Frequently Asked Chiropractic Questions in Chatham Township NJ

Chiropractic is a hands on, evidence based allied health care profession that helps your body move and feel better by improving how your joints, muscles and nerves work together. When a joint is not moving in its full range of motion the signals going back to your nervous system change. When your joint cannot perform its appropriate range of motion during a movement it can create pain, stiffness, and guarding – not because your “bone is misaligned”, but because your body is protecting itself. Our Chiropractors are specialists in assessing and treating joint, muscle, tendon, and nerve complaints anywhere in your skeleton!

Our Chiropractors have been trained to assess and treat joint, muscle, tendon, cartilage, and nerve complaint through your entire body, meaning we can help with anything from low back and neck pain to sprained ankles and rotator cuff problems. In our office we see a lot of “movement problems” that may not have a single simple diagnosis, but we assess and treat the whole person to get to the root cause of a problem. For example, we commonly see knee pain (patellofemoral tracking disorders), hip pains (greater trochanteric pain syndrome), shoulder pain (rotator cuff tears and tendonitis), tennis and golf elbow (medial and lateral epicondylitis), carpal tunnel, plantar fasciitis, Achilles tendonitis, sciatic nerve pain, ulnar and radial neuropathies, turf toe and so much more.

A Chiropractic adjustment is a great, safe tool to improve local and whole-body mobility, posture and wellbeing. It is a precise, controlled force applied quickly to a joint that is not moving properly which reduces pain, local inflammation, and muscle spasm. The adjustment does not need to be a ‘crack’- it can be a gentle mobilization with an activator, drop piece, SOT block or Mulligan belt. Adjusting a joint, anywhere in the body, leads to better balance and helps to prime the brain and nervous system before starting rehabilitation.

When performed by a licensed chiropractor after a comprehensive history and examination, adjustments are completely safe for people with pain and movement problems.

The honest answer is: it depends. We would love nothing more than to fix your problem in one visit but often pain and movement are a bit more complex. Most injuries are the result of thousands of repetitive motions accrued over a long period of time and when you do improve, going back to the same motions without care will cause the symptoms to redevelop. It is a bit like going to the gym, where you may not see a massive change in one visit, but staying consistent will often give you the change you are looking for. The good thing is we personalize and tailor each treatment plan to the individual with the goal of getting you better as quickly as possible so you can get back to doing what you love.

The two biggest benefits from chiropractic care are less pain and better movement. At Precision Spine & Sport, we believe movement is medicine so we use any tool or technique necessary to get and keep you moving and feeling better.

Chiropractic care is very safe but, like any medical treatment, there are some minor risks associated with it. There is a chance of some soreness after the first few treatments. Bruising and contusion are uncommon but possible from myofascial treatment. Rarely seen are rib contusions and fractures, disc exacerbations and worsening of a stroke in progress. Through the initial detailed history and comprehensive exam, our providers strive to ensure that these ‘rarely seen risks’ are as small as possible. If there is a risk, it will be discussed with you, and treatment will be modified to provide a safe experience.

Chiropractic adjustments are usually not painful, and most patients describe them as immediately relieving or satisfying. If there is muscle guarding or scarring around a joint, it may be more sensitive to adjustments. Our providers will communicate with you constantly during your first experience to lessen your stress and apprehension. We will strive to use techniques that minimize the possibility of pain during the manipulation.

It is strongly encouraged to come in without pain. When you come in without pain, we get to keep you doing what you love instead of putting out fires – walking 18 holes, throwing your grandkids in the pool, or training hard in the gym. We can design a care that lays out foundation to help you stay active and pain-free. It is a shift in mindset and a commitment to your health: you are choosing to invest in efficient movement today so your body is ready for the volume, force, and repetition you are going to ask of it in the coming decades.

