FAQ's

What is Health?

According to Dorland's Illustrated Medical Dictionary health is defined as "a state of optimal physical, mental, and social well-being, and not merely the absence of disease and infirmity."

What is Chiropractic?

Chiropractic is based on the scientific evidence that the human body has an innate power to maintain its own health. The art of chiropractic focuses on the correction of spinal malfunctions, called subluxations, in order to remove interference to the spinal cord and the nerves. Science has found that the nervous system controls all organs and tissues of the body, so a nerve system, functioning at its best, facilitates the body's ability to cope with disability and disease. That doesn't just mean lack of illness, but staying well and performing well for a lifetime. Because of its potential to enable patients to live healthier, more fulfilling lives, chiropractic has been named "The Big Idea."

What is Body Balance?

When your spine and nervous system are in proper alignment, your body is in a balanced state. In this position, your brain and body communicate freely back and forth making sure that your body maintains homeostasis or what is considered "normal". We live in a hectic world in which we are all subjected to accidents, injuries, and stress everyday of our lives. When these things damage our body the spine does not stay lined up in its proper position. If the misalignment is severe enough that it starts affecting the way the nerves function and communicate, the condition is given the name "subluxation." Fortunately, there is a pain free chiropractic treatment for subluxation.

How do I know if I have a Subluxation?

There are many physical changes that occur when someone develops a subluxation. The posture becomes distorted. One hip will be pulled up higher than the other and the shoulders may become unlevel. The feet can become uneven so that when lying down one leg appears to be shorter than the other. The muscles on either side of the spine may go into a lasting spasm. The blood flow to the upper head and neck region can become altered. Finally, on an X-ray, there may be visible evidence that the vertebrae of the spine are no longer in their correct position.

What does Subluxation feel like?

An upper cervical subluxation may or may not be painful, but it's a good thing it often is. The discomfort we feel from subluxation is not the problem; it is simply our body's way of telling us that there is a problem that needs to be addressed. Often times the discomfort from a subluxation may show up as:
 

The dangerous fact is that subluxation can go on for years without pain.  During this time the body is not operating at its optimum despite the fact that the person does not feel any pain.  Have you ever been to the dentist, walked in feeling fine, only to be told that you have a cavity?  How could that be?  Did you have any pain?  The answer is simply this, disease is a process and it takes time, with pain often being the last thing to show up.

Take for example: Heart Disease. Heart disease is the #1 cause of death in the United States. The accumulation of plaques and debris in the blood vessels of your body usually takes decades.  However, "50 percent of men and 64 percent of women who died suddenly of CHD (chronic heart disease) had no previous symptoms of this disease." (American Heart Assoication. 2008 Update at a Glance)  The process, heart disease, was going on the whole time but the people never felt pain until it was too late.

Would it not have been better to live a healthier lifestyle in the years prior to the attack and perhaps prevented its occurrence.  Does it make sense to do better brushing and more regular cleaning instead of waiting for the dentist to have to drill?  Not too mention more cost effective?

So if during an examination it is discovered that my body is out of balance, what can be done?

How do you treat a Subluxation?

If during an examination it is discovered that my body is out of balance, and an upper cervical subluxation is present, what can be done?  NUCCA chiropractic care is your pain free, natural solution!

How does Chiropractic compare to traditional medicine?

Chiropractic looks at the body as an organism which is constantly in flux between death and ideal functional wellness. Medicine most often observes and treats people as either sick or not sick. Medical doctors treat symptoms, but know very little about what it is to treat what might be the cause of disease and illness. One thing both Chiropractic and Medicine do agree on is that every body function is controlled and regulated through electrical and chemical impulses of the nervous system initiated from the brain. Achieving an optimal functioning nervous system happens to be the primary focus of the Chiropractic philosophy. The diagnosis and treatment of the effects of a poor functioning nervous system is what Medicine focuses on. Why not go at the cause of the problem? Do you keep moving the bucket which is collecting the rain from a leaky roof, or do you repair the roof? Which makes more sense?

