FAQs

At 603 Chiropractic, care is private, one-on-one, and never rushed.

If you’ve ever been to an “assembly line” style clinic with crowded waiting rooms, two-minute visits, and barely any time with the doctor, you’ll immediately notice the difference here. From your initial evaluation to your regular visits, you work directly with Dr. Pratt in a private setting where your care is personalized from start to finish.

But what truly sets 603 Chiropractic apart is how thoroughly we evaluate, measure, and monitor your spine.

We combine clinical experience with advanced technology, including in-house digital X-ray, PostureRay spinal analysis, PostureScreen, thermography, surface EMG (SEMG), and Heart Rate Variability (HRV). Rather than simply looking at an X-ray and saying, “That looks a little off,” PostureRay allows us to objectively measure spinal curves, forward head posture, vertebral translation, pelvic imbalance, and other structural findings down to the millimeter and degree.

Those measurements help us understand where you are starting, develop more precise recommendations, and objectively evaluate whether your spine is changing over time.

We also incorporate evidence-based Chiropractic BioPhysics (CBP) principles into our approach. When appropriate, care may include specific spinal adjustments, corrective exercises, spinal traction or decompression, and other therapies designed to improve movement, function, posture, and spinal alignment.

Most importantly, we don’t simply chase symptoms.

Your recommendations are based on your examination findings and your individual goals. Some people come to us because they want short-term relief. Others want to correct underlying problems, improve their spinal health, and maintain those improvements long term. We’ll explain what we find, tell you what we recommend, and help you choose the approach that makes the most sense for you.

We’ve also worked hard to make getting care as convenient as possible. Our app-based scheduling system allows you to easily schedule and reschedule appointments, view your care plan, and sync appointments directly with your phone’s calendar. If you have a question or need help with something, you can simply text the office. No phone tag, no complicated scheduling process, and no wondering when your next appointment is.

There are no cookie-cutter care plans and no pressure to commit to care you don’t want. Flexible pay-per-visit options are also available when appropriate.

The goal is simple: exceptional chiropractic care, objective answers, personalized attention, and a patient experience that makes taking care of your spine as easy and convenient as possible.

Broadly speaking, the objective of chiropractic care is to restore and optimize how your body functions.

Your brain and nervous system coordinate nearly everything your body does, and your spine plays a major role in protecting the spinal cord, supporting movement, and providing the brain with continuous information about the body’s position, balance, and motion. Think of the spine as both your body’s structural foundation and a “suit of armor” for the spinal cord. It is also an important source of proprioceptive input, with specialized sensory receptors in and around the spinal joints and muscles constantly providing the brain with information about movement and position. In that sense, the spine is not simply a mechanical structure. It is also an important part of how the brain monitors and controls the body.

When areas of the spine lose their proper alignment or movement, what chiropractors commonly refer to as subluxation, it can affect posture, mobility, biomechanics, and the quality of information being sent to the brain. Over time, these functional problems may contribute to stiffness, discomfort, compensation patterns, reduced performance, and other symptoms.

That is why chiropractic care is not simply about making pain go away. We look for problems with spinal movement, alignment, and function that may be contributing to what you are experiencing, then work to improve them.

We do this by identifying areas of dysfunction and addressing them with specific spinal adjustments, corrective exercises, and other appropriate therapies. The goal is to improve alignment, movement, and function, not simply cover up symptoms.

When your spine is functioning better, your body is generally better equipped to move, adapt, and respond to the physical demands placed on it. Symptoms often improve as function improves, but chiropractic care is about more than pain relief. It is about helping your spine and nervous system function as well as possible.

Not at all. You don’t wait for your teeth to hurt before visiting the dentist. The same principle can apply to your spine and movement.

Pain is only one sign that something may need attention. Changes in mobility, posture, or joint function can develop gradually and may not be immediately noticeable. Chiropractic care can help identify these issues, support healthy function, and protect your progress instead of simply reacting when pain appears.

Day 1 is all about discovery.

