At Boyd Chiropractic Clinic we welcome new patients and strive to make each visit as painless as possible.

What to expect on your first visit.

Our goal is to listen carefully to your concerns and make sure we fully understand your problem. Our New Patient Form (PDF) helps us to understand your condition, your health history, and provides important insurance information. The form is available for you to print and complete at home at your leisure. Just remember to bring it with you on your first visit.

Insurance and Billing Information

Most insurance plans are accepted. Listed below are some of the insurance companies we accept. If you do not see your provider listed, or have questions about your coverage, call our office and our highly qualified staff will assist you. You will need to bring your insurance card so we can make a copy for your file.

• HighMark Blue Cross/Blue Shield
• UPMC
• Health America
• United Healthcare
• Medicare
• Medicaid
• Cigna
• ASHN
• Aetna
  

Our office accepts most major credit cards.

Call our office at (814) 836-0440 or
email us at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it if you have any questions.

 

What is chiropractic?

The word chiropractic is of Greek derivation and means, “done by hand.” Chiropractic is a system of therapy that helps maintain a patient’s health and well-being through spinal manipulation, which involves adjusting the vertebrae in the spinal column, without the use of drugs or surgery. Chiropractic is the science, art, and philosophy of locating and correcting vertebral subluxations through gentle, specific chiropractic adjustments, thus allowing your body to heal and function at its optimum potential. Chiropractic adjustments help restore motion, block pain, restore normal sensation, relax tight muscles, remove swelling, and accelerate healing.

Resources

We are members of the American Chiropractic Association. The ACA web site is a great resource for researching chiropractic care. Click on the ACA logo to go directly to the Patient section of the web site.

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What is chiropractic?

The word chiropractic is of Greek derivation and means, “done by hand.” Chiropractic is a system of therapy that helps maintain a patient’s health and well-being through spinal manipulation.  Spinal manipulation involves adjusting the vertebrae in the spinal column without the use of drugs or surgery. Chiropractic is the science, art, and philosophy of locating and correcting vertebral subluxations through gentle, specific chiropractic adjustments, thus allowing your body to heal and function at its optimum potential. Chiropractic adjustments help restore motion, block pain, restore normal sensation, relax tight muscles, remove swelling, and accelerate healing.

What are subluxations?

A subluxation is a misalignment of one or more of the twenty-four vertebrae in your spine. Subluxations can interfere with your nervous system, which inhibits your body’s ability to heal itself and function at its optimum level.  A subluxation causes restrictions around joints that the body is unable to overcome itself. Subluxations can result in muscle spasm, swelling, scar tissue formation and pain.

How do you get subluxations?

There are three basic causes of vertebral subluxation. First is physical stress which includes: slips and falls, motor vehicle accidents, repetitive motion, sports injuries, poor posture and ergonomic stress. Second is chemical stress which includes: improper diet, smoking, alcohol abuse, and overuse of drugs or medications. And third is emotional stress which has far reaching effects.

Can I tell if I have a subluxation?

Although most people are alerted to health problems due to pain, subluxations are often painless. Subluxations may be present for a long time before symptoms appear. That is why periodic spinal check-ups are so important. Just as you would regularly schedule a dental check-up or a physical exam, you should schedule a spinal exam.

What is an adjustment?

Adjustments are the treatments used by chiropractors to reduce the subluxations or bony misalignments. There are a large number of techniques used to adjust the vertebrae. After examining the patient, the appropriate technique is chosen to provide the adjustment. The purpose of the adjustment is to remove nervous system interference and improve spinal function, which improves overall health.

What causes the sound of an adjustment?

Actually, not all adjusting techniques produce a sound. However, the techniques that do produce a sound do so as a result of gas rushing into the joint space in order to fill the partial vacuum created when the joints are slightly separated. This is typically painless and causes no harm.

Is it bad to “crack” your neck or back yourself?

YES! The reason that you may feel like you need to “crack” or pop your neck/back is due to tension created by a jammed or fixed vertebra. This in turn causes another area of the spine to compensate by moving too much. It is this area that you “crack” on your own. It is the jammed area that a chiropractor is trained to find and adjust in order to provide proper function and spinal balance.

Are chiropractic adjustments safe?