Would a NUCCA Chiropractor be able to help me even though I've had minimal results with traditional Medicine and Chiropractic?

In our NUCCA Chiropractic office, 90% of our patients get relief from their primary complaint over the course of the initial treatment. Almost all of them have already seen at least one medical physician (usually multiple), and one or more chiropractors. Often times these physicians were able to provide some relief to the patient, but the problem still existed or re-occurred all too often.

How do I know if I am a candidate for the NUCCA procedure?

A candidate for the NUCCA procedure is anyone who has a spinal misalignment regardless of their age or severity of problem. The consultation with the doctor is designed to evaluate your background history and determine if the doctor feels he/she can help your condition.

How did I get a spinal misalignment (body imbalance)?

An accident or injury was necessary to produce a spinal misalignment. These injuries occur several different ways over a lifetime.
The following is a list of different ways one can misalign their spine.

• Child Birth
• Childhood Injuries
• Roller Coaster Rides
• Any Head Injury
• Automobile Accident
• Athletic Injuries
• Skiing Accidents
• Slip and Falls

Is the NUCCA Spinal Correction painful?

NO, NO, and NO! It's not at all like manipulative type adjustments. NUCCA uses only a slight amount of pressure barely felt by the patient. NO TWISTING, POPPING, or CRACKING.

How safe is the NUCCA Procedure?

The NUCCA Procedure is one of the safest forms of treatment available. You don't have the side effects of drugs, the risk of surgery, or any painful manipulation to take into consideration. The NUCCA Chiropractor uses a very gentle form of treatment and takes every precaution to make the procedure as safe and effective as possible.

What changes might I expect following the initial correction?

What type of education does a Doctor of Chiropractic have?

To become a Doctor of Chiropractic one has to complete a minimum 6 year course of study. Many states are now requiring doctors to complete their bachelor's degree prior to granting state licensure. The Doctor of Chiropractic has an extremely intense curriculum, which is similar to that of a typical medical student. For example, pre-clinical courses for a student in their first year at Palmer Chiropractic School would complete 88 credit hours of classes while a student in their first year at Harvard Medical School would complete approximately 48 hours.  In their second year, a student at Palmer would complete approximately 88 credit hours while a student at Harvard would complete approximately 42 credit hours.  The examination requirements for a Palmer student would include a National Board Exam (I,II,III, & IV), Physiotherapy Board Exam, and an Individual State Exam.  The examination requirements for a Harvard student would include a Comprehensive Exam, US Licensure Step I, and US Licensure Step II.

How often should I get monitored for body balance after the doctor has released me from scheduled visits?

For the patient who can recognize when they have lost their correction the doctor will give them the freedom to schedule their own appointments as needed. For those patients who are not yet certain of body imbalance it is recommended they get their spines checked on a monthly basis. Some patients schedule periodic checkups, as they would with their dentist, to ensure that body balance is maintained. How long you maintain the benefits of the NUCCA spinal correction is always up to you.

What if I am skeptical about Chiropractic?

I want you to know you are not alone. Many people have fears and concerns about many types of procedures, not just in Chiropractic. Unfortunately, there are a few bad experiences or expectations that have not been met in every form of health care.  I recommend that you read the material contained in this website and make your own decision. We like to take care of people who want to be taken care of. It is not our business to convince anyone to get under care.

How will I know when I lose my alignment?

From the very first correction the NUCCA doctor will begin to teach you how to tell when you are maintaining your alignment, and when your not. Some people will have a hard time detecting imbalance and the doctor will look for other ways to be sure those patients benefit from care long term.  

Is it important to bring my x-rays and/or MRI studies?

Any information our patients are able to provide on their first consultation to our office is always helpful.

Why are x-rays taken before and after the correction?

The x-rays taken prior to the correction allow the doctor to determine how the spine shifted, tilted or rotated from its normal position. After the correction, x-rays are necessary to determine the success of the correction. If an adequate correction was made, then future corrections will be made using the same formula. This procedure leaves no margin for error.

Are x-ray's necessary on follow-up visits?

