Understanding Your Health Insurance Deductible

January is the time when most people see their health insurance deductibles start over.  In many cases, people will postpone or forgo medical care because they are concerned that they will have to pay a large bill until their deductible is met.

One thing to be aware of if you do have a large deductible is what the contracted rates are that the insurance company pays to your doctor for visits.  For example, your doctor may charge $55.00 for an adjustment, but the contracted rate that the insurance company will pay is $35.00.  The $35.00 is the amount that the doctor has agreed to accept if you have this insurance.  So whether you are paying for the visit, or the insurance company is paying for the visit, the amount due is still $35.00.

If your insurance charges a co-pay for doctors visits, the difference between your co-pay and the cost applied to your deductible may not be very much.  Many insurance companies now have a $30 co-pay for doctor’s visits, so even if your deductible has not been met, the additional $5 per visit should be affordable.

If your insurance company pays a percentage of the contracted rate, again the $35.00 is the maximum that the doctor’s office can collect.  If you have 80/20 coverage and
your deductible has been met, you would typically owe $7.00 for a visit.  If your deductible has not been met, you would owe the $35.00.

Our office has more than 25 years of experience dealing with insurance companies and different health plans.  If you would like to be treated, but have questions about what your out of pocket costs may be, please feel free to contact us.

What is a Chiropractic Technician?

Do you ever wonder what a chiropractic technician (C.T.) or assistant (C.A.) does?

In our office, the technicians are similar to the nurses in a medical doctors office.  They assist the chiropractors with procedures and therapies so your visit proceeds in a more efficient manor.  C.T.'s are typically trained in the following areas:

• Electrical Muscle Stimulation
• Ultrasound
• Thermotherapy (Heat)
• Cryotherapy (Cold)
• Laser Therapy
• Therapeutic Exercise
• Radiology - x-ray production, safety, processing, and positioning
• Office Procedures
• Patient Education
• Basic Examination - health history, vital signs, basic orthopedic and neurological tests
• Chiropractic Nutrition

The State of Wisconsin requires that Chiropractic Technicians be licensed and have certifications in many of the above areas, and they must also attend continuing education to maintain their licenses.

Osteoarthristis and Chiropractic Care

Osteoarthritis is a slow degeneration of the joints that connect your bones and allow your body to move.  Age, injury, poor posture, even excess weight can cause joints to wear down.  When this happens, joints may become stiff and painful.

In a healthy joint, the ends of the bones are covered with a tough tissue called cartilage.  The cartilage should be smooth and slick so bones move freely and without pain.

With osteoarthritis, the cartilage becomes rough and pitted.  This may cause the joints to wear down, and calcium deposits or spurs may develop.  The result is restricted movement and pain.

Your chiropractor can help treat osteoparthritis by adjusting the affected joints, restoring range of motion, and relieving nerve irritation.  Other treatments such as ice, heat, massage, interferential, ultrasound, and exercise may also be used to improve range of motion.

Shoulder Pain

The shoulder is the most movable joint in the body.  It includes four rotator cuff tendons that hold the muscle to the bone and allow a wide range of motion.

Shoulder pain is an extremely common complaint, and there are many causes of injury.  Consult your chiropractor if you experience any of the following symptoms:

• Inability to use your arm or carry objects
• Inability to raise your arm
• Swelling or bruising
• Shoulder pain that lasts for more than a few days
• Shoulder pain that happens at night or while resting

Here are some of the most common causes of shoulder pain.  This list is not all inclusive, and you should consult your chiropractor to find out the specific cause of your shoulder pain:

• Bursitis:  this is the most common diagnosis for patients who experience shoulder pain.  Bursitis is the inflammation of the fluid filled sac - or bursa - that lies between the tendon and skin or tendon and bone in your shoulder joint.  The bursa protects the joint and make movement more fluid.
• Rotator Cuff Tendonitis: this occurs when tendons become compressed under the bony arch of the shoulder.  The compressed tendons become inflamed or damaged thus causing pain.  The tendonitis can occur from general wear and tear, age, repetitive motion, or an injury.
• Rotator Cuff Tear: a tear occurs when the tendons separate from the bone.  Surgery may be necessary to treat this condition.
• Frozen Shoulder: this condition leads to stiffness of the joint and is also called adhesive capsulitis.  Typical treatment involves stretching and physical therapy.

