Below are answers to some of the most common questions patients have about chiropractic care and treatment at Advanced Chiropractic & Massage.
Will I have to keep coming back once I start chiropractic?
No. Chiropractic care does not require a lifetime commitment or ongoing maintenance treatment.
The number of visits depends on your condition, examination findings, goals, and how you respond to treatment. As you improve, treatment can usually be reduced or discontinued. If you are not improving as expected, the treatment plan should be reconsidered rather than simply continuing the same care indefinitely.
Some patients choose to return periodically when symptoms recur or because they find intermittent treatment helpful, but that is an individual decision.
How can chiropractic care help me?
Chiropractic care is primarily used to evaluate and treat musculoskeletal problems involving the joints, muscles, connective tissues, and related nerves.
Treatment may help reduce pain, improve joint movement, decrease muscle guarding, and improve your ability to perform normal activities. Chiropractic adjustments are only one part of treatment. Depending on your condition, care may also include joint mobilization, lower-force techniques, soft tissue treatment, exercise, traction, taping, and activity or ergonomic recommendations.
If another type of treatment or additional evaluation would be more appropriate, we can help coordinate that care.
What conditions do you commonly treat?
We commonly see patients with:
- Low back pain
- Neck pain
- Sciatica and radiating pain
- Headaches associated with the neck
- Muscle and joint injuries
- Sports and repetitive stress injuries
- Auto accident and whiplash injuries
- Work-related injuries and Washington L&I claims
Whether chiropractic care is appropriate depends on the cause of your symptoms and your examination findings.
What happens during my first visit?
Your first visit begins with a review of your symptoms, health history, and the reason you are seeking care. Dr. McCay will then perform an examination to help determine the likely cause of your symptoms and whether chiropractic treatment is appropriate.
If imaging is clinically indicated, digital X-rays can be taken in our Everett office or other imaging such as MRI can be coordinated when appropriate.
After the examination, Dr. McCay will discuss the findings and recommended treatment options with you. Most patients can begin some form of treatment during their first visit when appropriate.
How long does the first visit take?
Most new-patient visits take approximately 45 minutes. The exact time varies depending on the complexity of the condition, whether X-rays are needed, and the amount of evaluation or treatment required.
Follow-up chiropractic visits are generally much shorter.
Do I need X-rays before chiropractic treatment?
No. X-rays are not routinely required for every chiropractic patient.
Imaging may be recommended when your history or examination raises concern for a fracture, significant degenerative change, structural abnormality, or another condition in which imaging could affect treatment decisions.
Our Everett office has on-site digital X-ray equipment. When discs, nerves, the spinal cord, or other soft tissues need further evaluation, MRI or another type of imaging may be more appropriate.
Will chiropractic treatment hurt?
Most chiropractic treatments are comfortable, but an injured or irritated area may already be sensitive to movement or pressure. Some patients may also experience temporary soreness following treatment.
Treatment can be modified according to your condition and comfort level. Options include lower-force techniques, mobilization, soft tissue treatment, exercise, traction, and other approaches when a traditional chiropractic adjustment is not appropriate or is not preferred.
Do I have to be adjusted?
No. Chiropractic treatment does not have to include a traditional high-velocity adjustment.
Treatment is individualized based on your examination findings, condition, comfort level, and preferences. Lower-force manipulation, joint mobilization, soft tissue treatment, exercise, traction, and other conservative treatments may be used instead.
How many chiropractic visits will I need?
There is no predetermined number of visits that is appropriate for every patient.
Some conditions improve quickly, while others require a longer period of care. Treatment should be based on measurable changes in pain, movement, function, activity tolerance, and examination findings.
If you are not progressing as expected, Dr. McCay may modify treatment or recommend additional imaging, physical therapy, specialist evaluation, injections, or another type of care.
Do you treat car accident injuries?
Yes. We regularly evaluate and treat patients following motor vehicle collisions, including patients with whiplash, neck pain, back pain, headaches, stiffness, and other musculoskeletal injuries.
Our office works with Personal Injury Protection (PIP) coverage and third-party automobile insurance claims and can help coordinate additional imaging or specialist care when necessary.
Do you treat Washington L&I work injuries?
Yes. Dr. McCay treats work-related musculoskeletal injuries covered by Washington State Labor & Industries (L&I) and self-insured employers.
For appropriate claims, he can serve as the Attending Provider and help coordinate treatment, work restrictions, Activity Prescription Forms (APFs), referrals, and return-to-work planning. We can also provide chiropractic treatment when another healthcare provider is managing the claim.
Do you accept insurance?
We accept most major insurance plans as well as automobile injury claims and Washington State L&I claims. Coverage and benefits vary by plan, so our office can help verify your benefits before treatment.
Do you offer massage therapy?
Yes. Advanced Chiropractic & Massage offers licensed massage therapy. Massage may be used independently or as part of a treatment plan when muscle pain, tightness, or restricted movement are contributing to your symptoms.
Massage therapy is available at our Everett and Lynnwood locations.
What if chiropractic care is not the right treatment for me?
An important part of the initial evaluation is determining whether chiropractic treatment is appropriate.
If your condition requires additional evaluation or another type of treatment, we can coordinate care with physical therapists, primary care providers, physiatrists, orthopedic specialists, advanced imaging centers, pain-management providers, or other healthcare professionals as appropriate.