We start by hearing your story, but not just your symptoms. We want to understand how the problem is affecting your daily life and what you ultimately want to get back to doing. Whether that means getting out of pain, working without limitations, sleeping better, exercising again, or simply feeling like yourself, your goals matter.

From there, we perform a thorough, one-on-one examination to objectively evaluate how your spine and body are functioning. For nearly every adult patient, this also includes digital X-rays taken right here in our office. These images allow us to evaluate spinal alignment, posture, degeneration, and other structural findings that cannot be determined from symptoms alone.

After your examination, we schedule your second visit, called the Report of Findings.

Day 2 is where everything comes together. We review your examination and X-ray findings with you, explain what we found, answer your questions, and discuss the recommendations we believe will give you the best opportunity to reach your goals.

By the end of that visit, we want you to clearly understand four things:

1. What the problem is
2. What your goals are
3. What it will take to get there
4. What the recommended plan looks like

Your first adjustment typically takes place during this second visit, after we have had the opportunity to fully evaluate your case and make sure we are all on the same page.

From there, we get to work.

Usually, no. Your first visit is about understanding what is going on before we begin care. This typically includes a consultation, examination, posture and movement analysis, and X-rays when clinically indicated.

While some chiropractic offices may adjust patients on their first visit, we prefer to take the time to thoroughly evaluate your findings first. If X-rays are taken, the doctor will want the opportunity to analyze them and review your results with you before beginning care. Simply put, we want to know exactly what we’re dealing with and have a plan before we start adjusting your spine.

There are exceptions. If your examination indicates that it is appropriate to adjust you that day, we may do so on a case-by-case basis. Otherwise, your first adjustment typically takes place at your second visit, after we have reviewed your findings and discussed the recommendations for care.

Before we answer, here is an important question to consider: Are you looking for temporary pain relief, or are you ready to address the underlying problem and create lasting change?

Insurance is often well suited for short-term, symptom-based care. When it comes to correcting underlying problems and improving spinal function over time, however, coverage can be limited.

At 603 Chiropractic, we do not bill private insurance directly. This allows us to make recommendations based on your examination findings and goals, without allowing an insurance company to dictate the type or duration of care you receive.

That said, we strive to make care as affordable and accessible as possible. Many patients use HSA or FSA funds, and we can provide a detailed superbill if you would like to submit your visits to your insurance company for possible reimbursement. We are also enrolled with Medicare and accept Medicare patients for covered chiropractic services.

With copays commonly ranging from $40 to $60, using insurance does not always reduce the cost of chiropractic care. In many cases, patients pay about the same while having fewer limitations on the care they receive.

Most people find care here to be very reasonable. Dr. Pratt often jokes that he is “too busy to be too expensive.” Our goal has never been to be the cheapest chiropractor in town. It is to provide exceptional, one-on-one care at a fair price.

We work with each patient to create a plan that fits their goals, needs, and budget. If you are simply looking for the cheapest option, we may not be the right fit. But if you are looking for real results, personalized attention, and a thoughtful approach to your care, that is where we shine.

No. You do not need a referral from your primary care doctor or another healthcare provider to see a chiropractor. Chiropractors are primary contact healthcare providers, which means you can schedule an appointment directly with us whenever you choose.

If you are currently under the care of another healthcare provider, we are also happy to work alongside them when appropriate.

For your first visit, we recommend wearing slim-fitting gym clothes or other comfortable, form-fitting clothing. This allows us to more accurately evaluate your posture and movement and also makes it easier to obtain X-rays when needed.

If X-rays are being taken, clothing with minimal metal is best. Women should avoid bras with underwire or metal clasps when possible, and necklaces, earrings, and other metal jewelry may need to be removed.

If you’re coming directly from work or another commitment, don’t worry about arriving dressed this way. You’re welcome to bring a change of clothes and change at the office before your examination.

After your first visit, what you wear is generally much less important.

Yes. X-rays are a standard part of our evaluation for nearly every adult patient because we do not believe in guessing when it comes to your spine.

Our office uses a modern high-frequency digital X-ray system that produces clear, detailed images with very low radiation exposure. These images allow us to evaluate spinal alignment, posture, degeneration, structural abnormalities, and other findings that may affect your care.

