Posts tagged chiropractor

Local Doctor Receives Diplomat with American Academy of Medical Legal Professionals

Local Doctor Certified in Whiplash and Brain Injury Traumatology Accepted as Diplomat with American Academy of Medical Legal Professionals

Fishers, IN, January-2010 – Did you know that over three million whiplash injuries occur each year resulting from motor vehicle crashes? Of these whiplash injuries, 500,000 people will have chronic problems and up to 300,000 will have some degree of disability. Apart from the effect on health, there’s a significant cost to society. Approximately $43 billion of total annual HARM is attributable to whiplash and related injuries. (HARM is a metric for quantifying the total societal cost of road trauma.)

Dr. Matthew C. Ferris of Health Connections says individuals need to be educated about the issues surrounding whiplash. He reports, “Many times ligament damage and injury goes undetected. Either the person does not have significant symptoms and does not get any medical check or they go to a hospital and get released with pain medication. At the hospital, the primary priority is to discover if there are any major medical issues, like fractures or internal bleeding.”

Therefore, Dr. Ferris explains, “after the hospital or critical care facility has ruled out major medical injury, it is important to go to a physician trained in whiplash diagnosis and treatment to find out for sure the extent of any injuries. In most cases, the diagnosis and treatment of injuries will be covered by either the at fault vehicle or one’s own auto insurance policy if no other vehicle is involved.”

So what are some warning signs? Dr. Ferris commented that, “headaches, neck pain, muscle spasm, back pain, and numbness and tingling are all potential signs that muscles, ligaments, and spinal joints may be injured.” He also notes that, “when ligaments are injured their function of keeping the spinal joints aligned and working properly is changed. If ligaments heal with spinal joints misaligned, it will lock them into a dysfunctional position and set the stage for spinal degeneration and chronic pain.”

– Matthew C. Ferris is a chiropractic physician and clinical accident director at Health Connections in Fishers, Indiana. Dr. Ferris has completed post doctorate certification in Whiplash and Brain Traumatology from the Spine Research Institute of San Diego. He has recently completed a Diplomat with the American Academy of Medical Legal Professionals. If you have a question or would like a no charge consultation in relation to an auto accident, you can call 317-585-9111 or visit www.hcfishers.com.

Medical Report Finds Chiropractic Care More Cost-Effective for Low Back and Neck Pain

Medical Report Finds Chiropractic Care More Cost-Effective Then Medical or Physical Therapy for Low Back and Neck Pain

Dr. Arnold Milstein is one of the world’s foremost experts on clinical and cost effectiveness in health care, and the Mercer Reports, written by him and his team, are considered the gold standard among medical establishments, third party payers and legislators. In essence, if Dr. Milstein says it’s so, it’s accepted as unchallengeable, based on his reputation for objectivity and scientific reason.

Dr. Milstein’s curiosity with chiropractic connected him with the Foundation for Chiropractic Progress who commissioned him to study the effectiveness of chiropractic care compared to medicine and physical therapy, concentrating on neck and low back patients to begin with.

The results were startling. Chiropractic care was found to be more effective than either medicine or physical therapy – in fact, up to twenty-five times more cost-effective than a program of physical therapy exercises.

Dr. Milstein concluded, “Using data from high quality randomized controlled EU trials and contemporary US based average unit prices payable by commercial insurers, we project that insurance coverage for chiropractic physician care for low back and neck pain for conditions other than fracture and malignancy is likely to drive improved cost-effectiveness of US care. In combination with the existing US-based literature, our findings support the value of health insurance coverage of chiropractic care for low back and neck pain at average fees payable by US commercial insurers.”

Results of study:

  • Chiropractic care is more effective than other modalities for treating  low back and neck pain
  • Chiropractic physician care for low back and neck pain is highly cost effective, represents a good value in comparison to medical physician care and to widely accepted cost-effectiveness thresholds.

If you are experiencing a musculoskeletal condition,  such as neck or back pain, do some online searching for a chiropractor in your area to get a consultation and exam.

- Dr. Matthew C. Ferris is a chiropractic physician practicing at Health Connections in Fishers, Indiana. Dr. Ferris has completed post doctorate certification in Whiplash and Brain Traumatology from the Spine Research Institute of San Diego. If you or someone you know is experiencing neck or back pain, call for a complimentary consultation and exam to see if you are a candidate for our services. 317-585-9111.