Choosing a chiropractor can seem like a puzzling decision to make for many reasons. You may not have a lot of experience with chiropractic care. You may also be faced with several options and find yourself facing decision anxiety. And to make it worse, you also may be in pain and need to make a decision quickly. All of these factors can make your decision on which chiropractor is right for you feel a little overwhelming.

Fortunately, this guide will give you five specific tips that will help you choose a great chiropractor. In this article, we’ll cover:

• Experience
• Client Reviews
• Credentials & Specialization
• Consider Insurance Options
• Customer Service

Read on to find tips you can use to choose a chiropractor today.

Experience Makes a Difference

When it comes to your health and wellness, experience matters.

While other medical professionals may rely on specific tests or medications to treat what ails you, chiropractors have a different way of doing things. Chiropractors look for underlying and root causes to whatever problem or symptom is causing you pain and discomfort. The longer a chiropractor has been in serving clients, the more likely they will be able to tell immediately what is wrong and how to fix it.

Furthermore, chiropractors often make referrals to other medical professionals like primary care physicians after finding related issues through an exam or x-rays. Ensuring your chiropractor is experienced can give you peace of mind about your treatment.

What Do The Clients Say?

A great way to decide if a chiropractor is right for you is to look at reviews, testimonials and social media comments. As you are no doubt aware, people on the internet can be brutally honest. In this instance, that works to your favor.

When looking over reviews, key in on the client experience, the treatment process, the results and the professionalism of the chiropractor. 

In many cases, chiropractors will offer testimonials so you can see and hear exactly how the treatment worked, the timeline of treatment and, of course, the results of that treatment. Testimonials are especially helpful because they go deeper than the reviews and you might even be able to relate with similar symptoms or challenges. You can find testimonials on websites, social media or even YouTube.

Chiropractic Credentials

Chiropractors have extensive education, testing, licensing and continuing education requirements. What sets chiropractors apart, then, can be their specialization and experience.

For example, Dr. Llaird Likens has been practicing over 21 years and has over 800 postgraduate hours of continued education. He has credentials and certifications in areas including acupuncture, applied kinesiology, clinical nutrition, personal, work and auto injuries.  Dr. Likens uses manual spinal manipulation as well as trigger point therapy and instrument-assisted soft tissue therapy, using them based on patient need.

Most chiropractors will happily present their education and certifications when asked, though you might be able to find the information easily on their website. Ensuring the chiropractor you choose has the proper credentials and specialization that you require is a great step to take before making an appointment.

Chiropractor Insurance Options

Chiropractic self-pay has grown steadily as insurance has gotten more complicated and patients have realized the benefit chiropractic care can have on their overall health. However, there are many instances when insurance is the best option to pay for chiropractic care.

For example, if you’ve been in an auto-accident, you might have insurance that can cover your chiropractic care. Likewise, if you’ve been in a work-related accident, you can often receive chiropractic care through your benefits. In fact, Dr. Likens has extensive experience rendering impairment ratings which represent the degree to which an employee has been permanently impaired by an injury in the workplace.

The Veterans Administration (VA) also provides insurance for chiropractic care, acupuncture and massage.

Be sure to check with any potential chiropractor before making your appointment to see if they participate with your insurance provider. Dr. Likens accepts many insurance options and is proudly a VA Community Care provider.

Customer Service Matters

When you’re already in pain, you certainly don’t want to have to deal with poor customer service. Before you book your appointment, you might consider researching both the chiropractor and their staff to see if they are friendly, courteous and professional.

One way to do this is to see what the experience is during an initial phone call or interview. Reading reviews may also provide insight into the customer service process. You may also be able to tell how a particular practice deals with clients if they have a web or social media presence.

For example, read over this review on Google from Devonne for the Navarre Chiropractic Center:

“This is by far the absolute best chiropractor office!! The entire staff is wonderful! They are so friendly and accommodating. You will not find any other chiropractor in this area that compares to them! The doctors are excellent, professional and caring. I feel like I’ve known them for years! Thank you all for your kindness and care for us!”

Choosing the right chiropractor can make or break your healing process. With the right doctor, you’ll feel at ease and find relief quickly. Be sure to look into the experience, credentials, reviews, insurance options and customer service of any potential chiropractor you’re thinking of booking an appointment with.

Dr. Llaird Likens has been serving Northwest Florida including Gulf Breeze, Navarre, Midway, Mary Esther for 21 years and has helped hundreds of victims of car accidents. He offers affordable self-pay options. If you’re in pain or looking to improve your health, give us a call today and we’ll be happy to answer your questions!

Using pain medication over an extended period of time can mask symptoms and may prevent effective healing. Chiropractic care offers natural pain relief and can help address underlying musculoskeletal issues, reducing the need for long-term pain medication use. Learn more about the benefits of chiropractic care for pain management.

Have you ever asked yourself: “Why am I not getting better?”

The answer may be because you are on pain medication. 

