Frequently Asked Questions in Boise ID

Chiropractic is a form of non-invasive manipulative therapy, where a licensed professional uses their hands to correct spine misalignments and musculoskeletal disorders, often providing pain relief, reduced tension, increased nervous system response, more mobility, and improved physical function.

Chiropractors can help with a range of conditions, most commonly low back and neck pain. Chiropractic also helps with chronic and acute headaches, sports injuries, sciatica, upper and lower cross syndromes, rib pain, disc herniations, scoliosis, whiplash, osteoarthritis, and many other musculoskeletal conditions.

A chiropractic adjustment has two components: mechanical function—often in the form of manually adjusting into the joint restriction—and the physiological response that follows. Mechanically, when a joint is restricted, an adjustment mobilizes that joint to restore its proper motion. On a physiological level, improved mobility allows the nervous system to communicate in a more regulated fashion, bringing balance to other bodily systems.

Yes. With over 60 years of combined experience, our chiropractors tailor the treatment plan to match your specific needs and preferences, with safety at the forefront.

Each person and each condition is different. Most treatment plans can expect 8–12 visits over the first 6 weeks, but it really depends on what the condition is, how long the condition has been around, how mild or severe it is, and if the patient actively participates in the recommended self-care at home or work.

The benefits of chiropractic care are quite broad, but the most fundamental benefit is increased range of motion. As mentioned earlier, increased mobility leads to better nervous system function, which can lead to improved vascular health, decreased muscle tension, resolution of pesky tension-type headaches and/or migraines, sciatica relief, reduction of low back and/or neck pain, and overall quality of life.

Like with any health profession, there can be some risk for adverse events. With chiropractic, however, the risks are extremely low—less than 6% for minor, self-limiting events such as soreness, headache, or fatigue; and less than 0.001% for severe events, such as stroke or fractures. Chiropractic care takes a very conservative approach to avoid such risks, and the safety of the patient is of utmost importance.
That said, it is equally important to discuss with your provider any underlying conditions or concerns surrounding the safety of your treatment.

Most adjustments are painless. In fact, most adjustments feel good to the average patient. But, again, it depends on the patient and the severity of the condition. If the patient is already in a lot of pain, the adjustments are likely to feel painful as well. The relief from pain often comes minutes to hours after the adjustment.

Chiropractic care isn’t just limited to people in pain. It can be utilized as treatment to maintain or improve the functional status of the individual. Joint health and mobility are essential to maintain if we are to enjoy all that life has to offer, especially as we age.

The spirit of Boise lives on in our office. We have served the Boise community for 20 years and intend to keep that legacy going for years to come as the city continues to grow. Our mission is to serve as many members of the community as possible by helping them reach their short- and long-term health goals, while also being integrated as part of the Northside family.

Most appointments with established patients last anywhere from 5–10 minutes, but if a new problem arises or underlying muscle tension needs to be addressed, the appointments can last a little longer—upwards of 15–20 minutes. New patients can expect their first appointment to last upwards of 30 minutes.

Many people don’t know that chiropractors receive 7 years total of college and post-graduate professional education in a rigorous program similar to that of medical doctors. More emphasis is placed on biomechanics, neurophysiology, and anatomical structures to support the conservative treatment methods employed in chiropractic offices.

Yes. Many pregnant women utilize and observe the benefits of chiropractic services as their bodies rapidly change to support the life of their growing baby. The increasing frontal weight, paired with naturally increasing joint flexibility, predisposes the spine and pelvis to unusual loads that many women find uncomfortable—and chiropractic can help offset that discomfort.

Chiropractic care, in itself, is not addictive. The sensation of getting adjusted and feeling tension relief might be more enticing for some, but brain neurotransmitters are unaffected by spinal manipulations, unlike the effect of prescription and recreational drugs.

The crack sound, also known as a cavitation, is a physical phenomenon that occurs when the enclosed synovial joint is stretched—creating a negative pressure in the synovial fluid within the joint. The crack sound comes from the little nitrogen and carbon dioxide gas bubbles that form in the synovial fluid as the joint is stretched far enough. The bubbles also help create more space inside the joint, leading to increased mobility.

Many people are guilty of adjusting themselves, and it’s usually harmless. However, excessive adjusting can lead to joint laxity. Therefore, a loose joint above or below a highly restricted joint can predispose a person to painful subluxation. It is recommended that a professional identify and mobilize the restricted joints in order to create balance in joint mobility.

Yes. Many insurance plans now support chiropractic services. Check with your insurance company to see if chiropractic is included in your plan.

Absolutely! Back pain is the number one reason people seek chiropractic care, and studies show better and longer-lasting outcomes for reducing pain than prescription medications.

Absolutely! People often feel stuck in their neck as a result of prolonged screen time, poor sleep posture, or general stress. Chiropractic is paramount in helping to relieve neck pain.

Absolutely! Just like with general neck pain, when the upper neck gets restricted, it can affect the flow and function of the nerves stemming from the upper regions of our spinal cord. When we break up the resistance through chiropractic manipulation, the surrounding muscles and blood vessels relax and intracranial pressure subsides more easily.

Yes. One of the best facilitators in healing is to employ healthy and appropriate movement patterns, especially as they relate to a certain sport. Chiropractic care promotes increased mobility, and as masters of the human architecture, chiropractors can also identify which movements are inhibited as a result of a sports injury and work to restore that movement.

Chiropractic care emphasizes spine health and alignment through the use of hands-on manipulation to relieve pain, promote increased mobility, and enhance nervous system function. Physical therapy takes more of a rehabilitation approach to restore soft tissue injuries and movement patterns, strengthen weak muscles, and stretch overactive muscles.

Yes. Quite often, our posture is compromised as a result of external demands and how we carry ourselves throughout the day. In our poor-postured, static positions, involved muscles shorten to favor the poor posture, which often leads to chronic pain and discomfort. Chiropractic care helps to loosen tight muscles and facilitates the recruitment of under-active muscles when active-care exercises for proper postural mechanics are implemented in the treatment plan.

Each patient has a different story, but the way we’re built and carry various stressors is quite similar. During an adjustment, the chiropractor identifies which movements are restricted based on asymmetrical bony alignment and applies a rapid manual force into the joint restriction to restore its proper movement. This results in increased mobility due to increased joint space and subsequently reduced muscle tension and pain due to uninterrupted nerve firing.

Yes. Chiropractic is safe for children. The depth and amplitude of an adjustment vary from patient to patient, so adjustments aren’t the same for everyone—the same goes for children. The younger the patient, the less force is needed to adequately mobilize the restricted joints, but they are beneficial nonetheless.

Yes. Chiropractic is safe for children. The depth and amplitude of an adjustment vary from patient to patient, so adjustments aren’t the same for everyone—the same goes for children. The younger the patient, the less force is needed to adequately mobilize the restricted joints, but they are beneficial nonetheless.