We take referrals from other healthcare professionals very seriously. Our key objective is to clearly communicate with the referring healthcare professionals regarding the progress of the patient treatment. We have a large network of healthcare professionals that we work with, and look forward to working with each provider.
Complete this form to refer a patient to InHealthPLLC.
Here are some common questions asked by healthcare professionals:
Tell us about inhealth
What type of communication takes place once we refer a patient to Inhealth?
What is Chiropractic?
What is an adjustment?
What does research say about Chiropractic?
What training is required for a Doctor of Chiropractic?
Tell us about InHealth.
InHealth is committed to providing patients with the highest quality of care through research, integrated clinical practice, and education. We make it our goal to provide the highest standard of chiropractic and rehabilitative health care so that patients can successfully return to activities that they enjoy.
What type of communication takes place once we refer a patient to InHealth?
A patient is brought through an initial examination to determine the best treatment option. A timely report is then written by our doctor outlining the patient’s history, examination findings, and proposed treatment plans. Our goal is to communicate clearly with the referring provider and create a comprehensive “team” approach to patient care.
What is chiropractic?
Chiropractic is a health care profession that focuses on disorders of the musculoskeletal system and the nervous system, and the effects of these disorders on general health. Chiropractic care is used most often to treat neuromusculoskeletal complaints, including but not limited to back pain, neck pain, pain in the joints of the arms or legs, and headaches.
What is an adjustment?
The most common therapeutic procedure performed by doctors of chiropractic is known as spinal manipulation, also called chiropractic adjustment. The purpose of manipulation is to restore joint mobility by manually applying a controlled force into joints that have become hypomobile or restricted in their movement as a result of a tissue injury. Tissue injury can be caused by a single traumatic event, such as improper lifting of a heavy object, or through repetitive stresses, such as sitting in an awkward position with poor spinal posture for an extended period of time. In either case, injured tissues undergo physical and chemical changes that can cause inflammation, pain, and diminished function for the sufferer. Manipulation, or adjustment of the affected joint and tissues, restores mobility, thereby alleviating pain and muscle tightness, and allowing tissues to heal.
What does research say about Chiropractic?
Rigorous, systematic research in support of chiropractic has emerged in the past two-and-half decades. In just the last 20 years, over 150 randomized clinical trials involving spinal manipulation have made their appearance in the English-language literature. What a lot of people don’t realize is that the majority of these have been published in general medical and orthopedic journals. These trials address not only back pain, but also headache and neck pain, the extremities, and a surprising variety of nonmusculoskeletal conditions. When spinal manipulation is employed, the majority of these trials have shown positive outcomes with the remainder yielding equivocal results. Back pain management has been assessed by government agencies in the U.S., Canada, Great Britain, Sweden, Denmark, Australia, and New Zealand. (Example: In 1990, the British Medical Research Council commissioned a comparative study on chiropractic and found it to be effective treatment of low back pain).
We have a comprehensive research packet available for your review. Please email dana@inhealthseattle.com.
What training does a Doctor of Chiropractic have to complete?
Training requires a minimum of four years of college in addition to undergrad training and a clinic internship before licensure. Areas of scientific study include anatomy, neurology, bacteriology, pathology, physiology, biochemistry, pediatrics, geriatrics, spinal biomechanics, orthopedics, X-ray, cardiology, nutrition, acupuncture, physiotherapy, gastrointestinal and genitourinary systems, and infectious diseases. Every chiropractic graduate must pass a national examination and then a state exam to be licensed by the state of Washington.
Doctors of Chiropractic are not only trained in problems dealing with the spine, but are formally educated in clinical examination and diagnosis of the entire human body. Doctors of Chiropractic have training comparable to medical or osteopathic doctors in the basic sciences, including anatomy, physiology, pathology, etc. A report by Meredith Gonyea, Ph.D., President of the Center for Studies in Health Policy, Inc., found that among all health care professions, "only D.C.s [Doctor of Chiropractic], M.D.s [Medical Doctors], and D.O.s [Doctors of Osteopathy] focus on health care interventions for the well being of the whole person." Over the past century, chiropractic education has developed to the point where government studies in the US, Sweden and New Zealand consider it equivalent in the basic sciences to a medical education.
Much of this development stems from the establishment of the Council on Chiropractic Education (CCE) in 1974, which the US Department of Education recognizes as the accrediting agency for chiropractic schools. The CCE, a nonprofit organization located in Scottsdale, Ariz., sets standards for schools' curriculum, faculty, facilities, patient care and research.
Chiropractic college programs are rigorous and thorough. In addition to their undergraduate degree, their chiropractic college education lasts four years. In their fourth year, students must also do a clinical internship of approximately 1,000 hours.
When that's done, graduates face one more trial. To practice in the US or Canada, they must pass comprehensive national and state or provincial licensing exams, similar to those for other professionals like lawyers and doctors.
References:
Chapman-Smith, D. The Chiropractic Profession. West Des Moines: NCMIC Group Inc., 2000.