Lake Charles Chiropractic Blog

We get a vast array of conditions that come through our clinic and many times what we come across are conditions that took months or even years to develop.  Posture problems, degenerative joint problems both in the spine and extremities and arthritic problems are conditions that develop over time and sometimes, before you realize it, significant damage has occurred.  That’s why we preach PREVENTATIVE CARE, but that’s another subject for another day.  When the underlying cause of your problem is a condition like this, our job is to help you realize that an extensive therapy program is likely necessary to get you back to optimum health.  Some musculoskeletal damage can be reversed, some cannot be reversed.  Your individual condition has to be evaluated thoroughly by your chiropractor to determine that.  But the vast majority of patients can and will benefit from a chiropractic and rehabilitation program.  So, the question is, do you as a patient, having been informed of your condition, realize that conditions that took months to years to develop may not get better overnight?  If you can grasp that concept, and with a positive attitude enter into a chiropractic and rehabilitation program that may take several weeks of consistent care, your chances of improving your condition is tremendous!  Yes, we are doctors…but we are not magicians.  I have yet to find my magic wand.  At the Center for Chiropractic and Rehabilitation we have a staff of excellent doctors, trained extensively in what therapies and programs will give you the greatest chance of improving and getting back to optimum health.  Our job is to put you on the right track.  Once we do that, its up to you and your body to respond.  First of all, YOU have to follow directions, and then we have to wait for YOUR BODY to respond to the therapy.  Some people’s body will respond quickly, some will respond slower.  Periodically we re-evaluate your conditon and determine if we are getting better, staying the same or getting worse.  At that point we will determine if we keep the same therapy going, if we need to modify your therapy, or if we need to refer you to another specialist for a different line of treatment.  So, to answer the question “Is chiropractic a quick fix?,” the answer would be sometimes, and sometimes not.  There are some simpler, more acute problems that respond very quickly and may fall into the “quick fix” category, but also be prepared for a longer line of treatment if your condition is more complicated.  It’s called “therapy” because it’s treatment over time, not because we throw you on a table, pat you on the back, slap you on the leg, send you out the door and say “you’re healed, see you next year.”  In conclusion, when you have a problem that needs attention, see your chiropractor as soon as possible, and be open to whatever treatment plan is suggested for your condition.

Who doesn’t love a good massage, right?! Well the great news that many people don’t realize is that clinical/medical massage therapy is often covered by insurance! If you have a diagnosable area of pain or an injury, if you are under the supervision of a chiropractor, and if the clinical massage is medically necessary and beneficial and ordered by the chiropractor, it is often a covered service. In facilities such as ours, we have chiropractors and therapists working together so those requirements for coverage are easily met. This is not possible when seeking services from a massage therapist that does not accept insurance or does not work in a doctor’s clinic. Granted, if you are just seeking massage for the purpose of rest and relaxation and a spa-like experience, that is not considered clinical massage, not medically necessary and not a covered service. That is a luxury. We encourage massage for rest and relaxation, and we do that too, but that would be provided at your cost. However, many people with aches, pains, arthritis, fibromyalgia, sprains, strains and injuries can benefit from medically necessary clinical massage. Become a chiropractic patient and let us guide you into the most beneficial therapies for you. If you would like to know more about your insurance coverage for massage therapy, please contact our office today! 337-502-5303

 

Let’s Face It…

It isn’t easy

You know the risks of smoking, and the benefits of quitting. Unfortunately, that doesn’t make it any easier to take that first step.

But you can do it, if you have the right tools and support. And we can help. Use these resources to help stop cravings, track progress, stay focused, and inspire others trying to quit to stay on track.

Quit Guides

There are several online resources you can use, many written by ex-smokers, that will prepare you to quit and support you in the days and weeks that follow.

Become an EX http://www.becomeanex.org/

Build your own free quit smoking plan online.

Smokefree.gov Quit Guide http://smokefree.gov/quit-guide.aspx

Go from “thinking about quitting” to staying quit, for good.

Stay Away from Tobacco http://www.cancer.org/Healthy/StayAwayfromTobacco/GuidetoQuittingSmoking/index

Find the mix of options that’s right for you.

Thinking Differently

For many, smoking is as much a mental addiction as it is a physical one.

Re-learn http://www.becomeanex.org/how-to-quit-smoking.php

To quit smoking, you need to re-learn life without cigarettes.

Stop smoky thinking http://smokefree.gov/topic-benefits-smoky.aspx

Find tips to think clearer about cigarette urges.

Mind games http://quitsmoking.about.com/od/healingthemind/a/mindgames.htm

Learn how to recognize thoughts that interfere with quitting plans.

