1. Health insurance companies do not care about your health.

 This may be difficult to absorb, but unfortunately it’s true. Health insurance companies care about saving money and cutting costs. They put limits on treatment options, and put arbitrary road blocks in place to deny care and save a buck. This is a big problem when you have a health issue you are expecting to be covered.

2. Health insurance companies continue to undercut their doctors. 

Would you show up to work tomorrow if your boss told you they were getting a 20% pay cut? The obvious answer is NO. Every year doctors continue to get reimbursed less from insurance companies. The best doctors are leaving the insurance networks everyday, meaning they are “out of network” providers. Good doctors providing a valuable service no longer see a need to be involved with insurance networks. The doctors that stick around in the insurance networks are the ones willing to be paid less to do the job. In the near future, only mediocre doctors will still be “In Network” providers. The best doctors in the world will get away from working with insurances altogether, while continuing to provide massive value to their patients.

3. The cost of healthcare continues to go up for patients.

 Every year, having a health insurance plan gets more expensive. The plans cover less, the monthly premiums are going up, and deductibles continue to rise. Nowadays, most people typically have to pay thousands of dollars before health insurance will cover any portion of care. Does it make sense that you have to pay more, get less coverage for your health needs, and your doctors get paid less also? It’s easy to see who is actually benefiting from this current model.

Here’s the truth:

It’s easy to find doctors who will take your insurance. It’s very difficult to find doctors who can fix your pain and injuries.

We encourage people to spend considerable time researching doctors that are skilled and specialized, instead of simply finding someone who takes their insurance. At the end of the day, there is nothing more expensive than treatment that doesn’t fix your problem. The cheaper solution is never the better solution when it comes to your health. Take the time to find a great doctor.

Our doctors at Apollo Soft Tissue and Spine are soft tissue specialists and experts with biomechanics. In fact, Dr. Drew Ruebbelke and Dr. John Appleman are 2 of only 3 doctors in Denver certified to fix muscle adhesion and nerve entrapments.

We deliver a complete and accurate diagnosis better than anyone else. This means better results and a happier life for you. At Apollo, we care about your health. If you or anyone your know is struggling with pain or nagging injuries, we would be happy to help.

The post 3 “Need to Knows” About Your Health Insurance appeared first on Apollo Soft Tissue and Spine.

The post Muscle Adhesion appeared first on Apollo Soft Tissue and Spine.

Car accidents can damage and overload the muscles, nerves, and joints of your spine. This can lead to a plethora of problems down the road, including scar tissue, early arthritis of your joints, chronic headaches, chronic pain, etc.

Sometimes the damage from an auto accident cannot be reversed. The only way to tell is for an expert to take a look earlier, rather than later. This will allow for a better, faster recovery, not to mention clarity and peace of mind.

Fortunately, seeing an expert to diagnose and treat any problem that may have developed from the accident can help slow down wear and tear processes in your joints, as well as resolve pain. Seeing a highly trained soft tissue specialist is the safest route to healing after an auto accident(even a light fender bender).

At Apollo Soft Tissue and Spine, our soft tissue specialists are chiropractors, and experts with diagnosis and treatment of muscle, nerve, and joint problems. We see people who have been in auto accidents all the time, and are dedicated to helping our patients live pain free. If you or anyone you know is suffering from pain or injury due to an auto accident, we can help.

The post Auto Accidents: How to Recover from Pain appeared first on Apollo Soft Tissue and Spine.

The first step is to pay close attention to how long you have been feeling symptoms after the injury. This provides insight into how much better your injury will get on its own, or if you will need expert help. If after a couple days you don’t feel better, it’s time to see someone.

The longer your symptoms stick around, the less likely it is that your injury will fully heal on its own. If left untreated, nagging injuries can continue to get worse, and lead to chronic (long standing) problems. This is a big problem because chronic muscle, nerve, and joint issues put you on the fast track to early arthritis and degeneration.

So if it’s time to see someone, who do you look to for help?