Once the doctor determines the exact formula for each individual patient based off the success of the initial correction, then future corrections will be made using the same formula. Usually more x-rays are unnecessary unless the patient experiences a fall or serious accident that could affect the initial correction formula.

What can I do to keep from losing my alignment?

Once the spine has stabilized, the most common cause for the loss of the correction is fatigue. Physical, chemical or emotional stress which tires the body to the point it breaks down. During the initial recovery cycle the NUCCA doctor will begin to teach you how to maintain your alignment with as few corrections as possible. This is achieved by recognizing your own signs of fatigue, and doing what is necessary to avoid losing the correction.

I'm worried about x-ray exposure, what should I do?

Radiation surrounds us. Most of this radiation is in the form of visible light, ultraviolet and infrared light, radio waves, and microwaves. However, the amount of x-ray exposure involved with the NUCCA procedure is extremely low.

Take a look below for a comparison of exposures between other forms of radiation.

• NUCCA X-ray series <.22-.44 mrems 
• Dental x-rays (per x-ray) 910 mrems
• Apollo moon flight 480 mrems 
• Barium enema (x-ray study) 8,000 mrems
• Radiation treatment for cancer 6,000,000 mrems
• CT Scan 4,500 mrems

Why am I adjusted just below the ear when I have low back pain and sciatica?

When there is an accident or injury necessary to produce a spinal misalignment, the body moves into an imbalanced position, placing stress and tension around the brainstem. This stress causes the messages from that area of the brain to be distorted to other parts of the body. These distorted messages tell the muscles on one side of the spine, hips and legs to tighten. This entire process creates the short leg phenomenon, low back pain, and stress on the sciatic nerve causing pain in buttock region and/or leg(s). You correct this problem by analyzing the source of the low back and sciatic pain, which often times is body imbalance created from a spinal misalignment. You correct the entire spine back to balanced unstressed position, using the atlas vertebrae as the contact point in the correction. This allows the muscles of the low back to relax, and pressure on the sciatic nerve to alleviate.

Do all people respond the same with NUCCA Care?

No. For that matter, does everyone respond the same way to certain drugs (medications), addictions, stress, surgery or therapies? Of course not. There is really no way to be absolutely certain as to how well or how quickly you will improve. The reason for this is because there are some conditions which are directly related to body imbalance (misalignment), those which are partially related, and those which are not related at all. It is only after we have corrected the misalignment and it becomes stable for a period of time that we know the impact the correction will have. However, most patients experience considerable relief within two to three spinal corrections (adjustments).

How long will it take until I feel better?

About 90% of people we see notice a change in how their bodies feel following the initial correction.  Over the next 6 weeks, most patients notice considerable relief of their acute symptoms.  Over the first 90 days their bodies will go through considerable structural and neurological change.  It is this process of change (recovery) that moves our bodies from a state of poor health to a state of being well.

How many visits will I need to correct the problem?

The goal of the initial 6 weeks of treatment is to decrease severity of symptoms and improve overall bodily function, and restore body balance.  The amount of visits range from 6 weeks to 6 months of consistent treatment weekly to fully stabilize the spinal structure.  Recovery and stability of the correction will depend on the progressive degenerative effects that the spinal misalignment has had on the entire body.  It is the long term stability of the spinal correction that allows for healing.  Once stability is gained, the ultimate goal we have for our patients is to be checked similar to you seeing a dentist, at least once every 3 months to prevent any further negative health conditions.

Is it possible for me to adjust myself?

No, but you can manipulate yourself. There is a night and day difference between manipulating the spine and actually correcting it. Not all adjustment procedures are the same either. There are over 250 different techniques used by various health professionals to work on the body and spine. There are only a few techniques available which actually correct the spine and restore body balance, provable on x-ray. NUCCA happens to be my choice to achieve that end.

Will the problem go away with time, if I just wait?

No…The problem is not going to go away. Although symptoms may come and go, the problem still exists. If the condition is neglected over weeks, months, or years at a time, it compounds most often into a complex set of ailments and degenerative breakdown. This takes much longer to correct and stabilize than if the problem would have been addressed when symptoms had first been apparent.

