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Chiropractic and Medicare

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MCAs you are most likely aware, Chiropractic can be calmed under Private health insurance, but you may not be aware of a Medicare service that has been available since 2004. The Medicare Allied health initiative provides for Medicare benefits to be paid for allied health and dental care services provided to people with chronic conditions and complex care needs. They will allow for up to five visits under this initiative.

Under the initiative, people with chronic conditions and complex care needs firstly need to be managed by their GP who would set up a Enhanced Primary Care (EPC) plan. This care plan can include 1 or more allied health professionals to assist in the treatment plan. These can include Chiropractic, Physiotherapy, Exercise Physiology, Occupational Therapy, Mental health services, Psychology, Speech Pathology and Dental. Medicare will pay a large percentage

If you would like Chiropractic care and this is something that you may be eligible for, all you need to do is speak to your GP, who will set up an EPC, which includes myself as your Chiropractor. Your GP will give you a copy of this EPC with a referral to me, which you need to bring to your next Chiropractic consultation. I will sign it to agree to the care plan and send it back to your GP. For the next 6 visits, you pay your invoice as per usual, then take your receipt to Medicare to claim. Medicare will cover the majority of the bill.

What is Neuro Emotional Technique?

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NET FormulaNeuro Emotional Technique or NET is a simple mind-body stress reduction intervention aimed at improving behavioral and physical problems, such as in chronic injuries, subluxations, pain, worry, anxiety, depression, etc. It was developed by an american Chiropractor, who like all Chiropractors would regularly see patients where chiropractic adjustments aren’t enough to help them with chronic pain, while also understanding that stress changes our physiology and affects our structure, and hence can lead to musculoskeletal problems.

Its common for a memory to elicit a physiological response in us, such as the example where simply thinking of a food we really enjoy can make us salivate. That occurs more strongly when the memory has some stress associated with it. This physiological response is known as ‘conditioning’, and the stronger the emotion, the stronger the conditioning. Over time this conditioned response will lessen and eventually subside, and this is the normal process of ‘extinction’. Although, if at the time of conditioning the body is not in a balanced state then the process of extinction does not take place. This results in an aberrant response to future similar stimulus. A response that once was appropriate is now unnecessary and even excessive.

An example is someone who almost drowned will be fearful of water initially. They will commonly experience some of the same physiological responses they did at the time of the near drowning, such as heart racing, pupils dilating, sweaty palms etc., when they are in water or even think of being in water. For most people this reaction subsides, but for a few they continue to have this response, which is no longer necessary or appropriate. This can become a problem as it impacts negatively on their life. This lack of extinction can also be a problem in relatively minor day-to-day experiences such as public speaking, confrontations, interviews, flying etc. The impact of this may be very obvious in day to day life, such as the two examples given, but commonly it impacts on us in less obvious ways, and results in chronic pains or illnesses.

NET is a treatment that allows your body to go through that natural process of extinction (which it has failed to do) and hence reduce any of those inappropriate physiological reactions. NET differs from counseling, as it doesn’t involve talking it out, it is a tool that removes any blocks to the bodys natural healing ability and as such allows the body to heal itself more effectively. It can be used in the course of a chiropractic treatment to assist the structural correction, or it can be utilised as the sole treatment in a session to work on specific emotional reactions or blockages that the patient wants to address.

 

Are you a Migraine/Headache sufferer?

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MeditatingA New Study Shows Acupuncture to be More Effective than Western Medication.

Migraines are a major health and disability problem and are one of the main reasons headache patients will visit a doctor for treatment. A recent survey of migraine patients found Western pharmacological treatment options to be unsatisfactory in their results. Latest studies have shown that Acupuncture has been found to be more effective for treating and preventing migraines than most Western medications.

Frequency of migraines can range from daily headaches to once/month. The symptoms, occurrence and cause of migraines vary widely between each case and it is quite common for patients to be prescribed incorrect medication. This is a serious concern that is linked to development of chronic daily headaches. Interestingly, patients who have received preventative Western medication often report using more over the counter painkillers than those not receiving any preventative medication.

Acupuncture is a safe, effective and pain free alternative to medication. A recent Cochrane systematic review found Acupuncture to be as effective, or possibly more effective than preventative migraine medication. These results were demonstrated through a number of small and large scale randomised trials. Researchers were met with positive results, agreeing that Acupuncture was more superior than the only evidence-based, oral drug for treating chronic migraines. This is great news for migraine sufferers and also practitioners of Acupuncture. Traditional Chinese Medicine is deeply rooted in ancient philosophy whilst always results driven. Although reports of Acupunctures’ efficacy dates back 2000 years, it’s comforting to note that modern, evidence based research is confirming these clinical observations.