We understand there are a lot of Chiropractors out there. Often, they will not take insurance, try and sell you on long treatment packages, supplements, pillows, or all of the above. At Precision Spine and Sport, we can confidently say we are the opposite of these types of practices; we accept all major insurance companies while providing individualized care and treatment for our patients. We are certified in and include Active Release Technique, TPI certification, Functional Gait Assessment, Functional Movement Screens, Fascial Manipulation, Shockwave, and more, to give you the care that you need for an affordable price. As you can see, we are not a “quick crack and out the door” type of practice!

We book between 45 minutes to an hour for a new patient exam, 20-30 minutes for follow up treatments, and one-hour periods for specialty exams and treatments like fascial manipulation. All treatments are one-on-one with our doctors, ensuring you get their undivided attention.

Chiropractors are well educated with a minimum requirement of two years of undergraduate education with a basis in science subjects before applying to Chiropractic College. The Doctor of Chiropractic (DC) degree is then a 3–4-year program, depending on whether it is a semester or trimester system. The doctorate curriculum includes subjects such as anatomy and physiology, pathology, neuroscience, orthopedics, rehabilitation, and more. At Precision Sport and Spine Dr. Dijkstra graduated Magna Cum Laude and Dr. Mitola was Valedictorian of his class. Both doctors are committed to continuing their education in cutting edge treatment and assessment techniques that vastly surpass the NJ minimum continuing education requirements.

Chiropractic care is very safe and beneficial for pregnant women. We work with several local OB/Gyn offices who refer their patients for pregnancy related back and hip issues. Dr. Dijkstra has treated pregnant patients up to the day of delivery!

This is a great question! Chiropractic care is not addictive but once you experience increased range of motion and less pain in movement after treatment, you will come back for more!

The crack sound is known as a “cavitation” and it often occurs during an adjustment, which is the result of a quick stretch, lowering the pressure inside of joint resulting in a gas bubble being pulled from solution and causes a pop. Much like opening a bottle of sparkling water – bubbles form when the pressure changes which makes a corresponding noise. It is important to note that a crack is not strictly necessary to indicate a successful treatment

While self-manipulation may feel great in the moment, it is not likely getting ‘the right spot.’ You may not be damaging your back or neck, but you will be making our jobs a little harder as the area around the restricted joint becomes slightly hypermobile. It is much easier to loosen a tight joint than it is to tighten up a loose one.

Yes, and we are in-network with all major insurance companies.

Research shows that Chiropractic care helps with low back pain and has very high patient satisfaction scores too!

Chiropractic care is very effective for neck pain. Scared of getting your neck cracked? There are many ways to approach and treat a neck that does not necessitate “cracking the neck.”

If your neck pain is cervicogenic, meaning tension coming from your neck, chiropractic care is very effective and fast!

Realistically, the line between Chiropractic and physical therapy is blurring these days – Chiropractors are doing more rehabilitation and PTs are starting to manipulate. However, Chiropractors are still the best at assessing and treating joint, muscle and nerve issues anywhere in your body. We often refer to and work together with PTs in the area to provide the best all-round care for your issue.

The providers at Precision Spine and Sport love working with sports injuries! Dr. Dijkstra has attained the highest post-graduate degree possible in the USA in sports chiropractic and has worked with Olympic fencers and high-level rugby players. On the other hand, Dr. Mitola competed in Division 1 Men’s basketball and has often experienced and treated different types of sports injuries.

Chiropractic care is a great part of posture correction! The manipulation and mobilization of the spine give you the freedom to stand up straight and speeds the process of loosening the myofascial restrictions that often accompany poor posture. We will then teach you easy exercises to hold this newfound posture.

Amazing things. There are many nervous system mediated reflex loops that lead to a reduction in muscle tension and spasm, reduced pain, and brain learning that occurs when a joint is stimulated through an adjustment or mobilization.

Not only is Chiropractic safe for children, they tend to react very quickly! We do not manipulate babies or toddlers, rather we gently mobilize them. Dr. Dijkstra adjusted his oldest son when he was an hour old due to a traumatic birth!