or two to save that money.

Payment plan. As previously stated, most chiropractors prefer payment in full after each appointment. This lowers their risk of losing money. There may be some exceptions, especially with long-term care. If you need treatment, like if you are in severe pain and your chiropractor knows this, they may be willing to make an exception. That exception could include monthly or weekly payment plans.

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Some Side Effects of Lymphoma Treatment

Are you looking for some inside information on Lymphoma? Here’s an up-to-date report from Lymphoma experts who should know.

Lymphoma is cancer of the lymphatic system. Like other cancers, lymphoma rap serve as treated with chemotherapy and radiotherapy among with other methods like antibody treatment and even through bone marrow transplants. And just like any other type of cancer, there are some notable side effects of lymphoma treatments.

Treating cancer is rather toxic to the body. Cancer cells multiply in an abnormal standard. This rate of increase produces a mass of tissue which becomes a tumor. When left alone the cancer cells eventually suffocate the healthy cells nearby and shut down their functions. Whole organs can shut down completely which obviously means death to that person. Eradicating these cancer cells is the key element in cancer treatment procedures. However, the overall goal of cancer treatments is to destroy cancer cells without killing the normal and healthy cells nearby.

Chemotherapy is a common method of killing those cancer cells. This treatment uses various drugs to eliminate the cells. However, the drugs restful affect some of the healthy cells. Among the more common side effects of the treatment in lymphoma patients includes decreased blood cell production, diarrhea, fatigue, mouth sores and hair loss. Decreased in blood production includes the normal red blood cells, the white blood cells and even the platelets. Some patients also reported feelings of nausea after the treatment. And because the drugs used for the treatment can also harm the production of sperm and egg cells, it is a medical fact that the treatment can indeed cause temporary or even permanent sterility of patients.

Instead of drugs, radiation therapy uses x – rays to kill the cells. But just like chemotherapy, the use of high business x – rays can kill the neighboring healthy cells. Common side effects of this treatment allow for feeling tired all the time like all your energy was drained out of your body. Hair loss and nausea are also common problems when patients undergo radiation therapy. But hair loss is limited to areas where the treatment is actually targeted. Nausea and skin changes matching getting red or itching are other known side effects.

Some treatments use steroids to control the growing of the cells. This is actually quite common and is used alongside at odds treatments. Steroids such as cortisone, prednisone and dexamethasone can cause insomnia, increased appetite, mood swings or changes and weight gain. The good thing about steroid treatment is that it is not used for long periods then the side effects are actually not strongly felt.

To counteract the side effects of lymphoma treatment, doctors suggests that you drink a lot of water before your treatment especially if you cede undergo chemotherapy. If you experience entrance sores, a good way to provide some comfort is by drinking milk and cream. Juices especially tomato and citrus juices are not a good idea when you have numerous sores in your mouth. Sound has been suggested that you eat several small chop chop portions during the day instead of eating full size meals.

Remember that your immune system at this point is compromised because of your low blood count so it would speak for advisable to stay away from whopping areas and people that are sick. Ask your doctors for other ways to lessen the side effects.
The day will come when you can use something you read about here to have a beneficial impact. Then you’ll be glad you took the time to learn more about Lymphoma.