Your first step is to search for a conservative care provider. Someone who can provide safe, effective, and lasting treatments with very little side effects. Conservative care providers most commonly include chiropractors and physical therapists. Even more specifically, find a musculoskeletal expert trained in biomechanics and human movement. These doctors are the most certified to handle muscle, nerve, and joint problems. Integrative Diagnosis providers in your town are the most qualified to help with your pain and sports injury.

Injuries are predictable, preventable, and identifiable by measuring your flexibility and strength. Seeing a doctor certified to do this is imperative for your recovery. If you feel any symptoms (tightness or tension, weakness, burning, tingling, numbness, shooting pain, sharp pain, aches) it is past the point where you can fix the injury on your own.

Once an injury happens, the likelihood of re-injury goes up substantially. If left untreated, your problem will only get worse over time. If not taken seriously, invasive surgeries could end up being the only option for you. Surgeries have more risks and should be avoided if possible. The earlier you get your injuries looked at, the better the chances of the problem being fixed.

At Apollo Soft Tissue and Spine, our chiropractors are soft tissue specialists and biomechanics experts. We diagnose and effectively treat complex, difficult problems other doctors and therapists can’t resolve. Our doctors are 2 of only 3 Integrative Diagnosis providers in Denver certified to fix your pain and injuries. We are here to help when you need it.

For results with your pain and injuries, call the Apollo soft tissue specialists today at (720) 795-4873.

The post Sports Injury or Pain? Read This! appeared first on Apollo Soft Tissue and Spine.

1. Safe.

All treatments have different risks. Some have more risks than others. Typically, the more risks there are, the more invasive or aggressive the treatment. (Think taking a pill compared to surgery). What are the risks associated? Do the risks outweigh the reward? What you should be looking for is treatment that is safe with little to no risks, as long as it can help with your diagnosis.

2. Effective.

Does the treatment actually fix what it claims to fix? This is where it gets tricky. Most treatments for muscle, nerve, and joint pain are geared toward fixing pain without identifying the cause of pain.  No diagnosis means your doctor is guessing. Having a correct diagnosis, no matter what the problem is, is paramount for choosing what treatment you need. Most of the time, when you visit a chiropractor, physical therapist, massage therapist, or medical doctor for pain, they establish ABSOLUTELY NO DIAGNOSIS. Typically they’re ready to do treatment before nailing down the actual problem. This is very bad! Trying to treat areas of pain without a diagnosis is similar to throwing darts at a dartboard while blindfolded, and expecting a bullseye. When it comes to your health, relying on luck doesn’t cut it. Do you have a clear and accurate diagnosis? If not, you shouldn’t be getting treatment yet.

3. Durable.

The treatment you receive for your problem should provide sustainable, lasting results. If treatment provides temporary results, and your pain constantly comes back or you continue to have re-injury, then it isn’t working. These types of treatment (needling, adjustments, injections, massage, cupping, taping etc.) get expensive, and often leave you frustrated. Treatment durability is the main reason why chiros, physical therapists, and other therapists can get a bad rap.

So what treatment works? A treatment that works is one that is safe, effective, and lasting for your specific diagnosis. It’s that simple.

At Apollo, we specialize in fixing difficult problems other providers have missed or can’t resolve. We do this by taking the time to diagnose, and then providing the best treatment methods to resolve the cause of your pain and injuries.

To live pain free, give us a call. We would be happy to help.

The post What Treatment Will Fix Your Pain and Injuries? appeared first on Apollo Soft Tissue and Spine.

In 1949, the discovery of cortisone was considered a medical landmark and breakthrough. Since that time, there has actually NEVER been a study to prove the long term benefits of these injections.

Studies have proven time and time again, that while most cortisone injections may provide temporary pain relief, often around 3 to 6 months, patient clinical outcomes after a year were WORSE than those that did absolutely NOTHING!  Think about that for a second…..People who did NOTHING for a year were actually better off than the patients trying to fix their problem with a cortisone injection!

Cortisone shots are frequently recommended by orthopedic specialists for muscle and joint pain.  These shots wipe out inflammation and hopefully your pain. Your ortho is busy, and these shots are fast and easy. Sounds good right?

Not so fast.

Is inflammation or pain the problem?

Nope.

