• It’s almost always more affordable than visiting an orthopedist. The cost is comparable to seeing a physical therapist.
• It depends on several factors: insurance/workers comp, how many treatments are necessary, how long you’ve had the issue, and the severity of your injuries.
• With insurance (auto accident, workers comp, health insurance) it can cost less. Without insurance, it can cost more.
• The more severe the injury or condition the more treatments may be necessary.
• Your chiropractor can provide a consultation: Give us a call to schedule an appointment and we can help you figure out what your costs will be.

This question gets asked a lot around the internet, usually by patients concerned that visiting a chiropractor will cause them to take a big hit to their pocket. There is no perfect answer to the question but we can alleviate some of your concern, give you an idea of how much a chiropractor visit should cost, and point you in the right direction to finding the answers to your questions.

First of all it’s probably best to talk about when seeing a chiropractor is applicable. If you’re in severe pain you should seek immediate help and a chiropractor’s office might not be equipped to care for your injury. If you’ve experienced a serious injury you should probably go to urgent care or an emergency room as many chiropractic clinics will not be able to administer the types of tests to detect broken bones, internal bleeding, etc.

Chiropractic care works best as a way to recover from injury after the acute injury has been treated. Chiropractic is typically more affordable than visiting an orthopedist or an emergency room.

How Much Does It Cost To Go To A Chiropractor

When considering the cost of chiropractic care there are two things to think about, the cost per appointment and how many appointments you may need to recover.

Cost Per Appointment

The cost per appointment will depend heavily on insurance. Auto insurance usually covers most costs if you’ve been in an accident but if you’re using your health insurance you’ll want to contact them to find out what your out of pocket expenses will be. If you’ve been injured at work and filed a workers compensation claim you may need a referral from your attending physician in order to have workers comp cover your expenses. Each state is different so check your local laws before assuming an appointment will be covered.

Number of Treatments

Cost per appointment should be consistent once you establish a care provider. After that, figuring out how many treatments you’ll need to get back to feeling yourself is a lot less easy. Your chiropractor may be able to give you a timeline with a set number of chiropractic visits which will help you figure out how much it will cost over time. Depending on the severity of your injury you may need to see a chiropractor for just a few visits or ongoing for several years. The important thing to think about is how your injury is impacting your life and how much better you’ll feel treating the issue with chiropractic care. If your injury is severe you may also be facing a similar number of treatments if you were to see an orthopedist, physical therapist, or treat your condition with massage therapy. It’s also important to remember that several specialists may be able to coordinate for a better result than if you were to see only one.

Dealing with a Chronic Issue

If you’re seeking a chiropractor due to a chronic long term issue you may find that the number of treatments required to treat the issue is similar to a severe injury. Long term tissue damage can cause a number of complications that makes solving the problem a lot more complex. Chiropractic treatment for chronic pain can often be all about reducing pain, increasing mobility, and reducing swelling or stiffness. This type of treatment may need to be ongoing in order to be effective. Unfortunately it may be impossible to determine how many treatments will be necessary to get back to normal. It may be the case that treating your pain will become a reality of life, and chiropractic is your best, most affordable option.

What if I Need Imaging?

If you’re referred to an imaging specialist for an X-ray or MRI the cost could heavily depend on your insurance. If you have a high deductible you could have to pay the full amount of the imaging (which can be expensive). Whenever getting any procedure done, if cost is a concern, it’s important to ask. In some serious situations though your health may be more important than the cost of treatment.

To recap, if you need to find out the exact cost of treatment (and you’re in the Portland, OR area) give us a call and we can help you figure out how much it will cost to visit our chiropractic clinic. If you’re outside of Oregon you may want to check with your insurance provider first. If you’ve been involved with a workers compensation injury you may need to check with local laws, your HR representative or your work provided insurance to get a more accurate answer.