Many chiropractors have taken to using public records that the city of Boise used to post online for free and cold calling these victims.
Beware Of Scammers
Some would use high-pressure selling scare tactics to change these people who, by no fault of their own, have found themselves to be in pain, disoriented, and unsure what they should do.
Several regional clinics have started using a service called "accident angels" that they pay thousands of dollars to every month to show them to their offices.
We have had patients under care personally called and victimized by this. They were allowed or led to think that they were talking to the at-fault insurance company.
They were told that they were asked to go to Dr. X’s office because they were giving payment for the treatment and he was an ‘auto accident expert.’
First, there is no such credentialing or recognition area that can be provided or found in the field of chiropractic.
Second, an insurance company will absolutely never instruct you on WHERE you need to seek treatment—only that it is your right to do so. This doctor had only just recently graduated from chiropractic school two months prior.
What To Expect From Chiropractic Treatment
Once you have begun treatment, it is essential that you treat consistently and understand and follow the doctor’s recommendations…to a point.
Treatment should be healing. You should see incremental improvement in function and pain levels. It is common to begin noticing improvement within the first two weeks as the tissues start to heal.
The healing process is not linear. Every day is not better. I frequently explain to my patients that it is a roller coaster ride—some days are great, and some days are feel like you took a step back.
With that being said, you should start to have more good days than bad days, and those days when you flare up should not be as severe as when you were initially injured.
We Offer All Our New Chiropractic Patients A Free TENS Unit
A TENS Unit is a safe, non-invasive, drug-free approach to pain management if used as directed.
Be conscious of anyone who proceeds to do the same thing over and over without noticing objective (measurable) and subjective (reported) improvements.
A clinic close to our own managed one person for three years and worked up a chiropractic bill of $42,000! There are people out there that think that a car accident is a clear and free license to treat and run up a bill.
Treatment should be consistent and reasonable both in time frame and frequency. At the start, it is commonplace to treat someone 3 times a week.
I often emphasize that we are working on helping the muscles to rest, relax, and change from tight and ropey (injured consistency) to soft and pliable (healthy consistency).
Post-treatment soreness is normal. We prefer a day for the tissues to heal and then work on them again.
If you are not progressing. your doctor should think about advanced imaging such as an MRI or, at least, a consultation with an orthopedic specialist.
To do the same thing over and over and anticipating to see different results is the definition of insanity. If you have any issues or questions about your care, we offer free consultations.
I have seen numerous patients who have previously spent months at different chiropractors who have requested to consult with me.
Understanding that they have previously had sufficient (even if it may have been poor) conservative care, I normally refer them out for imaging and right to see a specialist.
Once again, I think that if I take care of my patients' needs first and foremost, everything else will be properly taken care of.