We also use advanced PostureRay analysis to objectively measure spinal curves, forward head posture, vertebral alignment, pelvic balance, and other important biomechanical findings. This helps us develop more precise care recommendations, prescribe targeted corrective exercises, and monitor structural changes over time.

Exceptions may be made for pregnant women, young children, or when X-rays are not appropriate based on an individual patient’s circumstances.

That depends on several factors, including how long the problem has been there, the severity of your findings, your overall health, and what you are hoping to accomplish.

Some people notice improvement relatively quickly. For others, especially when a problem has been developing for years, meaningful change takes more time. It is also important to remember that feeling better and correcting the underlying problem are not always the same thing.

Pain is only one way your body tells you something is wrong. You can feel relatively good while still having problems with spinal alignment, mobility, posture, or joint function. That is why we do not base your progress on symptoms alone. We also look at how your body is functioning and, when appropriate, use objective measurements to track your progress.

Our goal is to give you clear recommendations based on your examination findings, your goals, and what we believe it will realistically take to get you there.

Most importantly, chiropractic care is done with you, not for you. The patients who tend to get the best results are the ones who follow through with their care, consistently perform their corrective exercises, stay active, and work on the habits that may have contributed to the problem in the first place.

We will provide the roadmap, but your participation is an important part of the process.

Chiropractic care can often help people experiencing a wide range of symptoms and conditions.

That said, we like to approach this a little differently. We don’t “treat” conditions directly. Rather, we focus on restoring proper function. That’s a subtle but important distinction.

A helpful way to think about it is this: asking if chiropractic can help with a specific condition is a bit like asking if exercise can help with that same condition. Exercise isn’t used to “treat” disease. It’s done to keep the body strong, resilient, and functioning well. Chiropractic works in a similar way by supporting a healthy spine and nervous system.

We’ve seen people improve with headaches, back pain, sciatica, numbness, sleep issues, digestion issues, and more. We are not claiming that chiropractic directly treats every one of these complaints or that every improvement is caused solely by care. The point is that the spine and nervous system play a much larger role in how the body moves, adapts, and functions than many people realize.

When function improves, healing often follows, sometimes in ways people don’t expect. That’s the benefit of working with the body, not against it.

For a list of common conditions we’ve had great success with, click here.

Feeling better is great, but feeling better and correcting the underlying problem are not necessarily the same thing. Symptoms often improve well before the changes in your spine, posture, mobility, or function that contributed to the problem have been fully addressed.

You may have heard that “once you start going to a chiropractor, you have to go forever.” That’s simply not true. You are always in control of your care and can stop whenever you choose. However, stopping care as soon as you feel better may mean stopping before you’ve had the opportunity to achieve the full benefit of your recommended care plan.

Think of it like exercise or dental care. You don’t stop exercising once you get in shape or stop brushing your teeth because you don’t have a cavity. Many patients choose to continue with chiropractic care because they understand the value of maintaining a healthy, well-functioning spine rather than waiting until something hurts again.

Pain relief focuses primarily on reducing symptoms and helping you feel better. Corrective chiropractic care goes a step further by working to improve the underlying structural, postural, and functional problems that may be contributing to those symptoms in the first place.

While getting out of pain is important, symptoms alone don’t always tell us how healthy your spine is. In fact, pain is often one of the last things to appear and one of the first things to improve. That’s why stopping care as soon as you feel better may leave the underlying problem largely unchanged.

Corrective care takes a longer-term approach. We use your examination findings, posture analysis, X-rays when indicated, and periodic re-examinations to establish measurable goals and track your progress over time. The goal isn’t simply to help you hurt less. It’s to improve how your spine moves, functions, and handles the stresses of everyday life.

Feeling better is certainly one sign that you’re making progress, but it isn’t the only one. Because symptoms can change before the underlying problem has fully improved, we also look at objective measures of how your spine and body are functioning.