Five myths about quitting http://www.smoking-cessation.org/content/five_myths.asp

Think quitting is expensive? Think again.

Special Tools

Savings Calculator http://smokefree.gov/savings-future.aspx

See how much money you can save living smoke-free.

Smoking Triggers http://www.smoking-cessation.org/content/trigger.asp

Learn what spurs you to smoke, so you can avoid it.

Slip-Ups http://www.smoking-cessation.org/content/slipups.asp

If you stumble, it’s not the end of the world. Find the best way to start again.

Dealing with Weight Gain http://quitsmoking.about.com/od/weightgain/a/weightgainquit.htm

Worried that you’ll swap one bad habit for another? Stay in control.

Medications and Alternative Treatments

While quitting “cold turkey” works for some, others need either counseling, nicotine replacement therapy, or non-nicotine medications.

Medication Guide http://smokefree.gov/topic-medications.aspx

Get a general understanding of medications that can help you quit.

Alternative Therapies http://www.becomeanex.org/alternative-therapies.php

Quitting is hard. You may need to try one (or more) different methods to quit.

Clinical Trials http://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/results/map/click?map.x=380&map.y=191&term=smoking+cessation&map=NA:US

See if you are eligible for any smoking cessation research studies currently being conducted in Missouri.

Your’s In Health – Dr. Thigpen

In this present society, we are programmed to believe that we NEED drugs.  Pharmaceutical companies (drug companies) profoundly influence doctors and patients on a regular basis.  Pharmaceutical reps (drug reps) show up regulary to doctors’ offices across the country and push the latest, greatest drug.  Many doctors (not all doctors) are so busy that they don’t have time to research the drug on their own, so they learn everything about the drug from the drug rep and prescribe it based on what that drug rep has told them.  Of course, the drug rep is usually not a doctor and is only parroting what the drug company has trained them to say.  The information that the drug rep has is “based on research.”  Incidentally, that research is done by the drug companies themselves and many times is biased or manipulated to give more favorable results.  How do they do that?  The drug companies will hand pick people that are more likely to respond favorably to the drug.  Also, the clinical trials on the drugs are usually short trials, not long enough to determine long term effects.  Even when the drug companies’ research shows some adverse side effects, the FDA will many times still approves the drug.  Why?  Let’s just say most of the FDA beaurocrats used to work for drug companies or will end up working for them in the future.  So, that being said, once the drug is on the market WE become the guinea pigs for the REAL LIFE clinical trials.  If you’ve paid any attention at all, you would know that countless drugs have been approved by the FDA and put on the market only to eventually be recalled and taken off the market by the FDA due to severe side effects and deaths.  Then the attorneys enter the picture.  Their commercials go something like this, “If you have cancer, dementia, mesothelioma, paralysis, disability, have had children with birth defects, or have ever been hospitalized, had a heart attack, or had a stroke after taking XYZ drug, or have had a family member die after taking XYZ drug, contact us at 555-555-5555.  You could receive compensation.”  Drug companies are sued constantly for drugs that have caused severe side effects and even death.  But guess what, it’s OK because they make enough money off of a drug while it’s on the market to pay for all of the lawsuits when it’s taken off the market and still come out with a huge profit!  Let’s say they have to pay 20 million dollars in lawsuits, but made 50 million dollars off of the drug!  Still a 30 million dollar profit.  Not a bad business model.  “So sue me!” says the drug companies.  These numbers are hypothetical, but you get my point.  Many drugs are NOT recalled, but that doesn’t exclude them from the dangerous category.  New warnings and advisories regarding possible side effects are added to an average of 40 drugs a month.  So, if you are taking a drug and have read all the side effects to familiarize yourself with it, check again next month, there may be a new possible side effect added to the list. 

Pharmaceutical commercials on TV influence people on a daily basis.  We are inundated with commercials depicting beautiful people in a field of flowers blowing in the wind, or someone running through the white sands of a remote island beach, all the while the background voice is stating all of the severe side effects of the drug.  Our minds then associate the drug with the eutopia that is depicted in the commercial.  This kind of visual stimulation softens the edges of that drug in your mind and makes it seem “not so bad.”  You say, “Oh, I’m not stupid enough to fall for that trick.”  You’d be surprised how subliminal this kind of propaganda can be!   

According to the medical journal The Lancet, drug errors, such as being given the wrong drug or wrong dosage, kills 7,000 people a year in the U.S.  According to JAMA (Journal of the American Medical Association) prescription drugs cause 2.2 million SERIOUS adverse reactions (hospitalization, disability, and death) a year.  That’s not including the lesser side effects like hives, rashes, depression, fatigue, vertigo, etc.  Now keep in mind that only about 10 percent of the medical profession actually report side effects to the FDA, so the number of serious adverse reactions could feasibly be 10 times worse.  According to JAMA, prescription drugs KILL 106,000 people a year, and that’s when it’s given its is “correct” dosage.  Bottom line, prescription drugs are the 4th leading cause of death in the U.S. 

