Q: What conditions do you help with?

Chiropractic care can help with a wide range of conditions and proves to be very effective in doing so. These are some conditions that we commonly help, but know this is not an exhaustive list.

  • Neck and back pain

  • Headaches/Migraines

  • TMJ

  • Vertigo

  • Meniere’s Disease

  • Whiplash

  • Asthma

  • Sleep quality

  • Shoulder pain

  • Carpal tunnel

  • Digestive issues

  • Inflammation and much more

Q: What’s the Difference Between Upper Cervical and General Chiropractic Care?

Upper cervical chiropractic care deals specifically with nervous system dysfunctions that originate in the upper cervical area of the spine. Other methods are not as specific as ours. The main focus of our practice is to make adjustments along the upper spine and neck, where the top bone in the neck sits. These specific adjustments are more efficient and useful in promoting positive nervous system responses, which helps return the nervous system back to its healthy state almost immediately.

Q: Does chiropractic care require a referral from an MD?

A referral is usually not needed to see a doctor of chiropractic (DC); however, your health plan may have specific referral requirements. You may want to contact your employer’s human resources department—or the insurance plan directly—to find out if there are any referral requirements. Most plans allow you to just call and schedule an appointment with a DC.

Q: Is chiropractic care appropriate for children?

Since children are extremely prone to upper cervical misalignments, they can greatly benefit from upper cervical chiropractic care. The upper cervical chiropractic professional will ensure that extremely precise and gentle adjustments are made. Often, the subluxations in this area will measure in millimeters and require very gentle and precise adjustments to restore function. Upper cervical chiropractic doesn’t employ any forceful pulling or twisting techniques which makes it extremely safe for children who might have sustained injuries or are suffering as a result of misalignments of the spine. The gentle adjustment of the spine can help your child in many ways. Here are a few symptoms that have been shown to improve with children under upper cervical chiropractic care.

• Improved quality of sleep

• Help in the healing of the sports-related injuries

• Improved performance and sharpened reflexes

• Helps with autism

• Less reliance on harsh antibiotics

• Helps with ADD/ADHD

• The frequency of ear infections decreased

• Asthma improvement

• Decrease bedwetting

• And so much more

Q: Do insurance plans cover chiropractic?

Yes. Chiropractic care is included in most health insurance plans. Here are a few insurance plans that we accept in our office (not a complete list). If you do not see yours listed, that does not necessarily mean you do not have benefits available. Call and ask us for a breakdown of your benefits at 425-381-4460.

  • Aetna, Great West (Tivity Health/Healthways)

  • First Choice

  • Labor & Industries

  • Medicare

  • Kaiser Permanente (Access PPO, Options PPO)

Q: What is the popping sound I hear?

This is a common concern for many people, but the popping sound is actually not dangerous, unnatural, or painful by any means. The great news is that in our office, there is no twisting, popping, cracking or anything of the sort! So, you don’t have to worry about that when you come in to see us – the only sound you will hear is the adjusting table!

If you are curious about what those sounds are beyond our office, feel free to read on!

What is actually happening is this: The joints in your body are surrounded by air in tight pockets. During an adjustment, your joints stretch and receive pressure. This pressure also reaches those pockets of air surrounding the joint, which causes a popping sound to occur. Think of it like a fragile object (your joint) surrounded by bubble wrap (air pockets) in a package. If there is any pressure applied to the bubble wrapping, those pockets of air will pop and make a sound, leaving the object in good condition. The moral of the story is –  your joint is not popping, nor are your bones!

Q: How is an adjustment performed?

Blair Upper Cervical adjustments are performed on a side posture table, which is named this because patients lay on their side to receive an adjustment. The posture table is low to the ground, which allows the doctor to make a very precise correction to your neck. The adjustment itself is a surprisingly fast process, taking less than a second longer to complete. It is also very gentle, so much so that many patients have wondered if anything has happened! The Blair technique is unique in that there is no twisting, popping, cracking or other kinds of manipulation performed on your neck. The adjustments are made through very precise and gentle pressure on the point of a subluxation while the posture table “drops” slightly.

Q: Can I be adjusted if I’m pregnant?

YES! Chiropractic care is completely safe for pregnant individuals. Chiropractors are trained to work with patients who are pregnant to ensure safety and optimal benefits. In fact, chiropractors believe receiving care is an essential part of a healthy pregnancy and delivery. Did you know you can even be adjusted while in labor? Chiropractic can also help with postpartum depression and recovery.

Q: Why haven’t I heard of Blair Upper Cervical Chiropractic?

Only about 1% of chiropractors are specialized in Blair Upper Cervical Chiropractic, making it much less common to hear about! However, recently there seems to be a trend for more and more chiropractors to begin specializing in the Blair Technique. We are happy to be a part of this amazing community of specialized chiropractors.

Q: What is the Blair Upper Cervical Technique?

Blair Upper Cervical care is a highly specialized system of locating and correcting this nerve interference in the spine, also known as a subluxation, where we can specifically correct one area of the spine to allow the rest of the spine to become healthy and stable again, significantly reducing the amount of adjusting and intervention.  

Q: What is a subluxation?

A subluxation occurs when a head tilt develops and the body becomes imbalanced. This imbalance causes the spinal cord to become compressed, restricting the flow of health and healing messages from the brain to the part of the body serviced by those particular nerves. This can cause pain and suffering and decrease the quality of your life. – Daniel O. Clark, D.C.