What is Biophysics?

Dr. Intriligator feels that a large part of her mission is to educate patients on wellness and longevity practices. Most people approach chiropractic care with an idea of getting rid of symptoms, and have expectations that their problems should be quick and easy to fix. While this is occasionally true, making a permanent change in the spine is different than temporarily getting rid of symptoms. Corrective care is designed to correct the spine gradually, over time, restoring its ideal alignment; it is not just to relieve symptoms. Focusing on symptoms usually results in solutions that often dismiss the root of the problem. Ignoring the root of problems in the spine can lead to a progressive degenerative state that leads to arthritis. When we take a reactive approach, treating symptoms, statistically it is predictable that symptoms will return and become progressively worse as we age. So while people are free to choose symptomatic care or corrective care in our office, if you have a corrective problem, Dr. Intriligator will educate you about corrective care and the potential outcomes of not doing corrective care. Some people will choose symptomatic care and wait for a time when their schedule allows them to focus on a corrective protocol. All these choices are fine in our office.

Those who choose the corrective approach often wonder how much time it takes and how much it will cost. The process of correcting the spine depends on slow breakdown and reformation of the ligaments which hold the spinal bones in place. Effective spinal correction has been thoroughly researched. It is clear that spinal correction requires two things: time and repetition. Some people have been living with their spine outside its normal configuration and relationship with gravity for just a few months; others have been living that way since birth or even in utero. Just because someone is not having symptoms does not mean that their spine has a proper relationship with gravity. In much the same way as it may take 30 years for cancer symptoms to appear, problems in the spine often exist years or even decades before a person will feel pain or develop noticeable symptoms.

The time it will take to correct your spine will depend on one’s age, how long one has had a problem, and the amount of degenerative changes present. Corrective protocols can range from a few months for a child with an uncomplicated problem to a year for seniors with moderate degenerative changes. Adult treatments plans average 36-50 visits.

What we hear is that though it is a long process, it is worth it because many symptoms change along the way. In addition to significant decrease or elimination of pain and other symptoms, patients also report greater energy, better digestion, and greater resilience in general.

The good news is that even those with moderate degeneration have been able to correct their spines and create lasting changes. As long as people change the habits that may have brought them to the spinal distortion, they can anticipate that the correction will last a lifetime.

Most insurance coverage is designed to make partial payments for pain relief and symptom relief, not for practices and care protocols that promote ongoing wellness. Most insurance will cover the pain relief part of the care but not the corrective care. Since the purpose of this corrective technique is spinal restoration and prevention of degeneration—not just band-aid relief—all patients in this office will pay at least some part of their care out of pocket.

However, we go to great lengths to accommodate each persons’ financial needs. We offer interest free in-office payment plans as well as financing through Care Credit. Our in-office payment plans start at $150/month. Care Credit monthly payments may be even less. Substantial discounts are offered for those who choose to make a single payment and those whose care is paid in full at the end of their Care Plan. But with 6, 9, 12 or 15 month payment plans, this care is affordable for most people. We are glad to bill for our patients on Care Plans who have insurance.

Remember that being truly well, is an investment in a healthy longevity. True wellness is not what health insurance is designed to pay for, regardless of what is marketed to the public. Health insurance is set up to pay for care where people are already sick,–they pay for disease care and will not pay for care they define as not “medically necessary.” This should not be confused with what is actually necessary to be well and healthy. In general, insurance companies limit what they pay to chiropractors even for symptomatic care. They will not pay for chiropractic care they deem as “wellness care”, just as they will not pay for nutritional supplements or herbs, healthy organic food, running shoes for exercising or other items which definitely contribute to our wellness and longevity.

As the insurance industry lags far behind the latest chiropractic research, we may be decades away from insurance reimbursement of corrective care, if ever. Sadly, insurance companies would rather pay $50,000 for a spine surgery than pay for corrective care, even though every study performed in the last 20 years has proven that surgical treatment for degenerative spine problems will fail within 5 years, resulting in even worse outcomes for the patient: more pain, arthritis, and disc disease in the levels above and below the surgery area.
It is wise to remember that the health insurance industry is a multi-billion dollar for-profit industry making money by not paying for care. Its self-defined purpose is to react to disease conditions, not to prevent them. The difference between the purpose of health insurance and the purpose of investing in prevention and long-term wellness should be clear. Wellness is a responsibility, not a right. Choosing wellness care, rather than accepting the limits of disease care, is a step toward empowering ourselves with healthy longevity.