faqs
What Should I Expect at My First Visit to a CBP® Doctor?
Each patient receives a thorough history taking and assessment process at SpinoConcept. The CBP doctor performs examinations to detect and document abnormal positions of the head shoulders, rib cage, pelvis, knees and feet. The final step to complete the first office visit is taking precise spinal x-rays. Properly taken spinal x-rays are like a blueprint of your spine and often hold the key to discovering the underlying cause of your pain and discomfort. After reviewing the results of your exam (may also include computerized postural analysis, weight-bearing digital feet scans as well as x-rays), the clinic staff will contact you to come back for a report of findings & initiate treatment as required. This is when the doctor will explain what he/she found, whether CBP® chiropractic can help, how long it will take to correct, and how much it will cost.
Will a CBP® Doctor Only "Manipulate" My Back?
While traditional chiropractic adjustments are usually performed to relieve symptoms, CBP® doctors have specialised training that utilize unique procedures to correct underlying structural problems. According to research, spinal manipulations are not enough to correct the structural distortions of the spine. Standard Chiropractic adjustments may only give temporary relief without solving any underlying problems causing the pain.
To correct abnormal spinal alignment, the muscles must be retrained and strengthened in order to maintain the new corrected position. Therefore, CBP® doctors devise a specific Mirror Image® exercise program for each individual patient to help them with their unique spinal problem. Spinal traction is also performed to restore the spine back to its normal 3-Dimensional relationship. This has long-term benefits of reducing mechanical stress on the spine and discs along with abnormal stresses on the nerves and spinal cord. If mechanical stress remains on your spine and nervous system untreated, it can lead to arthritis, spinal degeneration and a multitude of health-related conditions.
Does CBP treatment hurt?
Similar to the effects of strenuous physical exercise, a select few CBP traction exercises can be uncomfortable to certain patients. However, every effort is made to work the CBP program around the tolerance threshold of each patient while maintaining the goal to achieve lasting spinal and pelvic structural change, in as short a time as possible.
The reality for many SpinoConcept patients is that the pain they have been tolerating in their structure prior to coming to the clinic far out ways the short-term uncomfortable sensation of a select few traction exercises. For many years the patient's muscles, joint capsules and ligaments became accustom to their poor structural profile. Changing this poor posture through CBP is vital to the long-term health of the patient and every attempt is made by the SpinoConcept team to ensure the program exercises fall within the tolerances of each patient.
Why should I care about my posture?
Posture is an outward representation of the inside condition of the spine. Research has demonstrated that normal posture is essential for the body to function optimally. The famed school song "the foot bone's connected to the leg bone, the leg bone's connected to the thigh bone, the thigh bone's connected to the pelvic bone…" makes an important statement about the interconnected relationship each bone has on structure, and ultimately posture. If your posture is good, then your spinal health will also bring a range of long-term advantages to your wellbeing and physical outlook in the future.
How long will it take for my body to achieve the desired structural results?
The success of the CBP program on the structural integrity of your body will depend on your personal history, genetics, current physical condition, level of stress, and how well you follow the program maintenance recommendations. The physical impact on the spine's prolonged exposure to stress can place certain limits on the success outcomes of the CBP program.
The SpinoConcept team has achieved outstanding results with patients in under 3 months, and also managed to deliver results in extreme patient cases where other practitioners had deemed their condition untreatable.
Healing is a process, and like every process in nature, healing takes time. It is unreasonable to expect permanent correction of a structural condition in an instant after we have abused the body and ignored the spine for decades. It is also incorrect to expect something as complex as the spinal system to be fixed once and continue its function at full capacity without any maintenance care.
The SpinoConcept team pride themselves on communicating to patients their current condition, the likely treatment course and outcomes, along with a tailored maintenance regimen for lasting results.
Why do I need to get treatment more frequently during my 1st phase of corrective care?
Just as you have adapted to abnormal, we have to work efficiently to re-adapt your body back to normal. The initial stage of the CBP program is designed to reduce inflammation and restore joint mobility as quickly as the body will allow. This stage is a re-adaptive phase, which requires the surrounding muscle, ligaments and tissue to conform and adapt to support proper structure.
The correction is similar to the way orthodontics move teeth into proper alignment using braces. Orthodontics cause the surrounding bone to conform to support the teeth in a different position. Similarly, adjustments of the spine cause surrounding spinal tissue to conform and support the spinal column in its new corrected position. This stage also addresses the symptom relief.
The second phase, or stabilisation care, is designed to further the healing process and maintain the progress your body has already made. Using the gym example again, if after months of working out you feel and look great, is it wise to stop working out? You might not have to work out with the same intensity that got you into shape, but it would be smart to maintain your progress, right?
Do I have to be under chiropractic care for the rest of my life?
Put simply, you do not have to do anything for the rest of your life- in everything we have choice. You can choose not to brush your teeth, not to change the oil in your car, not to make repairs to your home, not to eat a healthy diet, and not to exercise. But, there are consequences for your actions. If you want to get the most mileage out of your body, we believe you need to maintain the body for optimal health. The spine and nervous system is no exception. Many of out patients choose to undertake regular 'spinal tune-ups' after the completion of the CBP program as a part of their maintenance regimen.
Why should I have my spine examined if there is no pain?
