WELCOME
Maximize Your Life
Hello, and Welcome!
If you were referred to Dr. Harriott and Mission Viejo Chiropractic by a friend or loved one, give them a great big hug because they have introduced you to a whole new approach to health and vitality that will change the way you live for years to come.
What Makes Dr. Harriott and Mission Viejo Chiropractic Different?
At Mission Viejo Chiropractic, Dr. Harriott respects his patients, treats them like the intelligent, capable adults that they are, and helps them learn to live a healthier life, while keeping the cost of his care at a price manageable for every person. He focuses on educating and helping, rather than scaring people into making healthcare decisions.
The simple truth is that our bodies heal themselves. The Medical Model of health is a Triage Model, wherein our medical doctors ignore asymptomatic persons until their health declines to a point where they develop symptoms.
And most chiropractic offices today have become dependent on this same model because it offers 3rd party deep pocket insurance reimbursements. In this environment the standard of care is to identify an AMA-recognized pathology requiring “medically necessary” chiropractic treatment that can be billed to insurance, and then deliver chiropractic care – along with additional “medical modalities” to drive up billable services and thus reimbursements. The net effect over time has been to contribute to increased patient insurance co-payments and deductibles essentially reverting us back to a fee for service health care approach. Unfortunately, it is very difficult to just go back to chiropractic, and simple adjustment of the subluxation at a reasonable price.
At Mission Viejo Chiropractic, I have always striven to treat my patients the way I would treat a member of my own family.
- I charge a straight office visit fee – the same for every patient, insured or not.
- I provide the necessary documentation for easy patient insurance reimbursement so that insurance is not an issue for either the insured or the un-insured.
- Everyone is treated to the best of my capability. No one is treated differently, simply because their HMO only pays for that or because they have a “great insurance plan that pays for everything”. If you come to my office, at every visit you get whatever I can offer that you need – no more, no less.
- I don’t offer or, heaven forbid, require pre-paid discount care plans that exist solely to “commit” a patient to longer courses of treatment than might ultimately be necessary. I work with the patient on a visit-by-visit basis to steer the care in the direction that the patient requires. And my patients have direct access and control over their appointment scheduling.
- I do believe in, specialize in and recommend wellness and maintenance chiropractic care for every patient at a price that is affordable for anyone. Even those who come to me with a problem for which I refer them to another provider is encouraged to continue to return for chiropractic treatment to facilitate general health, wellness and improved healing and function overall.
- I don’t discourage other approaches to health care. In fact, I refer to other health care providers regularly and I often recommend that my patients seek other opinions and treatment from dentists, orthopedic doctors, family medical doctors, physical therapists, massage therapists, acupuncturists, nutritionists, etc. in parallel with chiropractic care. I believe knowledge is power and I work to empower my patients by teaching them what I know and helping them to decide what they should consider in optimizing their health.
- I do not try to treat disease, but rather, I focus on spinal dysfunction, specifically the spinal mis-alignments that we refer to as subluxation. I recognize that healing and recovery is faster and more effective with reduced spinal and nervous system stress. And, yes, I see “chiropractic miracles” all the time.
Is Chiropractic Appropriate for All Back Problems?
Chiropractic is best utilized similarly to dentistry, in a preventive or wellness approach, so as to improve and maintain normal function as opposed to waiting until there is a problem. Nonetheless, many do not understand the benefits of chiropractic and so they do not consult a chiropractic until they become aware of a problem that has already developed.
Once you have a problem, there is no one approach that is all-encompassing. But there are “tiers” of treatment that go from conservative (which means non-invasive, low cost, low risk) to heroic (meaning advanced spinal procedures including surgeries, implants, etc.).
Back pain has been difficult for the medical industry to manage because it is so prevalent (25% of the US population reports back pain of at least 1 day duration within the last three months, 60 to 80% within the last year), and the causes are so inconsistent, ranging from unknown or insignificant causes to malignant cancers, and everything in between.
Meanwhile, the best response to care in most cases in seen in chiropractic manipulation and home exercise, rather than the pharmaceutical and rest regimen that medicine historically has recommended.
So the currently supported approach to general non-specific neck and back pain is:
- 4 – 6 weeks of conservative care, including chiropractic (and possible home therapy/exercise). Most cases improve in this stage of care. A referral for medical checkup may also be recommended depending on medical history, and time since last checkup.
- If no improvement under conservative care, or if improvement is slower than expected, a referral will be made for x-ray imaging (possibly also MRI, depending on x-ray results, symptoms and progress under care).
- Referral for neurology/orthopedic consultation and/or treatment will be made if x-ray and/or MRI results are positive, so that a possible clinical correlation with problem can be verified and additional treatment options can be recommended. This may involve a course of physical therapy or, in some cases, surgical treatment.
- If no neurology or orthopedic approaches are offered or if such recommendations are not appropriate for other reasons, a referral will be made for consultation with a medical pain management specialist consultation for non-surgical medical alternatives.
Referrals Save $$$
Referrals are always welcome and encouraged. In fact, for those referred by an established patient of Mission Viejo Chiropractic or by an associated provider with South OC Massage & Wellness, I waive my normal intake exam fee of $60. I waive this fee for self-referred patients as well, but there is one other condition (see below). Those referred to my office or those who need full scheduling flexibility for their first intake visit should self-schedule online for a new patient appointment. Of course, if you have any difficulty, you may call the office directly at (949)360-1112.
If you would like to schedule an intake appointment, please choose the most convenient exam appointment as available through the self-scheduler through the Appointments link at the top of this page.
The other links at the top of this page will take you to the basic elements of the site where you will be able to easily find directions to the office, contact Dr. Harriott, search for specific site resources, learn about our chiropractor, Dr. Edward Harriott, DC, and see the latest practice and general health and chiropractic news. But please remember that the bottom of the every page contains additional links to other valuable locations within the site. So if you can’t find what you are looking for, be sure to look down! If you still don’t find it, contact Dr. Harriott and let him know.
At Mission Viejo Chiropractic, Dr. Harriott provides quality chiropractic care to residents of Mission Viejo and surrounding cities. When looking for a great chiropractor, Dr. Harriott and Mission Viejo Chiropractic are trusted names throughout South Orange County. Dr. Harriott has been the chiropractor of choice in the South Orange County cities since he first opened his practice in Laguna Hills in 2002. The practice name has changed a few times and he has migrated a little closer to his Mission Viejo home over the years but his patient-centered approach to chiropractic care and his focus on providing affordable, gentle and effective chiropractic care still are the primary basis for his practice.
With convenient scheduling online or by phone, our patients find that making an appointment is always quick and easy. See what a breeze it can be to schedule an appointment online that will fit your busy schedule. If you prefer, you can also call the office directly at (949) 360-1112 and we will set the appointment for you.
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