Throughout care, we monitor changes in things like posture, range of motion, mobility, movement, and examination findings. Periodic re-examinations allow us to compare these findings with where you started and determine whether measurable progress is being made. When appropriate, follow-up X-rays may also be used to evaluate changes in spinal alignment and structure.

The goal is not to simply assume that care is working because you feel better. Whenever possible, we want to measure progress, document improvement, and make informed decisions about your care based on the results.

Absolutely. In fact, people with arthritis, degenerative disc disease, or a history of spinal surgery may have even more reason to pay attention to the health, mobility, and function of their spine.

These conditions do not automatically prevent you from receiving chiropractic care, but they may affect how your care is provided. That’s one reason a thorough examination and, when appropriate, X-rays are so important. Your care can be modified based on your age, spinal health, surgical history, level of degeneration, and individual needs.

Chiropractic care is not one-size-fits-all. Someone with significant degeneration, a spinal fusion, or surgical hardware may be treated differently than someone with a healthy spine, but the goal remains the same: to safely improve and maintain as much mobility, function, and spinal health as possible.

That’s completely normal, especially if you’ve never been adjusted before. Many new patients are a little nervous simply because they don’t know what to expect. And let’s be honest, some of the viral chiropractic videos on social media aren’t exactly doing the profession any favors!

We take our time and explain what we’re doing before we do it, so there are no surprises. Chiropractic adjustments can also be modified based on your comfort level, age, condition, and individual needs. You’ll have an opportunity to ask questions and understand what to expect before your first adjustment.

One of the most common things we hear from nervous patients immediately afterward is, “That was it? That wasn’t so bad!” Most people quickly realize that getting adjusted is much easier and more comfortable than they imagined.

The popping sound you sometimes hear during an adjustment is called cavitation. It occurs when a rapid change in pressure within a joint causes gas to form within the joint fluid. It’s similar to the sound you may hear when cracking your knuckles.

The sound itself isn’t the goal of the adjustment, and a louder “pop” doesn’t mean you received a better adjustment. Some adjustments produce several audible sounds, while others produce little or none at all.

What matters is restoring proper motion and function to the joint, not how much noise it makes.

We frequently care for pregnant moms, especially during the second and third trimesters, when changes in posture, movement, and pelvic mechanics can place additional stress on the body. Many women seek chiropractic care during pregnancy to address back or pelvic discomfort, improve mobility, support healthy biomechanics, and remain as comfortable and active as possible as their bodies change. Some research has reported an association between chiropractic care during pregnancy and shorter labor times or reduced use of certain interventions, although individual outcomes vary.

Care is modified appropriately for pregnancy and is intended to complement, not replace, routine prenatal and obstetric care. Every patient is evaluated individually, and we encourage open communication with the other healthcare providers involved in the pregnancy.

We also care for children starting around grade school age, typically age six and older. While we absolutely believe in the value of pediatric chiropractic, we generally refer infants and toddlers to trusted colleagues who specialize in caring for that stage of development.

Because your spine is one of the most important structures in your body.

Most people think of the spine as a stack of bones that simply holds them upright. In reality, the spine serves several critical functions. It protects the spinal cord, supports the body against gravity, allows movement, and provides the brain with a tremendous amount of information about the body’s position, balance, and movement.

In fact, the spine contains an extraordinarily high concentration of specialized nerve receptors called mechanoreceptors. These receptors constantly send information to the brain about where the body is in space and how it is moving. This process, known as proprioception, helps the brain coordinate movement, maintain posture, balance the body, and adapt to the environment around us.

Healthy spinal movement provides the brain with important sensory information about position and motion. When spinal joints become injured, restricted, or dysfunctional, those sensory inputs can change, potentially affecting movement, coordination, posture, and how the body adapts. The result isn’t always pain. Often, the first signs are stiffness, reduced mobility, poor posture, decreased performance, fatigue, or a gradual loss of function over time.

The spine is also subjected to tremendous physical stress throughout life. Injuries, repetitive activities, prolonged sitting, poor posture, sports, work demands, and simply aging can all contribute to spinal breakdown. Left unaddressed, these stresses can lead to joint dysfunction, loss of normal spinal curves, disc degeneration, arthritis, and decreased quality of life.

