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Active Release Technique
Chiropractic
Payments and Insurance
Massage Therapy
Hours of Operation
Online Bill Payment
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Active Release Technique

What is Active Release Technique (A.R.T.)?
- Active Release is a patented manual hands-on therapy that corrects soft tissue problems and injuries. Soft tissue refers primarily to muscles, tendons, fascia and nerves. Many types of injuries are treated using this technique. Some of the specific injuries that are treated include repetitive strains, nerve compressions, and muscle or joint dysfunction.
- The ART® practitioner finds the exact tissue that is injured or causing the problem and then physically works that tissue back to its normal texture, tension and length.
- The ART® practitioner also finds muscles and other tissues that have developed adhesions within or between them. An adhesion, which is basically like scar tissue that builds up between the muscle layers, can act like a glue restricting the normal sliding motions of the various tissue layers. ART® is used to break apart these adhesions and allow the muscles and nerves to move freely once again. Restoring proper nerve and muscle movement allows the body to perform at its most efficient level.
- The manual technique used by the ART® provider is not invasive, it is very specific, and provides excellent results.

How many treatments will I need with ART® to get better?
- The best thing about ART is that if it is going to work it will usually work quite quickly. Usually a patient will see significant results within just a few visits…often reaching resolution within 4 to 6 visits. However, the actual time to become fully healed will differ between each patient. A good rule of thumb is that the more chronic or severe the problem is the more treatments you will need to reach resolution.

Is ART® like a massage?
- ART is much more specific than a massage. Massage can be very beneficial if done by a good provider. ART, however, is extremely specific to individual muscle, tendon and nerve injuries and is great for restoring normal tissue function and range of motion.

Do the doctors at Active Body Chiropractic have much experience doing ART?
- All of our doctors are full body certified ART providers and have taken Master's courses in ART.
- Dr. Heddles and Dr. Drynan are also Biomechanics certified and Elite Provider Network certified practitioners of ART.
- Dr. Heddles and Dr. Drynan have been practicing ART for more than 8 years.

Do ART treatments hurt?
- The treatments are very deep and can be intense, but most people find that they actually feel good.
- Treatments are always done to the tolerance level of each individual to maximize their benefit in the quickest possible time-frame.

What kinds of things can ART help?
- ART is great at helping hundreds of different soft tissue problems throughout the body. The doctors have treated muscle and nerve injuries in all regions of the body. Whether it's a nerve impingement in your arm (such as Carpal Tunnel Syndrome), a chronic tension headache, or Plantar Fascitis…ART can help it.

Chiropractic Care

What type of treatments do the chiropractors do at Active Body Chiropractic?
- All of the chiropractic physicians at our clinic use traditional chiropractic manipulations of the joints. These manipulations help restore normal joint function throughout the spine and body.
- The actual adjusting technique used by our chiropractors is 'Diversified Technique'
- All of our chiropractors combine their adjusting techniques with ART® and other techniques

Isn't it dangerous to get your 'bones cracked', especially in the neck region?
- Chiropractic manipulations are extremely safe and incredibly effective at relieving pain.
- The best example that proves that Chiropractic manipulations are safe is through looking at the malpractice insurance levels that chiropractors pay compared to other medical providers. The malpractice insurance companies make providers pay premiums based on how risky the procedures are that they perform. Chiropractors pay the lowest malpractice insurance of any medical providers…they only pay around a quarter of what the average Dentist pays!

What exactly is that 'cracking noise' when someone gets manipulated by a chiropractor?
- The chiropractor finds the joints that are not moving correctly in your spine and then uses a gentle manipulation to restore normal joint motion. That 'popping or cracking' noise is simply the sound of the pressure being released from a joint that is being moved. It is similar to a champagne bottle being opened…there is a lot of pressure in there and when the pressure is released it makes a little 'popping' noise.

Where did the Chiropractors at Active Body go to school and receive their training?
- Dr. Drynan and Dr. Heddles are graduates of the National University of Health Sciences (formerly the National College of Chiropractic) in Lombard, Illinois. Dr. Verchota is a graduate of Palmer Chiropractic College in Davenport, Iowa.

Payments and Insurance

What is the cost of treatment at Active Body Chiropractic?
- The cost of treatment depends on the services that are rendered that day and whether the patient is self-paying, using their health insurance, or has been in a personal injury case involved with either an automobile or litigation.

