1. 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.”

2. 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.”

3. What is a misaligned spine?
When the body has been subjected to significant trauma, stress or injuries, it will tear loose the connective tissues that hold the spinal column together. The spine will break down and lock into a stressed position, which will show up as body imbalance and postural distortion. The misaligned spine will affect the integrity and function of the nervous system.

4. How do I know if I have a spinal misalignment and would benefit from NUCCA?
The consultation with the doctor is designed to determine if you have a misalignment that would require a spinal correction. Everyone who has a spinal misalignment would benefit from NUCCA regardless of age and presence/or lack of signs and symptoms.

5. How did I get a spinal misalignment?
Accidents and injuries are necessary to produce a misaligned spine. These traumas can be significant, singular events or repetitive stress conditions that work on the spine to break down the connective tissues that maintain the stability of the spine. Examples are:

• Child birth traumas
• Childhood falls
• Bike accidents
• Sport related injuries
• Automobile accidents
• Blows to the head
• Slips and falls

6. How is the NUCCA spinal correction made?
The spinal correction is made with the patient laying on either their left or right side, like you’re curled up taking a nap. The doctor will place his/her hands near the ear and make the correction from the upper neck. The correction is very gentle. There is no twisting or popping involved.

7. Why is the correction made in the upper neck when my pain is in my back?
The NUCCA spinal correction is designed to influence the highest control center of the nervous system, the brain stem. The brain stem is responsible for several vital body functions. Along with controlling our life support systems such as breathing, circulation and digestion, the brain stem controls the muscle balance of the spinal column. When there is irritation to the brain stem a chain of events will occur. It will cause muscular imbalance that will twist and distort the pelvis along with the entire spine, leading to tension and irritation to the different areas of the nervous system; causing pains, signs and symptoms that can be located from head to toe.

8. Why are x-rays necessary before and after the initial correction?
No guesswork. The x-rays before the spinal correction allow the doctor to determine how far and what direction the spine has shifted, tilted and rotated from its normal position. The x-rays are mathematically analyzed to determine the specific correction for each individual. Since it is necessary to receive the best possible correction, x-rays are taken typically only after the initial correction. These post x-rays are again analyzed to determine if a favorable correction was made, or if more work is needed to complete the correction.

9. Are x-rays 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 NOT needed unless the patient experiences a serious accident that could affect the initial correction formula.

10. 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. HUNT SPINAL CARE uses specially aligned x-ray equipment, specially designed filters and low technique settings which allows the lowest exposure to the patient available in diagnostic x-ray. Here is a comparison between other forms of radiation.
NUCCA x-ray series < 22 mrems
Dental x-rays (per x-ray) 910 mrems
CT scan 4,500 mrems
Barium enema (x-ray study) 8,000 mrems
Radiation treatment for cancer 6,000,000 mrems

11. How long will it take to get well?
Every individual is a unique case. Just as everyone responds differently form drugs (medications), stress, surgery, or therapies, the healing process after getting the spine corrected is unique to each person. Correcting and stabilizing the spine may require a number of adjustments over a period of time, which depends on:

The condition of the spinal structures and the damage done by the original injury or injuries.

The quality of the correction, which is based on the skill of the doctor.
The temperament and lifestyle of the patient.

The process of healing is really a return to wholeness. In the process of recovery or healing, it often requires time to restore balance and stability. This applies to all healing, whether it is physical, emotional, mental, or spiritual. Follow-up care is designed to help ensure the spinal correction is well maintained and ensure the healing cycle continues to completion.

12. Why is time needed to obtain results?
Most spinal misalignments have existed for years, causing harm to the nervous system and its control of the bodily functions. When the spinal misalignment is corrected by the adjustment, repair of the damage caused by the misaligned spine must take place before the patient can recover. Repair of tissue takes time.

13. If I get adjusted more frequently will it speed my recovery?
No, it can retard your recovery. Recovery is speeded up by the degree of correction obtained through the adjustment, by the care that the patient takes of the adjustment, by good living habits, and by the length of time the adjustment holds. The benefits from NUCCA care come from BEING IN ADJUSTMENT not by GETTING ADJUSTED.

14. How long will I need NUCCA care?
After the initial spinal correction is made, and the spine returns to a normal balanced position, the acute symptoms will begin to alleviate at this time. The body will then enter into a recovery cycle where it begins to stabilize into its 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 lives. Whether you choose to stay under care just to relieve symptoms, recover from the effects of the misaligned spine, or maintain your correction to live the healthiest life possible is always your decision.

15. How often should I get monitored to see if I am holding my correction?
For the patient who can recognize when they have lost their correction the doctor will give them the responsibility to schedule their own appointments as needed. For those who are not yet certain of when they loose their correction 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.

16. How safe is NUCCA Health Care?
NUCCA Health Care is one of the safest forms of treatment available. There are no side effects of drugs, the risk of surgery, or any painful manipulation to take into consideration. The NUCCA Chiropractor uses a very gentle approach and takes every precaution to make the correction as safe and effective as possible.

17. What changes might I expect following the initial correction?
Alleviation of pain and symptoms
Tired and/or relaxed feeling
Light-headed or possible headache
Runny nose as the sinus’s open
Sore muscles over the first few days
Pain or discomfort moving from point to point
Ache all over
Body elimination changes- a sense of urgency
Tingling or heat sensations
Sleeping patterns change

18. 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 welcomed.

19. What can I do to keep from loosing my alignment?
Once the spine has stabilized, the most common cause for the loss of the correction is fatigue. Physical, psychological 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.

20. Do all people respond the same with NUCCA Care?
No, absolutely not. Does everyone respond the same way to certain drugs (medications), addictions, stress, surgery or therapies? There is really no way to be absolutely certain, on how well, or 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 will we know the impact the correction will have.

21. Is it possible for me to adjust myself?
No, 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. NUCCA happens to be a leader among these techniques.

22. Will the problem go away with time?
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.

23. 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.

24. 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.

25. Can I utilize NUCCA Chiropractic Care following surgery?
There most likely are several 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.

26. 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.

27. 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.

28. 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.

29. Why is time required to obtain long term results?
Most people we see at Hunt Spinal Care 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.

30. 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, manipulation is 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.

Hunt Spinal Care is different; we will only correct your spine with positive objective signs. Pain or discomfort is never an adequate justification for spinal correction.

31. How will I know when I loose 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.

32. Can my alignment correct on its own?
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.

33. X-rays and pregnancy?
The risk to a fetus of exposure to diagnostic 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.

34. 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 long do follow up visits last.