In many cases, patients with chronic pain visit a chiropractor because they are not getting better using traditional medicine methods. 

The good news is that Dr. Llaird Likens can help you even if you’ve been on medication for your pain for a while. 

In order to feel better, we must understand that pain medications can keep you from getting better for three reasons:

• Certain pain medications can slow the healing process 
• Pain medications treat the symptom of pain, not the cause of pain
• Pain medication can mask the actual problem, allowing it to get worse 

How pain medications can slow the healing process

Did you know your body uses inflammation in the healing process? Yes, inflammation is part of the body’s first aid kit. Inflammation is the process of the body expanding the blood capillaries in order to increase the blood flow which circulates important immune system cells like antibodies, proteins and other fluids straight to the injury. This swelling at the site of the injury also protects the damaged tissues as they heal. 

Unfortunately, most pain medications are anti-inflammatory. That means they may mask the pain or make you feel better in the moment, but they can delay the chances and the process of healing your injury all together.

Why pain medications are not the answer for long-term pain relief

If the pain medication is masking the actual pain, you can see how it can be nearly impossible to actually solve the problem causing the pain. If you do not heal the problem causing the pain today, you’re certainly unable to stop the pain that comes tomorrow.

How pain medications may be leading to more pain

When pain medications block the symptom of pain, you may not feel when your injury becomes worse. You might move or stretch in a way that aggravates the problem causing your pain, making it worse. Overtime, your injury can compound into something terrible because you have never dealt with whatever is causing it in the first place.

Additionally, as an injury or source of pain goes untreated, it can have domino effects in related or nearby muscles, bones and joints causing even more pain.

Fortunately, chiropractic care is a great option when you’re feeling pain, particularly when it comes to muscle, bone or joint pain. Chiropractors are a great option for patients on pain medication because of two reasons:

• They are uniquely suited to discover the root of the pain
• Their remedies and solutions are non-invasive and do not require medication or surgery

Why you should see a chiropractor if you’re on pain medication

If you’ve been on pain medication for quite some time but not feeling any better, you should consider seeing a chiropractor. Chiropractors look for the root cause of pain in order to prescribe treatment options.

Many times chronic muscle or joint pain is caused by a misalignment in the spine. That misalignment can have a number of domino effects that cause imbalance, pain and stress on your body. In fact, Dr. Likens can often tell exactly where you’re feeling pain by your posture. 

When you come in to see Dr. Likens, you’ll have a full exam and he will root out the cause of your pain and also explain what is going on with your body to you. Many patients find this to be quite the relief because it may be the first time someone has truly understood how and why they are suffering.

Let your body heal naturally

By finding the root cause of your pain, a chiropractor is able to eventually stop the pain at the source and patients will often wean themselves off of pain medication altogether. Only by stopping the source of pain can you potentially end the pain altogether. 

After finding the root cause of your problem, Dr. Likens has a variety of therapies he can apply to treat your particular injury or problem area. Those treatments can include manual manipulation, massage, acupuncture, strength exercises, stretches and more. Patients often receive a combination of these treatment types as part of their overall wellness plan.

Sometimes these treatments last for a few weeks or months and sometimes they need to be applied over a lifetime. Because the treatments are natural and non-invasive, many patients choose them over a life sentence to pain medication.

If you have been taking pain medications but have not seen your health or injury improve, give Dr. Llaird Likens a call. Dr. Likens has been treating residents and visitors of Gulf Breeze, Navarre, Midway or Mary Esthe for 18 years and looks forward to the opportunity to help you feel better.

Discover how chiropractic care can help military veterans with service-connected injuries. Learn about the benefits veterans can expect from chiropractic care. 

Military veterans are a big part of the Northwest Florida family and being able to serve them is important to us, especially since we know our treatment can help without being invasive.

In this post we will cover:

• Why Veterans Need Chiropractic Care
• How Veterans Can Get Their Life Back With Chiropractic Care
• How Chiropractic Care For Veterans Is Non-Invasive and Why it’s Important

And don’t forget, Dr. Llaird Likens is a VA Provider so if you need help, he is ready to serve you.

Why Veterans Need Chiropractic Care

A report released by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) in 2017 announced that more than 62 percent of Operation Enduring Freedom/Operation Iraqi Freedom/Operation New Dawn veterans who sought health care from the VA over a 14-year period were treated for musculoskeletal ailments.

That demonstrated the need for chiropractic care to be covered by the VA. 

Back and neck pain coupled with spinal issues are some of the most common veteran disabilities. Other common conditions include migraines, knee pain and PTSD. Dr. Llaird Likens treats these problems. In fact, he specializes in them. 

Veterans also need chiropractic care because it addresses underlying issues causing pain. Rather than treating symptoms of pain, Dr. Llaird Likens aims for the source and uses every available tool to bring healing and relief to veterans.

