Chiropractic Care and New Year’s Resolutions

Chiropractic Care and New Years Resolutions

It’s been a whirlwind of a new year at Mid-Atlantic Spinal Rehab & Chiropractic. We’ve been working really hard at better organizing our staff and our office to better host and treat patients. That is, we made it our new years resolution to be more accommodating, more friendly, and more transparent in our rendering of Chiropractic care in Baltimore City. We think that this will help us provide better care to those in need.

While it always a good idea if you are a patient to contact your insurance company and check if you are covered for a benefit/procedure, it’s been my experience that that rarely, if ever occurs. Typically a patient walks into an office, pays a copay, gets a procedure (in this care chiropractic care) and leaves. Weeks if not months pass by and then a patient gets the dreaded EOB (explanation of benefits) in the mail. They try and understand what additional money, if any, they owe. They either then do, or do not pay their required portion (as required by their insurance companies contract). Typically it is at this point in the exchange of money for healthcare services that patients feel confused and tricked. They often don’t understand if or why they owe additional money for a service they already received. It places a significant strain on the doctor/patient relationship.

While this is the way that most offices have been conducting business we have decided to make things easier. Prior to presenting for a new patient evaluation my staff will contact your insurance company on your behalf. By the time you arrive for your visit you will know your copay, your deductible, your coinsurance, and how much you should expect to pay out of pocket per visit. While this may be overwhelming (after all, you are coming to our office to feel better from headaches, neck pain, or back pain) we have found that many patients appreciate the open discussion. They would much rather know their “true cost” than get a letter in the mail down the road that surprises them, or that they are unable to pay. We believe that this up front transparency can help ease the tension associated with trying a new office for a first time.

Further, if someone is injured in a Baltimore auto accident and has suffered from whiplash, headaches, neck pain, and/or lower back pain, we need to only know your auto insurance carrier’s name (i.e. Nationwide, State Farm, Erie, Allstate, etc), policy number, date of birth and social security number. We can help to open a PIP claim on your behalf and have you receiving treatment for your Baltimore auto accident injury without any money out of pocket. Alternatively, if you have already opened a PIP claim followed your Baltimore auto accident, just supply us with a claim number and we can get you started receiving treatment right away.

We are making an effort to lessen the confusion surrounding payment for chiropractic services in the Baltimore area.

As far as new year’s resolutions are concerned – if you are a “resolutioner” and have decided to get back into shape or to get of of the couch here are some good tips:

1. Get clearance from your primary care provider – If you have serious health conditions check with your PCP first to make sure that it is safe for you to exercise.

2. Stretch – Don’t forget to stretch prior to engaging in exercises. You don’t want to overdue it and be out of service before you get started.

3. Set a routine – Whether you like to exercise in the morning or the evening, try and set a routine. After about 3 weeks of a new activity it becomes a habit. Habits are tough to break.

4. A journey of a thousand miles – It was once said that a journey of 1000 miles begins with a single step. So start slow, maybe exercising 2-3 times per week and as you improve you can exercise longer or more times per week. The key is just starting.

5. If you have neck or back pain, come see your Baltimore city chiropractors Dr. Marc Gulitz and Dr. Erica Wise. We routinely treat patients with sports injuries, auto accidents, work related injuries, or other various types of headaches, neck pain, and back pain. We hope we don’t need to see you, but if you need us, we will be here.

If you, or someone you know, would benefit from Chiropractic care for headaches, neck pain, or back pain, please contact Mid-Atlantic Spinal Rehab & Chiropractic at (443) 842-5500. We would be happy to help!

Dr. Gulitz

What Happens During My First Visit To A Baltimore Chiropractor?

As a Baltimore Chiropractor, I often meet people in my everyday life who have never been to a chiropractor. Sure, they might understand a little bit about what Chiropractic is or what spinal manipulation is, but they do not know what to expect. Often I hear when a patient shows up “Wow, this was way more medical than I expected!” I suppose I am not sure what it is that they are expecting. So rather than explain the “first visit” to everyone individually, I thought I might write a small blog post about what happens when you arrive for your first visit.

As with any doctors office, the first thing a patient (or perspective patient) does when they get to the office is to sign in with the receptionist. The receptionist will greet them and then hand them some standard paperwork to fill out. This paperwork, just like in your primary care doctors office, records your past medical history, current presenting illness/injury, insurance information, and many standard pieces of medical literature such as informed consent, and HIPAA privacy documents. Most patients can complete the new patient paperwork in about 15 minutes. As such we ask most patients to arrive about 15 minutes prior to their appointment so that they can fill out all of their paperwork and be seen promptly. In addition to filling out paperwork the receptionist will make a copy of your driver’s license and any applicable insurance cards. At this point the receptionist will figure out what the patient’s financial responsibility for the appointment will be. We prefer that patients give us some time to do this on their behalf, because there are TONS of different plans and it is not always quick and easy for us to get information. Most patients who have private health insurance have a copay and/or deductible that applies to chiropractic care. We prefer to have an open an honest discussion with patients about their degree of financial responsibility prior to beginning treatment. That way, there are no surprises when the insurance EOB comes.

