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Chiropractic FAQ

When can i return to work after being injured?

We have very strict guidelines for return to work protocol. For example, there are patients that, after they're injured, cannot work at all, and that's no-duty status, and we are careful to monitor that patient and return them only after their tests, for example, MRI(s), have cleared them. Some patients are able to work right away, and we give them a release, so that their employer feel comfortable with them coming back after an injury; that they have the capabilities of doing the job description that they've been doing prior to their injury. There is also the third category, light duty, and that would be somebody who's undergoing treatment and maybe couldn't go back, but now goes back with some restrictions. They can't lift past a certain number of pounds or they shouldn't do repetitive bending or twisting.

What are impairment ratings?

When a person is injured, we will treat that person and once that treatment is done, some patients remain with a problem, and that's called a residual or a permanency. We are trained and certified to identify those permanencies after the patient is at maximum medical improvement, we identify what percentage of the body is affected and using the American Medical Association's guides to permanent impairments, we determine what percentage that person is granted. With that rating, which is a very specific legal formula, that person can make a demand using their attorney and be reimbursed for permanent impairments, time loss, pain and suffering, etc. Attorneys will take that rating and make a demand, if somebody else was responsible for your injury. Your insurance company will probably cover your treatment when you first start, but eventually the person at fault, their insurance company is responsible for what remains or what you're left with. The doctors will make that impairment determination granted to the patient, and then the medical-legal system kicks in and the patient is taken care of for future care, etc.

Why do I have back pain?

There are many reasons why someone may sufer with lower back pain. There are many instances where a back injury will result in disc inflammation or herniation and that's one of the tougher conditions to treat. Wherever those discs are inflamed, they could impinge on the nerves that come out from the lower back, mid back, or even neck, and cause all sorts of problems at the site or further on. Other conditions that arise from lower back problems can be joint-related, the facet joint suffers sometimes during car accidents or sport injuries. We also have degenerative problems: arthritis, people with pathology, or diseases that are unrelated to trauma but are still needing care.

What are disc herniations and why do they cause pain?

We treat all sorts of conditions, one of the more common ones are disc herniations. And when a disc is herniated, instead of looking normal, as you see in this model, the disc actually herniates or comes out and oftentimes as the disc exits where it should not be, it compromises or affects the nerve root and those nerves, wherever they go, will exhibit symptoms: numbness in the legs, tingling, weakness, and of course, pain, the primary complaint of most people with lower back problems.

Does Grasso Chiropractic handle worker's compensation cases?

We, in our practice, do a lot of worker's compensation cases where it is important that we determine what can you do when you go back, and we give you documentation so that your employer understands the parameters.

What if I have any further questions?

We're a family practice so our job is to make you feel at home. If you have any more questions, feel free to contact our capable staff: (407) 870-1959