Like our teeth, the spine can degenerate over time without any pain symptoms alerting you to any problems. If you only went to see a dentist for pain relief, then you run the risk of ignoring problems such as cavities or gum disease well before any alarms of pain arise.
There are a range of causes for structural spine and pelvic problems in the body- starting with the traumatic process of your own birth. Over time, our bodies endure knocks, bumps, jolts and hits on top of the prolonged pressure of poor posture that all can have an immense impact on the structural integrity of the spine and pelvis.
Whether you are in pain or not, having the structure of your body assessed can give you peace of mind or alert you to any underlying problems that would have gone unnoticed until serious structural problems surface.
Why do some people repeatedly visit a Chiropractor over prolonged periods of time?
Looking after your spine is a life-long task- but the treatment you receive should be oriented towards the restoration of your structure, and not just pain relief. A large proportion of the public would not expect any other treatment outcome from a Chiropractor than just the removal of pain, and so Chiropractic treatment becomes part of their weekly or monthly goal to live with minimal pain.
After learning the fundamental law of matter that 'structure determines function', many patients choose to maintain the health of their structure for optimal health and performance following the course of their CBP program. Similar to dental or regular medical check-ups, CBP maintenance helps keep our patient's bodies functioning at their peak.
Is Corrective care the only option?
We advise our patients of all the various options of care available to them through SpinoConcept and outline the best long-term solution for their condition.
If you simply want to get rid of your pain and be done with your care as soon as you feel better, then you may wish to seek 'relief care' at a standard chiropractic clinic.
We offer 'Fix-care' which takes longer and requires more initial input and effort from our patients. However, 'Fix Care is far superior and cost-effective in the long-term than just 'Relief Care'.
Insurance
Does Insurance Cover CBP® Chiropractic Treatment?
Almost all private health insurance companies offer chiropractic coverage depending on the level of individual health cover plans. The rebate is determined by either a fixed rate or calculated percentage up to a maximum amount per policy year.
It often see patients making decisions that are influenced by the private insurance companies. In other words, the insurance companies dictate what services the patient can/cannot have and how many treatments the patient will need, rather than the patients making informed decisions in the best interest of their own health.
What about Medicare coverage?
Currently, the Federal Government only has funding for a maximum of five chiropractic treatments per calendar year. In order to be eligible, the patient must have chronic conditions that require co-management by at least 3 health professionals (e.g. GP, Dietitian & Chiro or GP, Diabete Educator, Chiro etc) and be on an EPC (Enhanced Primary Care) plan. Medicare covers 80% (or up to $60) per visit.
General Chiro FAQ's
Why is the nervous system so important?
Your brain, spinal cord, and nerves coordinate and control every cell, tissue and organ in the body and adapt them to their internal and external environment. If the nervous system is not responding & communicating properly, the body will not perform at 100% as nature intended. The result is a gradual shift of equilibrium towards 'dis-ease' where the body may present with reduced immune function, fatigue, premature aging, poor metabolism, hormonal imbalance, difficulty concentrating, spinal joint arthritis, disc pathologies, muscle and joint dysfunction.
What is a subluxation?
This is a chiropractic term that describes the dysfunctional state of the spine or vertebra causing interference to the nervous system. Subluxation is known to be caused by chemical, emotional, and physical stress leading to the body's inability to self-regulate, heal, repair, and regenerate its cells, tissues, and organs for optimal function.
What is the difference between standard Chiropractors and CBP chiropractors?
Chiropractors correct interference in the nervous system by using specific chiropractic movement on the spine leading to better joint function, muscle balance, and nerve function.
CBP practitioners go further in the restoration and maintenance of the global alignment of the spine and pelvis. This is best compared to the different skills and goals of care between a dentist and an orthodontist. The dentist is generally associated with short-term dental hygiene care where an orthodontist specialises in major structural dental works that deliver incremental and lasting changes to the patient over a course of time.
Do you encourage pharmaceutical drugs and medical surgery ?
In short, No. However, there is a role and need for both. At SpinoConcept, we are more interested in finding and correcting the cause of a problem rather than covering up the symptoms with a synthetic chemical that often cause unwanted side-effects. With proper analysis and understanding of the pathogenesis of the condition, many patient respond well with conservative and non-invasive procedures. Surgery is undoubtedly financially, emotionally, and physically stressful and should only be considered as a last resort to spinal treatment.
Is it true that chiropractic treatment can cure disease?
The body heals itself when it is given the right tools. These tools are proper nutrition, adequate rest, physical exercise, mental and spiritual balance, a structurally sound spine and a healthy nervous system.
Nerves control the immune system, skeletal system, respiratory system, reproductive system, digestive system, hormone (endocrine) system, and the list goes on.
Chiropractic care facilitates healing because it restores proper spine functions that allow the body to do what it is innately designed to do. Chiropractic does not cure anything - the body cures itself if you allow it to.
When should someone start chiropractic care?
Ideally, soon after they are born. There are paediatric chiropractic specialists who are trained to diagnose structural trauma in infants following childbirth and provide specialised treatment for a range of problems.
The spine and nervous system are subject to trauma from day one. From the outset, the spine is subject to the twisting and traction of the skull and neck during the birth process, the falls and bumps of childhood, through to prolonged spine inactivity at a desk job and spine degeneration through old age. In short, it is never too early to seek Chiropractic care.