Ok, so am I anti-drugs across the board?  NO!  In a crisis such as emergency room situations, mandatory surgeries, acute conditions, or acute disease or infection, many medications are life savers!  But outside of that, many drugs are overutilized, prescribed haphazardly and downright dangerous.  Think about this, are you sick because you don’t have enough drugs in your body?  Do you have asthma because you don’t have enough Advair or Singulair in your lungs?  Do you have pain because you don’t have enough Celebrex and Vicodin in your joints?  Do you have high cholesterol because you don’t have enough Zocor or Lipitor in your arteries?  Are you depressed because you don’t have enough Xanax, Lexapro and Effexor in your brain?  Or, on the flip side of things, is it because you just work and otherwise live a sedentary lifestyle, watch too much TV and don’t exercise?  Or because you don’t eat and drink healthy, or because you’re overweight, or because you’re stressed and your immune system is suppressed, or because you don’t know how to deal and cope with stress on y0ur own, or because you’re a workaholic, or because you take care of everyone else except yourself?  Which is it?

Speaking of programming, we are also programmed to believe we are in a recession.  I can GUARANTEE you the drug companies are not in a recession!  (And neither are insurance companies for that matter, but that’s another soap box for another day.)  Prescription drug companies are kicking butt and taking names!  What I mean is they are making huge profits and doing just fine.  The decision to take a drug should be reserved for crisis situations as described previously, or for last resort.  Weigh the pros and cons closely.  When possible, try lifestyle changes first. 

Dr. Thigpen    337 502 5303

Hey school teachers! We’ve begun another long school year and that means a lot of work is ahead of you guys. We treat many teachers and the wife of one of our doctors is a school teacher so we are well aware of the rigors of your profession. It’s no secret that teachers are overworked and underpaid, but here’s the good news: your Louisiana state health insurance benefits for chiropractic care and clinical massage therapy are excellent in most cases! We realize that your job is not just an 8:00 – 3:30 job. Much of your time and effort goes unnoticed. Whether it’s preparing for lessons late into the night, grading papers, staying late after school to prepare for the next day, staff meetings or meeting with parents, your job can be extremely demanding. You spend a lot of time sitting at a desk or computer, typing, reading or standing on your feet all day to teach class and this can lead to a lot of aches and pains in the neck, back, shoulders and feet. So if you have occupational stressors that cause aches and pains in your body, take advantage of your state insurance benefits and come see us for an evaluation and get on the road to recovery and relief!  Adjustments!  Clinical Massage!  Spinal Decompresion!  Rehab!  We have it!  Use it!  337-502-5303  – Dr. Thigpen

It’s finally here! Government regulations (Medicare Guidlines) are requiring all healthcare facilities to begin the transition to Electronic Health Records (EHR). Many institutions, such as ours, have chosen to begin that transition now. Others will choose to begin the transition from paper records to EHR within the next 1-3 years. Either way, any practices that do not adopt EHR by 2014 will have their reimbursements cut by Medicare. With this transition to EHR comes many federal regulations mandating that certain information and statistics be kept on EVERY PATIENT, even if you are not yet on Medicare. As we have made this transition, our patients have made it very clear both verbally and with their body language that they are annoyed, frustrated and displeased with much of the information that we are trying to gather from them. Beleive me, we understand! Everyone hates paperwork. You want to just go in to the doctor, get treated and get out! But unfortunately it just doesn’t work that way. Healthcare institutions are growing more and more accountable for maintaining records and obtaining information pertinent to safety, statistics and standards considered to be good medical practice. We are not getting this information so that we can give it to the government to spy on you! I hear everyday, “The goverment don’t need to know all this about me! I don’t like the government knowing all of this!” That is not our objective. We are just trying to become part of a healthcare system that will have quicker access to your medical records. Through EHR, all of your doctors and specialists can share information easily and quickly. In fact, if you will take the time to read most of the statistical questions about race, ethnicity, etc, there is a box that you can check that says “I choose not to specify”. One of the most important peices of information that we ask for is an email address. “What do you need my email address for,” you ask? Don’t worry, it’s not so we can sell it and spam your inbox everyday! It’s simply so we can email a link to your health records so that you can have access to some of the same records that your doctors do. Please understand, we don’t gather information from you because we think it’s fun or because we just love saying “fill out this paperwork”. We do it because we have to. In the end, EHR will make us better doctors and hopefully you a healthier patient.   337 502 5303  -  Dr. Thigpen

