Chiropractors are Doctors of Chiropractic. Chiropractic is a treatment option for musculoskeletal disorders that focuses on joint manipulation.
What type of education and training do chiropractors have?
Doctors of Chiropractic are educated as primary-contact health care providers, with an emphasis on diagnosis and treatment of conditions related to the musculoskeletal system (the muscles, ligaments and joints of the spine and extremities) and the nerves that supply them. Educational requirements for Doctors of Chiropractic are among the most stringent of any of the health care professions. The typical applicant for chiropractic college has already acquired nearly four years of pre-medical undergraduate college education, including courses in biology, inorganic and organic chemistry, physics, psychology and related lab work. Once accepted into an accredited chiropractic college, the requirements become even more demanding — four to five academic years of professional study are the standard. Doctors of Chiropractic are educated in orthopedics, neurology, physiology, human anatomy, clinical diagnosis including laboratory procedures, diagnostic imaging, exercise, nutrition rehabilitation and more. Because chiropractic care includes highly skilled manipulation/adjusting techniques, a significant portion of time is spent in clinical technique training to master these important manipulative procedures. In total, the chiropractic college curriculum includes a minimum of 4,200 hours of classroom, laboratory and clinical experience. The course of study is approved by an accrediting agency that is fully recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.
Chiropractic care is a health care profession based on interactions of the spine and nervous system, as well as the surrounding muscles.
The Back & Joint Rehab Center offers specialized care for spine and joint disorders. Specialized services regarding mechanical features of biomechanics, loading strategies, motor pattern development, postural biomechanics, and the use of the muscles in movement. Movement reveals signs & symptoms that reflect limitations of the disorder. By identifying the stage of the disorder and pain mechanism, the patient is taught how to load the spine or joint appropriately to resolve their conditions. Actively applying these specific exercises is integral to the patient’s rehab program. Our dedication to providing the best outcomes is through our commitment to patient education and high-quality service.
Yes, Dr. Del Real works with many orthopedic doctors and surgeons to provide the best possible care.
Dr. Del Real specializes with mechanical therapy which identifies the pain mechanism of the spinal or joint disorder and assesses the stage of the disorder, therefore, is able to treat using loading strategies that resolve the disorder. These exercises load the spine and joints in ways to resolve the disorder quickly and produce long lasting results.
Yes, we can help children. Evaluation and treatment for gaits, motor development, and physical injuries.
Yes, it is safe for pregnant woman to receive rehab treatment for muscle and joint pains attributed from pregnancy. Many pregnancies most commonly produce sciatica, back pain, hip pain or rib pain. There are many rehab specific exercises that pregnant women can do regularly to resolve and reduce these issues to make the pregnancy as comfortable as possible.
Clothing that allows access to work on the affected body region is advised. Shorts, T-shirts, or tank tops are examples of recommended clothing.
No, you do not need a referral for PPO insurance policies. If you have an HMO insurance policy, you will need a referral to see Dr. Del Real.
Approximately 20-40 minutes.
The first visit will take approximately 40 minutes. Please arrive 15 minutes early to your first visit to ensure all paperwork is filled out correctly. Please respect our time as we will respect your time to stay on schedule.
A deductible is the amount that you have to pay out-of-pocket for expenses before your insurance will begin to pay the remaining costs. The deductible is established by your insurance plan. In-network and out-of-network deductibles are common amongst insurance plans. Each patient’s insurance policy is different, please contact the office to speak with the billing department for further information.
A “co-pay” is a specific charge that your health insurance plan may require you to pay for a specific service or office visit. Not all patients have co-pays, it depends on your insurance plan.
Yes, we accept all insurance plans. We will submit a claim on your behalf and after in-network or out-of-network adjustments have been made the remaining balance is patient responsibility. Each patient’s insurance policy is different, please contact the office to speak with the billing department for further information.
Click here for information on our insurance policies.
About 33% of the patients in our office have no insurance benefits, yet they are able to afford care. We make care affordable for anyone to get the care they need. We accept many forms of payment, credit cards, and financial hardship payment plans.
Yes! Any medically necessary condition should be covered by health insurance. A new condition will require an examination and clinical decision making to formulate a diagnosis to create a treatment plan. At this point, active care is started once again, and the services are submitted to your insurance company.
Insurance will only pay for chiropractic adjustment services that it determines to be “medically necessary.” The 12 visits should be used during an active treatment of a condition that is medically necessary. Maintenance visits are determined by the insurance industry to be non-medically necessary and are not covered services. Non-covered services also do not apply towards any deductible.
Whether your insurance company will pay or not actually has very little to do with symptoms or how a patient feels. Insurance companies will only pay for services that it determines to be medically necessary. If a patient reaches a point in the treatment plan where they are no longer improving in the expected timeframe according to clinical guidelines, the patient must be released from active care without regard to remaining symptoms. According to insurance companies, this is considered maximum therapeutic benefit. Once this occurs, active care is stopped and maintenance care can begin.
Medically Necessary is a term the insurance industry uses to define what services are covered by insurance and what services are not covered by insurance. Health insurance companies only provide coverage for services that they define or determine to be medically necessary. Medically necessary is a current and active condition of illness or injury needing evaluation, diagnosis, and treatment. Insurance will not pay for healthcare services that they deem to be not medically necessary.