Veterans Can Get Their Life Back

Many veterans are suffering from chronic pain and discomfort. Chiropractic care can improve the quality of life for a veteran so that they can improve their mental state, focus, mood and even recall. Chiropractic treatment for veterans can also improve their mobility and allow them to return to their favorite leisure activities without pain. 

In Northwest Florida, our veterans love to fish and hang out at the beach and we want them to get back to enjoying those things without pain. 

Chiropractic Care For Veterans Is Non-Invasive

Veterans have been poked and prodded since the day they showed up to boot camp. At Navarre Chiropractic Center, we’re proud to offer gentle, non-invasive treatments that allow veterans to heal without surgery or medication, both of which have risks.

In fact, chiropractic care is associated with the decreased use of opioids by veterans for chronic pain according to the VA.

Veterans Can Maintain Long Term Health

The disabilities veterans suffer can feel like a lifelong sentence. Chiropractic care can help with long-term pain management as well as helping the veteran to implement lifestyle changes that improve overall health. Treatment will also help the veteran maintain mobility as time goes on.

People also ask: 

Will the VA pay for me to see a chiropractor?

Yes! Your benefits as a veteran now include chiropractic care as part of the standard Medical Benefits Package for eligible veterans. Dr. Llaird Likens has partnered with the VA to provide chiropractic care to veterans as part of the Care in the Community program.

How many chiropractic visits does VA allow in a year?

The typical referral for veteran chiropractic care is 12 visits over a period of 90 days. From there, additional authorizations can be received. Please call our office if you have any questions so we can help you get started and feel better.

If you are a veteran experiencing back pain, neck pain, knee pain, spinal issues, migraines or PTSD and you live in Gulf Breeze, Navarre, Midway or Mary Esther please call us! Dr. Llaird Likens completed the process to become a Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Community Provider for chiropractic care because veterans deserve outstanding care and we want to serve them. 

 “Discover why chiropractic care is an essential component of the recovery process after an auto accident. Learn about the benefits of chiropractic care and how it can help you get back to your daily activities.”

At least 1,100 car accidents happen every day in Florida. If you’ve been in an auto accident, chiropractic care is a must as you start your recovery. While you may have visible injuries, there might be more going on underneath the surface. This is especially true if you start to feel neck pain, shoulder pain, back pain and headaches. Sometimes you’ll feel pain immediately and other times it might slowly start to build in the hours, days and weeks afterward.

Dr. Llaird Likens has been treating injuries from auto accidents for 18 years and he holds the Whiplash and Brain Traumatology Certification from Southern California University of Health. His patients have seen many benefits of chiropractic care for managing pain after a car accident. Those benefits include reducing inflammation, increasing mobility and range of motion, preventing further damage from scar-tissue and providing a non-invasive treatment option.

Chiropractic care reduces inflammation

Whiplash and other car accident injuries cause inflammation. Inflammation is part of the body’s healing process. Unfortunately, it can be painful. Inflammation after a car accident can present in many ways, including back pain, neck pain as well as muscle stiffness and soreness. The chiropractic treatment for victims of auto injuries can signal to your body to reduce the production of its inflammatory cytokines which will help reduce pain and soreness. 

Chiropractic care increases mobility 

After a car accident, you might find your range of motion and mobility limited. Adjustments by your local chiropractor can help mobilize the spine so you can move more freely. 

“Dr Likens is very personable, caring, and extremely knowledgeable in the fields of Chiropractic Care and Acupuncture. I have achieved quite a bit more range of motion in my neck and back along with an increased level of pain management due to an extensive treatment plan provided by Dr Likens,” said former client M.W.

Scar tissue that builds up after an injury can limit your range of motion and mobility. Your treatment with Dr. Likens can help break it up and allow your body to heal properly. That’s good news because that means you’ll be able to get back to your normal daily activities.

Chiropractic care is non-invasive 

Chiropractic care can help you recover without surgery or medication.

You might assume that if you have back pain or spasms after a car accident you will require back surgery before you can find relief. However, a visit to Dr. Likens can align your spine which will in turn take pressure off the nerves causing you pain. The adjustments will have a ripple effect and allow your body the relief it needs in order to heal naturally. 

If you’ve been given medication or muscle relaxers for any auto accident injuries, they may be masking the underlying cause. Becoming dependent on medication can also be an underlying fear patients in pain have. In fact, misuse of prescription painkillers was the second highest illicit substance in 2022. Chiropractic care allows you to find relief naturally without medication so there is no possibility of becoming dependent. 

Chiropractic care can also help you find relief if you’re already on medication.

In fact, our former client, Bryan Tena, was highly addicted to pain medications after a car accident in 2012. After receiving chiropractic adjustments and acupuncture from Dr. Likens, Bryan has been medication free since 2014! 

Dr. Llaird Likens has been serving Northwest Florida including Gulf Breeze, Navarre, Midway, Mary Esther for 18 years and has helped hundreds of victims of car accidents. He offers affordable self-pay options.