Yes! Years of education, training, and experience make chiropractic care safe. Chiropractic is a conservative, natural and safe healing art. One can compare malpractice insurance premiums between chiropractors and other health care practitioners to evaluate the level of risk. Chiropractors’ premiums are a small fraction of those of medical doctors, especially orthopedists and surgeons. Of course, there are risks associated with manipulation. That is why it is so important that you have someone that has had years of schooling in treating the spine and extremities care for you. Having an untrained person “crack” your back, walk on your spine or take a weekend class is not a safe alternative.

Do chiropractors prescribe medications?

NO. Chiropractic is a holistic, natural healing art. It relies on the natural ability of the body to heal itself. Typically, along with the adjustment, ice and heat can help reduce pain. When properly applied, these treatments can help reduce and control pain without the unwanted side effects of medication.

How often should I get a spinal adjustment?

Ideally, as soon as you develop a subluxation. However, since subluxations are often painless, it is a good idea to have your spine checked at least twice a year.

Do chiropractors adjust anything other than the spine?

Yes. Specially trained chiropractors also adjust extremities. Your extremities consist of your hands, wrists, elbows, shoulders, feet, ankles, knees and hips. So conditions affecting those areas such as; bunions, plantar fascitis, heel spurs, knee pain, carpal tunnel, tennis/golfer’s elbow, and rotator cuff injuries are helped by specially trained chiropractors, like the doctors at Boyd Chiropractic Clinic.

Can I receive care if I have arthritis?

There are various forms of arthritis and many patients that get significant results with chiropractic care. Depending on the patient and the form of arthritis, the results will vary. Osteoarthritis is the most common form of biomechanical arthritis and chiropractic adjustments reduce the biomechanical restrictions associated with this form of arthritis, thus providing relief from stiffness and pain.

I’m pregnant. Can I see a chiropractor?

Seeking chiropractic care during pregnancy is a logical choice. Because of the inability to take pain medication during pregnancy, chiropractic provides natural and safe health care for women. Chiropractors are trained in special adjusting techniques for pregnant women to provide the safest treatment to both mom and baby. Obstetricians and midwives tout the safety and effectiveness of chiropractic treatment during pregnancy by referring more and more “moms to be” to chiropractors.

What if I have a “slipped” or injured disc?

Discs cannot actually “slip” due to the way they attach above and below the vertebra. Discs are made up of fibrous outer rings and a jelly-like center. Discs can dehydrate, decay, tear, bulge, rupture, or fragment, but they cannot slip.  However, patients that do have disc injuries, like a disc bulge, rupture or herniation, are treated with a Flexion/Distraction technique.

What if I think I have a pinched nerve?    

A pinched nerve is a rare occurrence. Typically, the pain that you are feeling is coming from the subluxation. The subluxation causes irritation and inflammation in the adjacent spinal joints. It also has the ability to cause a stretching of the nerve. Nerves are highly sensitive structures and respond with pain to being stretched and surrounded by inflammation. A chiropractor can determine if you have a “pinched” nerve or another condition causing your pain. Chiropractors will also work with your other physicians to determine your best course of treatment.

Do children need chiropractic care?

Yes. By eliminating postural abnormalities and reducing problems like growing pains and knee pains, our children can grow up pain free, with minimal stress on their young musculoskeletal systems.

Boyd Chiropratic Clinic offers patients an online newsletter through Chiroweb.com. Below you will find a link to the current To Your HEALTH newsletter. You can also view the archives for previous issues and sign up for a free subscription to have the newsletter sent directly to your email address.

Current TYH Issue

TYH Archives

I have chronic neck and lower back pain.  This pain interferes with all of my daily activities including walking, standing, going up or down stairs, lifting, moving…everything!  Due to the severity of my chronic problems my idea of feeling better sooner didn’t come as quickly as I would have liked, but, there was progress continually.   When I did have a set back due to over stress or re-injury, getting back to relief came so much quicker.  Dr. Tom and Dr. Chris are so in tune to their patients and so positive and so caring that even when you have a set back, they help you focus and move forward.  Medical treatment included physical therapy, drug management, and even a surgical consult – which was NOT a choice I wanted.   I am “addicted” to chiropractic, as it helps so much.  I feel great after a treatment and so look forward to the next treatment.  In managing my chronic problems and avoiding any type of surgical intervention this type of treatment is AWESOME, EFFECTIVE  &  decreases my pain.

