PA Workers' Compensation & Chiropractic Care

According to Wikipedia, chiropractic is a form of alternative medicine concerned with the diagnosis and treatment of mechanical disorders of the musculoskeletal system, especially the spine, under the belief that such a disorder affects general health via the nervous system. The main chiropractic treatment technique involves manual therapy, especially manipulation of the spine, other joints, and soft tissues, but may also include exercises and health and lifestyle counseling. The “specific focus of chiropractic practice” is chiropractic subluxation.

A large number of workers’ compensation cases involve injuries to the neck and back, usually from lifting or carrying heavy objects, or from a trauma such as an automobile accident or fall. Even if a person never had chiropractic work done on them before a work injury, it may be a great way to get relief from pain and increase mobility and range of motion. No prescription is needed for chiropractic care, but the treating doctor for one’s work injury can recommend it. Some jobs require repetitive motion, forcing the worker to use the same movement or posture, which can strain and pull tendons and muscles. It is not only back injuries that can be treated with chiropractic methods, but also shoulders, elbows, wrists, and hands.

In conjunction with chiropractic care, acupuncture, foot orthotics, massage therapy, corrective exercises, and exercise equipment can be used for pain relief. Chiropractic care can also help with balance control in the event that a worker suffers some type of head trauma or concussion and is having difficulty with cognitive or balance issues. Back, leg, and neck pain, migraine and tension headaches, post-surgery back pain, pinched nerves, muscle spasms, hip pain, auto injuries, and whiplash can also be addressed with chiropractic care. Keep in mind, however, that workers’ compensation carriers take a dim view of continued ongoing treatment, as they simply want to keep costs down and avoid paying for it.

If you or a loved one has suffered a work injury and is receiving chiropractic treatment, the carrier can file what is known as a Utilization Review to have an independent chiropractor review the treatment provided and offer an opinion as to its reasonableness and necessity. If it is found that the treatment is not reasonable or necessary, the carrier will stop payment for it. This determination can be appealed by the injured worker, but it is typically a long legal process. Also, if the workers’ compensation carrier believes that the treatment is not related to the work injury, they will deny payment, and the injured worker can then file a Penalty Petition in an attempt to have the treatment paid for.

While there is certainly a time and place for chiropractic care following a work injury, be mindful that it could come with some issues regarding payment. Talk with your chiropractor about the types and lengths of treatment planned in order to better understand your particular situation. As always, ask questions about your treatment plan because it is your body and your injury at stake.