While I was watering the bushes around the clinic one summer weekend morning a man rode up on a bike and asked what it would cost for a spinal alignment. I needed to educate him on the process for spinal correction. It is different than taking your car in to a shop and twenty minutes later have your car aligned.

Since 80% of all patients seeking care have some type of health insurance, todays chiropractors need to be able to provide records of patient exams, treatments, goals and outcomes when asked for by insurance companies or Medicare.

For people wanting to become a patient of ours, there are on line intake forms you can fill out at haaswellness.com which will save you time filling them out in our office.

Once the staff and doctor have reviewed the forms, the staff can start with the preliminary exam followed by the doctors exam which may include x-rays.

If the patient is in acute pain, some form of therapy will be given that day. This is followed by a report on the tests and recommendations the second visit.

The treatment schedule can vary widely depending on the age and severity of the condition and if there might be any complicating factors such as degeneration, arthritis, birth defects, obesity or diabetes.

Treatment usually begins with passive care for a short period of time ( this is where the doctor and staff do the work) once the inflammation subsides, the patient enters the active stage of care and this involves rehab in the office or exercises at home to help balance the spinal muscles and improve mobility.

The last phase of treatment is supportive, maintenance or wellness checkups.

This is where we are looking to improve on structural balance. It is different than taking your car to a garage for an alignment. It would be nice if you could go to a gym and work out once and be physically fit. However, it doesn't work that way. It takes time and repetition for your spine to improve in function and balance. But the rewards are being healthier and more productive in your life.

Come in and visit with our staff on what you can do to become a patient of ours. We would love to work with you.

Dr. Richard Haas DC, FACO