Once the paperwork has been filled out to completion the receptionist creates a physical chart for the patient. The charts is placed in the new patient examination room for the Baltimore Chiropractor to review. It is said that medical history makes up 80 % of a diagnosis and I believe that to be true. By the time I have a patient walk down the hall to my new patient examination room I already have a good understanding of what their physical ailments are, why they are here, and whether or not I expect to be able to help them.

I have a patient sit down and explain to me what brings them in: What hurts? How did it start hurting? Have they ever been injured before? How did they improve last time? How did they hear about us? What questions or concerns they might have with chiropractic care. The list of questions that I ask is usually much longer, but for the sake of simplicity, let’s just say that make sure that I understand what their issue is before proceeding.

Now comes the physical examination. I perform a standard neuromusculoskeletal examination on all patients. This helps me to assess the degree of their injury, to determine if x-rays are required, and to confirm my working diagnosis. I also perform a standard physical examination where I record height, weight, and vital signs.

Once I have a good working diagnosis for an injury, we begin some some physical therapy modalities. This is where my clinic is different than most chiropractor’s clinics. Many of the other Baltimore Chiropractors like to have a patient return to the office before beginning treatment to give the impression that they are really thinking hard about what is wrong and whether or not they can help. I don’t like sending patients that are in pain away from the office – I want to give them what they came for – pain relief!

After the patient has received some modalities to help soothe and break up muscle spasms, we usually progress to a chiropractic adjustment room where I render spinal manipulation, or “back cracking” for the layman. I give patients some at-home instructions, provide them with an ice pack to control post-treatment soreness, and we schedule a follow up appointment to monitor their response to treatment. I do not provide long term treatment plans, nor do I require patients to pre-pay for their care. I take each injury and each treatment “a day at a time”.

If you have been considering making an appointment with Mid-Atlantic Spinal Rehab & Chiropractic but have been hesistant to because you did not know what to expect on a first visit, I hope that this blog post shed a little light on the subject for you. Keep in mind, if I do not think that I can help you for your particular condition I will let you know and will help steer you in the right direction. You have nothing to lose and everything to gain by just asking questions.

Dr. Gulitz

Car Accidents with Reindeer?

As a Baltimore Chiropractor that spends the majority of my time treating patients involved in motor vehicle collisions such as car accidents, bus accidents, motorcycle accidents, and pedestrian injuries, I can honestly say that I have never in my life encountered a patient who was injured in a Baltimore auto accident by colliding with a reindeer. That seems to make sense since as far I know there are no reindeer around Baltimore City, except maybe at the zoo for Christmas. Where I grew up in New York we would hear about auto accidents involving “regular” deer all the time. But it Baltimore that does not appear to be a major concern.

Having said that I was curious if there was any place in the world where there were recorded instances of motor vehicle collisions versus reindeer. As it turns out, there is!

In Norway it is estimated that there are approximately 200,000 wild reindeer that inhabit the land. They blend in with their natural habitat, making it difficult to spot them in the dark. It is estimated that approximately 2,000 of these reindeer are injured or killed each year when they are struck by snowmobiles and motor vehicles in Norway. Who knows how many whiplash injuries human occupants sustain in this reindeer crashes each year.

Interesting, as recently as the year 2010 the people of Norway have begun to spray paint the antlers of the reindeer with reflective coating to help cut down on the instances of reindeer vs. motor vehicle collisions. It is a small test study but so far it appears to be cutting down on the number of car accidents with reindeer.

So while these may not be a big risk in the Baltimore metropolitan area, it does raise a good point: Always make sure to keep your eyes on the road because you never know what may be there. Oh, and for those coding nerds out there…there is an ICD-10 diagnosis code for motor vehicle collision vs. a reindeer. This would fall under the codes V40.5xxA – car driver injured in collision with animal in traffic accident.

So especially this week when extra reindeer are flying around and dropping off presents keep your eyes on the road. Dr. Gulitz and the team at Mid-Atlantic Spinal Rehab & Chiropractic want to wish everyone a Merry Chistmas and a happy and healthy holiday season. We look forward to seeing you all in the new year!

Dr. Gulitz

Inversion Traction for Lower Back Pain Following Baltimore Car Accidents

As a Baltimore Chiropractor that spends the majority of my time treating Baltimore auto accident patients, I often see a lot of patients with lower back pain. Whether it is a rear-end auto accident, side swipe, T-bone, or head-on collision, lower back pain is a very common symptom following Baltimore auto accidents. People tend to think of Chiropractors as “back crackers.” Which, lets face it, we are. In addition to spinal manipulation of the lumbar spine for lower back pain following Baltimore auto accidents, we have a lot of other tools to help loosen up stiff joints and tight spasmodic muscles.

