No, you may make an appointment directly without a referral from your doctor.
Chiropractic falls under alternative care in the Netherlands and we are appropriately registered for reimbursement with all Dutch health insurance companies. The fees are payable on the day of your appointment at our practice. You will then receive an invoice, which you may send to your insurance company for reimbursement. We encourage you to contact your insurance company to find out exactly how much that reimbursement will be. Your children will have the same amount of coverage as you yourself, but any adjustments for your children will not use part of your own personal coverage. Chiropractic does not use up any of your yearly excess (eigen risico).
Click here for a complete overview of coverage by providers.
A subluxation is a dysfunction in the joints of your spine, called the vertebrae. When this dysfunction occurs, the brain does not receive the correct neurological information from the rest of the body. Because the brain controls all aspects of your health, this information is vital, and enabling its correct flow is the primary focus of the chiropractic adjustment.
The chiropractic adjustment is a very fast and specific force that the chiropractor applies to the vertebrae in your spine, using their hands. Not to be confused with other forms of manual therapy, the speed of the adjustment is unique to chiropractic and ensures that the brain is appropriately stimulated on a neurological level, to create long lasting patterns of change.
When an adjustment takes place, sometimes you will hear a cracking sound, sometimes you will not. This sound is called a cavitation and is simply the forming of a gas bubble in the fluids of your joint space. While the sound may be a bit of a shock to some people when they start care, the adjustment itself is quick and painless.
Although everybody heals at a different pace, our care involves three distinct phases to help you achieve changes as efficiently as possible. Read about the phases of care here.
Chiropractic has been shown to be 250 times safer than taking anti-inflammatory medications such as Ibuprofen (1). Statistically, chiropractic is also safer than driving a car (2). While you may experience some aching, soreness or tiredness after an adjustment as your body starts to change, this response is normal and can be compared to when you do an intense workout at the gym.
(1) A Risk Assessment of Cervical Manipulation vs. NSAID’s for the Treatment of Neck Pain. Dabbs V, Lauretti W. J Manipulative Physiol Ther 1995; 18(8);530-6
(2) What are the Risks of Chiropractic Neck Adjustments. Lauretti W. JACA 1999; 36(9);42-47.
We are all born with a spine and chiropractic care is appropriate for all ages. The adjustment for babies is slow and uses about the same amount of force you would use to test the ripeness of an avocado. There are no cracking noises in babies. We recommend that all babies be checked as soon as possible after birth, regardless of whether there are any visible issues. Coming into this world can be quite an intense experience, whether the birth was natural or medical intervention was required. The brain and nervous system are developing at a rapid rate in children, and this development is well supported by chiropractic care.
There are many changes happening to your body during pregnancy, and the brain is regulating all these changes. First of all, the extra weight creates an increase in the load on the low back and the pelvis at the base of the spine, so it is important there's good stability in this area. Furthermore, when the nerves that take messages from your brain to your growing baby are functioning at their best, your baby’s development will be well supported. Research shows that women under regular chiropractic care have faster deliveries with less need for drugs and other interventions (3,4). We have special pillows that will allow you to comfortably lie on your belly while getting adjusted during your pregnancy.
(3) J.M. Fallon. Textbook on chiropractic & pregnancy. Arlington, VA: International Chiropractic Association; 1994: 52, 109.
(4) Fallon J.M. Chiropractic and pregnancy: a partnership for the future. ICA Int Rev Chiropr. 1990;46(6):39–42.
