Treatment plans are custom to each patient. After an examination, the doctor will make recommendations for treatment which may include some of the following:
- Chiropractic diversified manipulation
- Cox Distraction/Decompression Technique
- Drop Techniques
- Connective Tissue Release
- Trigger Point Therapy
- Dry Needle Therapy
- Stretching
- Activator Assisted Manipulation
- Home Exercises
- Modifications to Body Movements (Body mechanics)
Treatment time varies based on what services the doctor must provide. Appointments for a manipulation only will only last approximately 10 minutes whereas appointments that require manipulation and dry needle therapy are closer to 20 minutes. The majority of patients will be in the range of 10 to 20 minutes after the initial examination which is longer.
Treatment is performed at one of the two office locations in either Lynchburg, Virginia or Altavista, Virginia
Dr. Palmer is a provider with the following health insurance companies:
- Anthem BC/BS (this does not include Anthem Health Keepers)
- Piedmont Community Health Plan (PCHP)
- Cigna
- United Health Care
- Medicare
We will file most other insurance companies if you have chiropractic coverage and out of network benefits. Contact your insurance company to find out about you chiropractic coverage. We will contact your insurance company once you schedule an appointment to help you get a better understanding of the coverage you have and to help us determine what will be expected from you.
Every condition is different. A few patients have very simple conditions and feel better after a single treatment. The majority of patients will need multiple treatments which can range from a few to many over a period of time to get maximal improvement based on the complexity and the duration for which the condition has been present. On the other end of the spectrum there are the patients who have had significant motor vehicle crashes or severe degenerative changes that may need much longer care.
I am currently unaware of any insurance policies in our area that require a referral from a primary care physician to see a chiropractor.
Every patient must have an initial exam prior to receiving any form of treatment. Although you may think you know what is wrong, there may be more going on than you are aware of. Additionally, an examination helps to determine what treatment options are suitable for your condition.
Dr. Palmer orders x-rays for fewer than 50% of his patients. The current treatment models suggest conservative management first. If improvement is not happening at a 30 day mark then imaging would be warranted. The exception to this is if the patient had a trauma or exam showed suspicious signs of something else like infection.
People think about chiropractic as cracking and popping the spine to fix painful misalignment. Some conditions are not misalignment but rather improper function of the joints or muscles associated with the disfunction. There are many forms of chiropractic treatment from Cox Distraction Technique to Dry Needle Therapy that do not involve, “CRACKING”. Some conditions do warrant spinal manipulation that causes a cavitation (popping sound) when performed to restore proper function to a spinal motion segment. If the doctor recommends this form of treatment and you do not feel comfortable with it you can let the doctor know and discuss alternative treatment options.
The goal is to reduce pain, stabilize your condition, and get you back to doing the things you want to do. Most conditions allow for patients to be able to complete care and return only when they have done something they can not get back under control.
There are some situations where either the condition is so advanced that it regresses without supportive care or activities that must be performed continue to re-irritate a condition. In these situations continued supportive care may be elected to help you maintain the level of improvement we have achieved.
Unfortunately it is considered insurance fraud to charge a lower price than the “normal” office price that would be billed out to the insurance company. I am aware that some doctors will do this illegally but we will not. We do keep services down to a minimum and try to provide more for you to do at home to keep your costs down.
New patient exams start around $50 and go up based on number of areas of complaint and length of time it takes to get a complete history and perform the necessary testing. Manipulation ranges between $40-43 dependent on the number of levels of the spine treated. Since each service is billed independently it will depend on when you need. Other services include Dry Needle Therapy $35, Therapeutic Exercise $25, and Neuromuscular re-education $25. These fees are our clinic prices. If you have a health insurance that we are a provider with, they have contracted fee reductions set in place that we must reduce these fees to.