On occassion, when we inform patients how much they will have to pay for their treatment, we get the statement that “the other chiropractor down the street just takes what the insurance pays.” Unfortunately, there are many different types of insurance policies, most of which have deductibles, co-pays and co-insurances. These deductibles, co-pays and co-insurances are different for each person depending on their insurance policy. There may be some chiropractors that do not hold the patient responsible for their deductible, co-pay or co-insurance. However, this practice is a breach of contract between the doctor and the insurance company. According to contract, the doctor is legally obligated to collect deductibles, co-pays and co-insurances from the patient. If not, that doctor and/or clinic could face legal action from the insurance company or be asked to reimburse the insurance company for any payments made on patients in which their deductibles, co-pays and co-insurances were not collected. Be fully informed on your insurance benefits before obtaining care at any healthcare facility. Because the majority of health facilities play by the rules, be prepared to pay deductibles, co-pays and co-insurances that apply to your insurance policy. In our current healthcare insurance system the deductibles, co-pays and co-insurances continue to go up and your amount of coverage continues to go down, so the newest concept out there is to have a Health Savings Account (HSA). We encourage everyone to investigate the details of a Health Savings Account. The amount of money that you put into this Health Savings Account is tax deductible and can be used to pay your deductibles, co-pays and co-insurances throughout the year. Our staff will gladly verify your insurance coverage. They will go over your benefits and any out-of-pocket expenses for which you may be responsible. We look forward to being of service to you!  337 502 5303  -  Dr. Thigpen

This past week a patient walked into our office with a confused look on her face. She stood at our front desk, looked around for a bit and said, “My daughter told me to come here for therapy on my shoulder, but this is chiropractor’s office isn’t it? I think I’m in the wrong place.” I happened to be within ear shot of the front desk and I couldn’t help but speak up and explain to the lady that she was definitely in the RIGHT place! It’s a common misconception that chiropractors only treat neck and back pain. Let me clarify…NOT SO! The educational background and scope of practice in the chiropractic profession has expanded exponentially in recent decades. We not only treat spine complaints, but also shoulders, hips, knees, wrists and just about any other joint or muscle in the body. Of course, if the condition is too serious and requires the attention of an orthopedic physician or other specialist then we will refer you there, however, most of these non-spinal conditions are very treatable with the therapies that are offered in the modern chiropractic office. So spread the word! For quality care for your spine AND your extremities, call me today! – Dr. Thigpen

Center for Chiropractic
1210 E. McNeese Street
Lake Charles, LA 70607
337-502-5303

Since the inception of the chiropractic profession, many special interests groups have tried to suppress access to chiropractic care. Why? It’s all about money and control. Some groups try to suppress chiropractic because they want more of the money spent on healthcare for themselves; some groups do it because they want more control over healthcare; and some groups do it for both reasons. While under the guise of doing what’s best for the patient, they are actually attacking access to chiropractic care to the detriment of the patient. Doctors of Chiropractic have never been controlled by any other healthcare profession or special interest group and doctors of chiropractic have direct access to patients without the need of a referral from any other healthcare professional. This autonomy that the chiropractic profession possesses means these special interest groups cannot control doctors of chiropractic. Of course, they don’t like that. If you are a patient that is a benefactor of having direct access to your chiropractic physician, the become a supportive voice for our profession! Call your senators and representatives and let them know that you expect them to support the chiropractic profession. Also, go to www.chirovoice.com and click “Join the Network!” to become an advocate for chiropractic.

It’s the last quarter of 2010!  For those of you that have health insurance, take full advantage of what you pay for!  In a day where insurance premiums and deductibles continue to rise, it is all the more important to take care of your healthcare needs when it’s the most affordable.  What do I mean?  At this point in the year, many people have already struggled through paying those dreadful health insurance deductibles for the year.  Whether your deductible is $500 or $5,000, its always tough to get past that deductible.  Many times your health insurance policies will cover NOTHING until you have met your deductible.  So, this late in the year, if you’ve met your health insurance deductible, or even if you’re close to meeting it, now’s the time to take care of all of your healthcare needs.  After the deductible is met, your insurance should cover the healtcare services that you need.  I not only speak for chiropractic and rehabilitation services, but ANY healthcare need you have.  If you’ve been needing to see that specialist, and you keep telling yourself that you really need to get a particular condition evaluated and treated, do it now!  Do it BEFORE that deductible starts all over again in 2011.

At the Center for Chiropractic and Rehabilitation, we accept most medical insurance and we are ready to meet your needs.  If you’ve been suffering with that neck or back condition, or any other muscular or skeletal condition, come see us today.  Contact me, Dr. Thigpen, at 337-502-5303 and set up your appointment today.