Inflammation and pain are the effect of your problem! When a tendon, muscle, or joint gets overloaded and injured, it will become swollen or inflamed.  If you want proper healing, you actually need inflammation. If the inflammation is removed, the next steps in the healing process cannot occur.  So your injured tendon, muscle, or joint never recovers. And it gets worse…

Removing inflammation leads to a bigger problem. You take away the warning that lets you know something is wrong. Your pain!!!  Your problem is not your pain. Your problem is your injured body part. The purpose of your pain is to stop you from beating up your body. Pain serves as your body’s check engine light, or alert system. A reminder that “Hey buddy, something is broken and it needs to be fixed.” If you aren’t getting this warning, you keep damaging the area, and your problem escalates. This is why your pain often comes back even stronger, your orthopedist recommends another injection, and the vicious cycle continues…

Is this the only problem with cortisone?

No way!

Cortisone actually eats away at your cartilage.  So if you get an injection into your joint, that joint will be further damaged by the exact thing that is supposed to help it.

Another big problem is with treating an injured tendon. The injection weakens the tendon and can even cause it to tear. An injection should never be done directly into a tendon.

Some other possible side effects you probably don’t want might include:

• Joint infection
• Nerve damage
• Thinning of skin and soft tissue around the injection site
• Thinning of nearby bone (osteoporosis)
• Weight Gain
• Easy Bruising
• Elevation of Blood Pressure
• Acne (steroid acne)
• Whitening or lightening of the skin around the injection site
• Increased blood sugar levels in diabetics
• Bone Death (osteonecrosis)

The ONLY person who should be getting a cortisone shot is a pro athlete that has a huge competition in the near future, after they’ve accepted the long term consequences of the injection.

You probably aren’t that person.

So what should you do if you’re thinking about getting a corisone shot, or have had one before?

Schedule a visit with us at Apollo Soft Tissue and Spine. You need a long term solution. The only way to get that is by first finding the true cause of your injury, followed by advanced treatment to fix it. We hope you have found this post helpful.  If you or someone you know is considering a cortisone shot, we recommend sharing this, pumping the brakes, and coming to our office for a second opinion.

Drs. Drew Ruebbelke and John Appleman specialize in finding and fixing the true cause of your muscle and joint pain. To schedule an appointment, call (720) 593-2047. It’s time for you to finally Live Pain Free.

The post Thinking about getting a Cortisone shot? You may want to reconsider. appeared first on Apollo Soft Tissue and Spine.

If you’re reading this, you most likely suffer from some sort of chronic low back or neck pain.  Ask yourself these following questions to help solve the problem:

1. Is your pain worse in the morning?
2. Does the pain get better after waking up and moving around?
3. Have you had multiple or previous episodes of moderate to severe pain?
4. Does the pain usually last 2-10 days before going away?
5. Trouble sitting or standing prolonged periods of time?
6. Are movements “guarded/protected” or noticing decreased range of motion?

If you answered “yes” to a majority or all of these questions, you most likely are suffering from a disc injury whether you have been diagnosed with it or not.  Internal Disc Derangement (IDD) accounts for upwards of 40% of all low back pain and the majority of neck pain!

Disc injuries are often made worse by the presence of adhesion.  Adhesion is the most common cause of pain and decreased range of motion in the body.  Adhesion acts like glue in muscles and restricts movement.  Restricted motion causes more load on injured discs, leading to more pain and long term problems such as disc bulging or disc herniation.

The good news is that a large majority of disc injuries do not require surgery if you seek out an expert to help restore full range of motion and take pressure off of the disc. Disc injuries respond well to conservative management and treatment.  By fixing and removing adhesion, range of motion is restored and discs are essentially “decompressed” and unloaded.  Leaving you with little to no pain and able to return to regular, daily activity.

We are 2 of only 3 providers in the Denver Metro Area certified to provide you with a proper diagnosis and provide the treatment your neck or back problem needs, even if other practitioners have missed it. Our treatment has helped many people looking for answers to their pain.  We have helped patients prevent surgery and those still suffering with pain after surgery.  If you answered “yes” to most or all of the questions above, chances are we can help! Call Apollo today at 720-593-2047.

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