Typically patients with lower back pain following Baltimore auto accidents receive electrical muscle stimulation and some form of traction therapy, in the form of either intersegmental traction and/or mechanical traction. Previous blog posts on these topics can be found on my website.

I recently had a conversation with a patient who was asking me about the appropriateness of inversion traction for lower back pain following his Baltimore car accident. Inversion traction is a device where patients lay on a flat surface and slowly invert (turn upside down) their body. It attempts to reverse the effects of gravity and to decrease the compression on the lumbar spine. For some patients, it is a god send. They lay on the table for about 10-15 minutes at a time 1-2 times per day and they note a dramatic improvement in their lower back discomfort. As with most pieces of medical equipment, some are better than others. The late night infomercial traction tables show people hanging upside down until they are perpendicular to the floor. That is dangerous! Patients should only go about 30 degrees below the horizontal line so as to not have too much blood rush to their head. While I do not currently offer inversion traction in my clinic, I am going to purchase one shortly to help patients make the decision as to whether or not it is something that they want to try at home on their own.

Not everyone is in favor of inversion traction to treat lower back pain following Baltimore auto accidents. Opponents of inversion traction therapy state that it does not offer long term relief of lower back pain. Cardiologists suggest that inversion caused the heart beat to slow, blood to rush to the head and neck, and increased intraocular pressure. For patients with high blood pressure, heart disease, or glaucoma inversion traction could cause health effects such as heart attack, stroke or death.

As with most rehabilitation following a Baltimore auto accident, you should always consult with a professional before doing anything on your own. Provided that you do not have high blood pressure, it is reasonable to try inversion traction to help with mechanical lower back pain following your Baltimore auto accident induced lower back pain. If that does not work for you there are plenty of other treatment modalities that we offer that can help to provide relief.

If you have any questions about lower back pain following a Baltimore auto accident, please contact Mid-Atlantic Spinal Rehab & Chiropractic at (443) 842-5500. We would be happy to help.

Dr. Gulitz

Thanksgiving- The Most Dangerous Driving Holiday

If you are like most Americans you are probably already mentally preparing yourself for an all day festival of catching up with friends and family, eating too much, and watching 10 hours of football on Thursday. Thanksgiving truly is an American holiday that helps us to remember what is important in life beyond the 9-to-5 daily grind. Chances are you will likely be driving to a destination to spend time with your loved ones. Like most major U.S. holidays, time away from work and an increased in the “holiday spirit” usually leads to an increased congestion on the roadways. Coupled with lower gas prices, it is safe to assume that this year will see an inordinate amount of extra cars on the road before Thanksgiving. Unfortunately for everyone on the road, this means more accidents, more injuries, and in many cases, more deaths. While many people believe that New Year’s Eve is the most dangerous driving holiday, it is not. The number of fatalities associated with Thanksgiving driving is actually the highest out of all major U.S. holidays. (For those of you interested, the top 5 holidays associated with fatalities due to impaired driving are #5 Christmas, #4 Memorial Day, #3 Independence Day, #2 Labor Day, and #1 Thanksgiving!)

The reason behind the increased number of auto accidents due to Thanksgiving is more than just a “volume game.” Yes, there will be more vehicles on the road. But there will also be a lot of impaired driving, late night driving, and navigating unfamilar roads. After all, how many of us are working Wednesday and then driving that evening to get to our destination? Chances are its about all of us. If it can be avoided, I would recommend leaving Tuesday night and skipping work Wednesday (provided you don’t get fired!), or leaving in the wee hours on Thursday morning. After all, you will get to spend another night in your own comfortable bed. As someone that spends a lot of time traveling on the day of Thanksgiving, the roads are usually wide open.

The Red Cross recently put together a list of recommendations to help ease Thanksgiving travel and to hopefully reduce the likelihood of there being car emergencies. Here is their list:

1. Inspect your vehicle before you leave – make sure it is in good working order.

2. Refill all fluids- fuel, windshield washer fluid, engine oil if low.

3. Designate a safe driver – Not even one drink should be allowed. After all, police will be cracking down.

4. Get extra rest – Take an extra hour nap to be extra alert. Leaving the morning of should eliminate this problem.

5. Obey the rules of the road – Slow down in work zones, designate a texter, and observe posted speed limits.

6. Give yourself time – Allow for delays due to congestion. Take frequent breaks and don’t let road rage get the best of you. We are all in this together!

7. Use headlights – It makes it easier for you to see and for others to see you.

So while you sit at your desk reading this blog post and wishing you were hundreds of miles away eating turkey and wearing pants with an expandable waist line, just remember, we are all in this together. Please, slow down, give yourself time, and make good decisions.

For the less fortunate who are injured as a result of a Baltimore auto accident on Thanksgiving and require our services for headaches, neck pain, and back pain, Mid-Atlantic Spinal Rehab & Chiropractic will be happy to help rehab you from your auto accident injuries following Thanksgiving. Please call (443) 842-5500 to schedule an appointment. Happy Holidays!

Dr. Gulitz