Your chiropractor will treat your shoulder pain by first discovering the cause of your pain.  Your current activities, previous injuries, and symptoms along with a thorough examination will help determine why your are having shoulder pain.

Treatment may involve chiropractic adjustment, heat or cold therapy, ultrasound, light therapy, physical therapy or exercise.  If your pain is the result of a more serious condition, your chiropractor will refer you to the proper medical professional for further care.

What is Carpal Tunnel Syndrome?

Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) is a painful nerve problem that interferes with the use of your hand.  It occurs when tissue or bone puts pressure on the nerve that runs from your neck through your wrist to your fingers.  At first, you may have numbness, tingling, or burning in your hand.  Shooting pain in your wrist or forearm may follow, and your grip may become week.
What causes CTS?

• Repetitive hand movements - such as working on an assembly line, at a computer, or with power tools - can cause the tendons to become inflamed and press the nerve against the carpal tunnel.
• An injury to the wrist or arthritis in the wrist joint can cause a bone to protrude into the carpal tunnel.  The tunnel becomes narrower, putting pressure on the nerve.  An injury to the neck can also cause the nerve to swell and press against the tunnel.
• Fluid retention can cause the tissue in the carpal tunnel to swell and press on the nerve.

What can Chiropractic do to help?

• To reduce inflammation and relieve pressure on the nerve, your chiropractor may manipulate your thumb, fingers, or wrist.  He or she may also massage your forearm or press on joints in your neck and upper spine.
• Your chiropractor may suggest other types of treatment to reduce pain and restore range of motion.  These may include using a splint or brace, electrical stimulation, ice, ultrasound, trigger point therapy, or exercises.

Information from Krames Communications.

Stress and Back Pain

Lifting is not the only kind of stress that can hurt your back. Mental or emotional stress can be just as damaging, and many people encounter stressful situations daily. In the short term, the tension created by emotional stress can give you a backache; in the long term, it can set you up for a serious back injury, among other, more life-threatening health problems.

Many people hold emotional stress in their muscles, especially the muscles of the neck and shoulders. You might know this stress as a tension headache that starts in the back of your neck and moves up and down from there. A bad day at work or an upcoming job interview can bring on that creeping tightness.

What actually causes the pain? Well, normally, blood flows through the muscles of your neck and back with very little resistance. However, when you are emotionally stressed, certain muscles may tense up and squeeze these blood vessels. Like a garden hose with a kink in it, the flow of blood can get constricted or even cut off by these tense muscles. When your neck and back are not getting their proper blood supply, they let you know it with pain.

In addition to the temporary discomfort, more serious consequences can result from this stress-related tension. Because the blood carries the nutrients and oxygen that muscles need to function, a reduction in the blood flow can cause the muscles to weaken. They are, in effect, losing their fuel supply, and as mentioned previously, weak muscles are very susceptible to strain and injury. Learn to recognize when your mood and stress level are affecting your physical condition. When you feel that tension, take a break, breathe and try to relax.

If you are suffering from back pain, even if it is stress related, our office can help relieve that pain with a variety of chiropractic and physical therapy techniques.

Work Place Wellness

As you may know, Schubbe Resch Chiropractic and Physical Therapy has been serving the Fox Valley’s health care needs for over 20 years.

But did you know we have been serving the Fox Valley’s Work Place Wellness needs for 20 years as well?

Schubbe Resch specializes in helping companies avoid Recordable Injuries and helping employees (with non work injuries) stay healthy and productive.

We help Companies with:
• On-Site Evaluation and Management
• Injury Prevention Presentations
• Health Fairs

Over the past 20 years, we have also given 1000+ Injury Prevention Presentations throughout the Fox Valley to over 30,000 employees.

We work weekly with the following 11 companies with On-Site Evaluation and Injury Prevention Management:

• Alta Resources – Neenah
• Bemis converting Films – Oshkosh
• Bemis Specialty Films – Oshkosh
• Curwood Inc. – Appleton
• Curwood Inc. – Neenah
• Curwood Inc – New London
• ExoPack – Neenah
• Menasha Packaging - Neenah
• SCA Tissue – Menasha
• SCA Tissue – Neenah
• TIDI Products - Neenah

Our services are very Effective and very Affordable.

We would enjoy meeting with you to see if we can help prevent work related recordable injuries and keep all of your employees productive and healthy.

Please feel to contact Chris Resch at 920-720-0660 or resch.chris@yahoo.com if you are interested in learning more.