Joanne A-S.

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I was examined and assessed by Dr. Chris in June, 2004 for migraines.  The headaches were debilitating as they had increased in frequency and severity to where their symptoms could not be controlled by prescription medications.  I experienced an immediate improvement upon beginning acute treatments in both severity and frequency.  I have continued with maintenance treatments to date.

This care in conjunction with a low dose of prevention medication has returned me to a more healthful state.  I have regained unwanted weight loss, am sleeping better, have more energy and am exercising regularly again.

Nancy C.

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Marshall was experiencing several problems when we sought Chiropractic care.  Marshall had bad pollen allergies which led him to be on several medications.  He would experience nasal congestion, runny nose, cough, itchy eyes, frequent sneezing and he also broke out in rashes due to his hay fever.  His hay fever lasted from April until the first frost in October or November.  Marshall also suffered other medical aliments as well. He wet the bed still at age 6, he suffered from eczema, and although not diagnosed with asthma, a cold could quickly settle into his lungs and cause breathing difficulties.  Marshall was on 3 to 4 steroids for allergies and to keep colds out of his lungs. He was on Flovent, Nasonex, Singulair, Clariton, and Albuterol as needed.  These numerous medications caused learning difficulties in school.  When asked if any of these problems could be due to medications, Marshall’s doctors response was “it shouldn’t”.  I found this answer to be completely unacceptable.  I contacted a pharmacist who told me that there are no listed side effects for kids, because these drugs are not tested on children.  It turned out that these drugs caused the same behavioral reactions in adults that plagued Marshall in school.  I immediately took Marshall off all the medications except Clariton, and all of his problems in school disappeared.  I quickly sought Chiropractic care in hopes of keeping his allergies under control without steroids and to keep his lungs clear in the cold and flu season.  I saw results very quickly, and he stopped wetting the bed within 2 weeks.  He has not needed any other medications except Clariton, an over the counter antihistamine, to keep his allergies under control.  His eczema has disappeared and he no longer breaks out in rashes due to his hay fever.

Karen D.

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I began treatment at Boyd Chiropractic after the birth of my second child. I had lived with headaches for ten years, but after pregnancy and labor my back and neck pain became too much to live with.

When I began treatment I did not know what to expect. My husband had been to Boyd Chiropractic and was thrilled with his results. He encouraged me to stick to the doctor's plan. After treatment was finished I was, to my surprise, headache free. Now when my headaches return it only takes an appointment or two to get back on track.

Carrie S.

• Exercise regularly
• Stretch before and after sports
• Eat a healthy diet
• Don't overload backpack, purse, or wallet
• NEVER cradle the phone between your neck and shoulder
• When Standing:
  • Keep one foot slightly in front of the other, with your knees slightly bent. This position helps to take the pressure off your low back.
  • Do not stand bent forward at the waist for prolonged periods of time. The muscles in your low back become deconditioned in this position, which may lead to pain.
• When Sitting:
  • Keep your knees bent at ninety degrees and slightly higher than your hips, with your head up and back straight.
  • Keep both feet flat on the floor.
  • Avoid rolling your shoulders forward (slouching).
  • Stretch legs and back after each ONE hour of sitting
• When Sleeping:
  • Sleep on your back or side but NEVER your stomach
  • Placing a pillow under your knees while lying on your back reduces the pressure on your spine and in your discs.
  • Lying on your side with a pillow between your knees may also reduce the pressure on your lower back.
• When Lifting:
  • At all times, avoid twisting while lifting. The weight of the object lifted creates a compression force in your discs. The twisting motion then creates a torsion which, when combined with the compression force, can lead to disc injuries.
  • If the item is too heavy to lift, pushing it is easier on your back than pulling it. Whenever possible, use your legs, not your back or upper body, to push the item.
  • If you must lift a heavy item, get someone to help you.
  • To pick up an object that is lower than the level of your waist, keep your back straight and bend at your knees and hips. Do not bend forward at the waist with your knees straight.
  • Do NOT bend over at the waist to pick up items from a table. If you are lifting an object from a table, slide it to the edge of the table so that you can hold it close to your body. Bend your knees so that you are close to the object. Use your legs to lift the object and come to a standing position.
  • Keep the item close to your body, and lift with your legs, not your back.
    
• Visit your chiropractor regularly!!