I'm using my health insurance. What's the cost of treatment?
- The treatments that are rendered at our clinic are covered through your chiropractic and physical therapy benefits. Your personal level of coverage depends on the type of plan you have set up with your provider. You are responsible for any co-pays or deductibles that you have contracted with your insurance company.
- The actual cost of each treatment depends on the procedures that are provided

Which insurance companies do you accept?

PPO's that we are 'IN-NETWORK' with:
- BlueCross Blue Shield
- Cigna
- Aetna
- PHCS / Multiplan network insurance companies

PPO's that we are 'OUT-OF-NETWORK' with but still accept:
- United Healthcare
- Many other small companies

PPO's that we WILL NOT accept under any circumstances: (we can provide you with a bill that you can submit for reimbursement on your own)
- Unicare
- Humana and its subsidiary Healthways

HMO's that we are part of:
(patient must make sure we are in their network first AND get a referral from their primary care physician BEFORE treatment)
- Aetna
- Cigna

POS plans that we accept:
(patient must make sure that we are part of their network first AND depending on the plan the patient may need a referral from their primary care physician BEFORE treatment)
- Aetna
- Blue Cross Blue Shield
- Cigna


If my insurance company refuses payment, what happens?
- We will gladly work with you and your insurance company to try to rectify any problems that arise.
- If ultimately the insurance company does not pay, however, you are responsible for your medical bills at Active Body.

I was in an auto-accident; do you take personal injury (PI) cases?
- We do accept personal injury cases and will gladly work with your lawyer and/or insurance company to attain payment for our services.

I was in a work related injury; do you accept worker's comp cases?
- We do accept certain workers compensation cases. Contact us to find out more.

SELF PAY: I will not be using insurance, I will be paying for myself. How much will the treatments cost?
- We offer a time-of-service discount to those patients who skip using any medical insurance and pay out of pocket.
- With this discount, the typical charges on the initial visit, which includes the examination and any and all treatments that are rendered on that day, is $135. This session is usually one hour long.
- After that, every additional treatment session (which is between twenty and 45 minutes) is $75.
- **Note: these prices may change before this website is updated so do use these prices only as a guideline. These prices that include the time-of-service discount are based on the typical charges that occur at our clinic and are available to both patrons and insurance companies alike (as long as they are paid at the time of service). If you would like more information about our time-of-service discount program, please feel free to call the clinic.

Massage Therapy

What about massage therapy, how much does that cost?
- Our massage therapist charges $55 for a half hour and $95 for an hour. Each additional half hour in a single session is another $40. We do also have special rates for patients that combine a massage with a visit to one of our doctors, ask the receptionist for more details.

Can I use my insurance to cover my massage?
- Depending on your insurance company and your benefits, you may have coverage for massage. You must, however, first be a patient of one of the clinic's chiropractors to be eligible since massage is only covered if it is part of a therapeutic treatment plan. Ask one of our doctors about eligibility for coverage of massage therapy.

What type of massage does the therapist do there?
- Our massage therapist is a myofascial release specialist. She excels at therapeutic deep tissue and sports massage but she can also do purely relaxation massages as well. You will not be disappointed!

Clinic Hours

When is the clinic open?
- Currently our general weekly hours are as follows:

** PLEASE NOTE: Each doctor at our clinic has their own specific hours that vary from these general clinic hours.

Online Bill Payment

How does the online bill payment system work for paying my Active Body medical bills?
- Paying your bill online through our website is very quick, convenient and secure. When you enter your patient ID and press the 'click here to pay' button, you will be transferred to a Paypal® secure server for the transaction. Once there, just enter the amount you would like to pay and then choose your payment method. To pay by credit card you can use your Mastercard, Visa, American Express, or Discover card. If you have a Paypal® account you can use that to make your direct payment as well.

Do I have to have a Paypal® account to use the online payment feature?
- No, you do not have to have a Paypal® account. If you wish to pay by credit card you do not need to worry about a Paypal® account.

Does Active Body Chiropractic keep my credit card information or other payment information?
- No, we do not see any of your private credit card information. The only information that is sent to us is that you have made a payment in a certain amount of dollars. Paypal.com is the only company that deals with your credit card details. Paypal is considered to be one of the most reliable internet financial transaction institutions and they ensure the security of your information.

Are there any extra fees for using this feature?
- There are no extra fees. This is just a convenient and secure way for patients to make a payment.

Clinic Forms

Can I download the forms I will need to fill out on my first visit to fill them out ahead of time?
- Definitely! This will help to speed up your first visit.

DOWNLOAD ACTIVE BODY INITIAL VISIT FORMS (PDF format)

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