Did you know that 85% of Americans have experienced back pain severe enough to call for a doctor’s visit?
When faced with the question of how to treat back pain, doctors typically have a few answers. The top recommendations include rest, exercise, stretching, pain relievers, heat, and time. Another solution many doctors suggest is a visit to the chiropractor.
If you’ve already got an appointment scheduled, you might be wondering what influences the price of a chiropractor visit. How can you prepare your budget to ensure the treatment is affordable, helpful, and effective?
We discuss some of the factors that impact the average price of a chiropractor below.
Your Injury
Back pain is unique to the individual and can occur for several reasons.
You might have a sprain, a strain, a fractured vertebra, or a herniated or bulging disc.
As you can imagine, treating a sprain is much easier than treating a herniated disc. You’re likely to pay a lot less at the chiropractor if you only have a strain vs an injury that requires prolonged care.
The Chiropractor’s Speciality/Experience
The more specialties a chiropractor has, the more you’re bound to pay for your visit—and for good reason. You’re paying for peace of mind, a physician you can trust, and someone with a well-rounded education.
This wealth of experience is crucial to treating a variety of patients and injuries. From spinal decompression and massage therapy to sports injury management and more, these are all areas that benefit not just the doctor, but you, too.
If you need to see a chiropractor for a different reason after your initial visit, you’ll feel comfortable knowing you can see the same specialist—and not have to start the process over again.
The Treatment Plan
Is the solution to your back injury as simple as rest, time, and one full-body adjustment?
Or does it require more extensive treatment such as cold laser therapy or e-stim therapy?
The type of injury you have informs the type of treatment you’ll need and how long it’ll last. As such, the price of your visit (or visits) will also change.
Your Insurance
Whether your insurance pays for some of your visits also plays a factor.
Most health plans cover a minimum of 12 visits for acute or short-term conditions. In this case, it’s standard to pay a copay amount.
If you’re visiting the chiropractor for maintenance and wellness treatments, it’s likely your insurance plan will not cover the cost of the visit, meaning you’ll pay out-of-pocket.
Finally, if you’re visiting a chiropractor for long-term care for a chronic issue, we recommend talking to your insurance provider to see what they cover.
The Price of a Chiropractor Depends
So, what is the average price of a chiropractor?
There is no standard cost when it comes to this type of care.
As you can see, several factors affect the price of a chiropractor. Among other things, it depends on things like the severity of your injury, what insurance you have, and how your physician intends to treat you. Still, this breakdown should give you a rough idea of what you can expect to pay.
For more health and fitness advice, you’ve come to the right place. Head back to our homepage for more articles like this one—perfect reading material while you’re waiting to see your doctor!