Frequently asked questions:

Do I need a referral to receive treatment at your office?

Both chiropractors and physical therapists in Oakland CA are direct access providers, meaning you do not need a referral to see us.

Is chiropractic care covered by my insurance?

In order to provide the best care for our patients, we do not allow insurance companies to dictate care. Insurance companies are not doctors and thus should not be in the position of determining what is medically necessary.  Typical insurance reimbursements cover only a quick generic “whack-n-crack” adjustment scenario that is common in high-volume clinics, not the comprehensive soft tissue work, manual therapies, and rehabilitation exercises that accompany chiropractic adjustments to actually make a difference in healing your injury.

The good news is that we can issue you a Superbill, which is a document containing specific codes, that you can submit to your insurance company to attempt direct reimbursement for any out -of-network chiropractic benefits you may have. We also offer discounted 6-visit and 12-visit packages that effectively lower the price per session if you commit to your treatment plan up front.

I have a pain that feels more muscular than joint related, can a chiropractor help me?

Absolutely. The muscles, ligaments, fascia, nerves, and bones are all intricately connected. As chiropractors, we are specially trained to locate the exact source of your problem, whether it be muscular or skeletal. A massage therapist could help relax your muscles, but often there is more to the story than just tight muscles. It’s the old “which came first, the chicken or the egg?” paradox.

Whether you view the situation with the lens of the tight muscle causing the joint problem, or the joint fixation causing tight muscles, sports chiropractors can unravel the musculoskeletal tension to address both conditions. Active Release Techniques, one of the core modalities offered at Riverstone Chiropractic, is used to treat a wide variety of muscle, joint, and nerve problems.

What can be done about my injury?

Every injury is unique. Did you know that two people could have the same symptoms (let’s say heel pain that’s worse in the morning), but different root causes of the problem? The first person might have dysfunction within the foot due to over-pronation when running, the second person might have a weakness in the hip that is throwing off their biomechanics all the way down the chain to the foot. We are experts in discovering the cause of your problem, as opposed to technicians just treating your symptoms. You can’t treat a dysfunction until you can accurately diagnose it, and that’s just what we are here to help you with!

How long is it going to take to resolve my injury?

Our goal is to get you back to your activities as quickly as possible! Patients typically see pain relief in the first 1-3 sessions, and treatment plans of 6-12 visits (over the span of a few months) are generally enough to get you to the point where we’ve corrected the underlying movement impairments that caused your injury in the first place. At that point, you’re no longer thinking about your injury daily and you understand the specific home exercises you need to do to maintain your progress. Many patients choose to do optional tune-ups/maintenance sessions every 4-6 weeks to keep their body moving and feeling optimally.

Of course, every injury is different and your healing time is going to depend on many factors including previous injury history, anatomical asymmetries, physical activity level, and life and work stressors. Dr. Baird will give you a personalized recommendation after taking your history and doing your evaluation at the first visit so that you will have a good understanding of what’s at the root of your injury and what the treatment plan looks like to get you back to your sport or activities.