What does that actually mean for you? It can mean waking up stiff, having trouble turning your head, avoiding certain activities because your back bothers you, struggling to sit or work comfortably, giving up sports or exercise you once enjoyed, or simply finding that everyday things become harder as you get older. A healthy spine helps you stay mobile, capable, and independent so you can continue working, exercising, traveling, playing with your kids or grandkids, enjoying your hobbies, and doing the things you love without your spine being the reason you have to stop.

This is why chiropractors place so much emphasis on spinal health. Our goal isn’t simply to help people feel better. Our goal is to help the spine move, function, and age as well as possible so people can continue doing the things they need and love to do for as long as possible.

Just as regular exercise helps maintain the health of your muscles and cardiovascular system, chiropractic care focuses on maintaining the health and function of the spine and nervous system.

The bottom line is this: if you want to be healthy, you need a healthy nervous system, and one of the best ways to support a healthy nervous system is to maintain a healthy, properly functioning spine.

Subluxation is primarily caused by physical stress. Sometimes that stress comes from one significant event. More often, it accumulates gradually over time. We generally think of these stresses as macro-traumas and micro-traumas.

Macro-traumas are the larger, more obvious injuries, such as car accidents, sports injuries, slips, falls, and childhood accidents. These events can injure spinal joints and surrounding tissues, alter normal movement or alignment, and cause the body to develop compensation patterns.

Micro-traumas are the smaller, repetitive stresses of everyday life. Prolonged sitting, poor posture, repetitive movements, heavy lifting, sedentary habits, training errors, and insufficient recovery can gradually affect spinal mobility and biomechanics. No single event may seem significant, but the accumulated effect can become substantial.

The body is remarkably adaptable, but its ability to compensate is not unlimited. When physical stress repeatedly exceeds the body’s ability to recover, stiffness, restricted movement, postural changes, compensation patterns, and other signs of dysfunction may develop. Symptoms may appear gradually, suddenly, or sometimes not at all.

Emotional stress does not physically move a vertebra out of place, but it can influence muscle tension, sleep, recovery, pain sensitivity, and how well the body adapts to physical stress.

This is why spinal problems are not always linked to one dramatic injury. In many cases, they are the result of years of accumulated stress combined with too little movement, recovery, or corrective care.

Let’s clear that up.

Chiropractic care is a widely used, conservative form of healthcare, and serious complications are considered extremely rare. Most reported side effects are mild and temporary, such as soreness or stiffness following treatment.

One practical reflection of that risk profile is the cost of malpractice insurance. Insurance companies price coverage partly according to the frequency and financial severity of claims, and chiropractors generally pay substantially lower premiums than physicians in many medical specialties. Premiums are not a perfect measure of safety, but the difference certainly does not support the perception that chiropractic care is unusually dangerous.

No form of healthcare is completely risk-free, yet chiropractic is often judged by a very different standard than medications, injections, and surgery. Even familiar over-the-counter medications can cause gastrointestinal bleeding, kidney injury, cardiovascular complications, and severe liver damage. A widely cited Johns Hopkins analysis also estimated that medical errors may contribute to more than 250,000 deaths in the United States each year, which would place medical error behind only heart disease and cancer if it were formally recorded as a cause of death. Although the precise estimate has been debated, the larger point remains: conventional care is not automatically risk-free simply because it is conventional.

That is not an argument against medicine. Medications, injections, and surgery can be appropriate, necessary, and lifesaving. It is an argument for perspective and for evaluating every form of healthcare based on evidence rather than fear or assumptions.

Safety also depends on proper evaluation and individualized care. We review your health history, perform an examination, use imaging when clinically appropriate, and screen for findings that may require modifying care or referring you to another provider. The techniques and amount of force used are selected according to the individual patient.

Chiropractic offers a conservative approach focused on improving spinal movement, alignment, biomechanics, and function without relying on medication or surgery.

Taking an active role in your health is not dangerous. Making healthcare decisions based on misinformation or fear can be.