Does the NUCCA doctor use the same spinal correction formula for everyone?

No, they do not. The calculated formula for each correction the NUCCA doctor makes is as individual to the patient as one's fingerprints. No two formulas are the same. This means the doctor will approach each case differently.

Should I have my spine checked by a NUCCA Chiropractor before agreeing to surgery?

It is always smart to exhaust every option available before going through with a procedure with such a high risk for repeatability. Research shows that most people who have surgery for a spinal condition say they are worse after 5 years or only slightly better.

Can I utilize NUCCA Chiropractic Care following surgery?

There are a few factors involved in making a decision for NUCCA Care following surgery. Most often times the NUCCA procedure can provide relief that may or may not have been achieved following surgery. In these particular cases it would be best to consult with a NUCCA doctor first to better understand what will be in the patient's best interest.

How long will I need NUCCA Chiropractic Care?

After the initial spinal correction is made, and the spine returns to a normal balanced position, the acute symptoms will begin to alleviate. The body will then enter into a recovery cycle where it begins to stabilize into a new balanced position. Once the body is stabilized and begins holding its alignment, it takes about one month to recover for every year the spine has been misaligned providing the correction is maintained. After this recovery period has been achieved nearly all patients have discovered the value of maintaining their spinal correction and choose to stay in alignment the rest of their life.

Will insurance or Medicare cover your services?

Our staff is well trained to help you understand how to utilize your particular health care plan and/or your Medicare coverage so that you can get the reimbursement you may be entitled to. Some plans offer limited Chiropractic coverage, so it is always smart that you verify your particular policy. We will show you how that works on your first visit to our office.

My insurance policy doesn't cover Chiropractic, what should I do?

Health is your most important possession. Don't take it lightly. Don't allow large companies to make extremely important health decisions on the type of care you need. Ask us how we are able to make NUCCA Health Care affordable for you.

Is it safe to treat women who are pregnant?

Safety should always be of primary concern. The risk is very low compared to the benefit NUCCA Care can offer to a mother and the fetus. If the mother is comfortable and healthy during pregnancy, there will be a trickling effect on the health of a newborn baby.

Why is time required to obtain long term results?

Most people we see have complex conditions that didn't get like that over night. It's not going to be healed over night either. You may enjoy relief of symptoms, but that doesn't mean the problem is gone. The doctor will only recommend what he/she feels is appropriate in each individual case to recover as thoroughly and as quickly as possible.

If I get adjusted more frequently will it speed my recovery?

No. You only get adjusted when the doctor has all indications an adjustment is necessary. Many times adjusting too frequently can actually retard the recovery process, making the correction more unstable.

Can my alignment correct itself?

It's unlikely that a spine will move back to a normal balanced position. There are factors such as old injuries, structural degeneration, physical or emotional stress, nutritional habits, or limited recovery time that will not allow the spine to normalize on its own.

Are x-rays safe with pregnancy?

The risk to a fetus of exposure to x-rays is low.  It's necessary for your doctor to know of pregnancy to take necessary precautions to minimize risk of exposure.  Many pregnant women find themselves more comfortable during pregnancy and the delivery is much easier with proper alignment.

Why don't I always get a correction when I feel bad, and why do I sometimes get a correction when I feel good?

The NUCCA doctor will only adjust your spine when his objective test(s) detects body imbalance to be present. It is possible for patients to be feeling poorly while maintaining their body balance, or the reverse, feeling well, and needing a correction. The body is extremely complex, and in flux all the time. How we feel is not the best indicator of health. Society has been taught through medicine that when you feel bad, you take something for your symptoms. Or in Chiropractic, full spinal manipulations are performed in some offices, for the relief of painful symptoms. This is very confusing for the patient who may have experienced both prospective before entering our office.

Dr. LeFever is different.  He will only correct your spine with positive objective signs. Pain or discomfort is never an adequate justification for spinal correction.