Dr. Ted Mlotek, Zinser and Bruns Chiropractic

Located at 400 E. War Memorial Drive, across from the Peoria Stadium, the Zinser and Bruns Chiropractic Clinic team is made up of Dr. Robert Zinser (left), Dr. Michael Bruns (right), and Dr. Ted Mlotek. Both Dr. Zinser and Dr. Bruns are graduates of Palmer College of Chiropractic in Davenport, IA. Dr. Mlotek is a graduate of Logan College of Chiropractic in St. Louis, MO. With over fifty years combined experience, the office specializes in neck and back pain, sports injuries, work and automobile injuries, headaches, children and pregnancy pain. You can reach the clinic at (309) 688-7817.

What is chiropractic?

The word chiropractic comes from the Greek and literally translates to mean “To practice or treat by hand.” Recently celebrating over one hundred years as a health care profession, chiropractic is concerned with the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of disorders of the musculoskeletal system and the adverse effects of these dis-eases on the nervous system and general health. Chiropractic utilizes a number of treatment options, which include but are not limited to nutritional support, physical rehabilitation, a variety of physical therapy modalities and the signature treatment – the chiropractic manual adjustment.

Can I adjust myself?

Let me let you all in on a little secret. Even chiropractors go to chiropractors to be adjusted. True anybody can make their own joints “pop” or “crack,” but to correctly adjust a joint, the proper direction of force is crucial. Unfortunately it is difficult if not impossible, even with anatomical education, to do this correctly to your own spine. In addition, when someone intentionally or unintentionally “adjusts themselves,” they are most likely moving vertebrae (spinal bones) that are unstable and hyper-mobile (move too much). This, of course, is not addressing the restricted joints (hypo-mobile) that are causing the problem and need to regain their full range of motion.

Are chiropractors real doctors?

In North America, there is a minimum of 6 years full-time university level education to obtain a Doctorate of Chiropractic. This includes two years of university credits in qualifying prerequisite subjects. After this has been completed, then over 5,000 hours of classes at a nationally accredited chiropractic college are required. This includes student doctoring and an intern program that last over one year. In addition to class requirements, a series of three to four national board examinations must be passed. Finally local state requirements must be passed before your chiropractor can begin to treat patients in Illinois.

Once you go to a chiropractor, do you have to keep going for the rest of your life?

The simple answer is that you don’t have to do anything you don’t want to. There are three phases to chiropractic care. The “Initial” or “Intensive Care” phase is concerned with getting your spine out of the state it had “settled” on in its state of injury or compensation. This phase is also the phase where elimination of pain usually occurs. It is important to continue your care after this phase even though your pain has decreased dramatically or disappeared.

The next level of care is the “Reconstructive” phase. During this time your spine is beginning to hold its adjustments longer and our main goal is to monitor and guide your spine as it is straightened. Stabilizing and strengthening exercise are very important during this phase The last phase is the “maintenance” phase. In this phase your spine is now holding its adjustments/position better and has become reasonably stable. It handles stress fairly well and pain is often a non-issue. Usually visits are recommended once a month during this phase, much like brushing your teeth is highly recommended to keep a level of dental health.

Is chiropractic expensive?

In the United States, back pain is the most frequent and expensive health care problem in the 30-50 age group. It is also the most common cause for loss of work and disability. In the last ten years, North American, Canadian and European studies have shown that chiropractic is 20-60% less expensive than going to an M.D. You also return to work sooner and your incidence of recurring pain is significantly reduced. When visiting a chiropractor, most of the expense is incurred in the first month. This corresponds with the necessity for an exam and films and the increased initial frequency of visits to get the problem under control.

If a chiropractor is not a provider on my insurance plan, can I still go see them?

Most provider plans have an “out of network coverage” which covers chiropractors not on their lists. At our office, our consultations are done at no charge. During this initial meeting, our office personnel call your insurance company and check to see what coverage is available. We also offer payment options at our office to make things affordable.

I’m worried about getting hurt by a chiropractor!

This is actually a very common concern, but rest assured, chiropractic is actually one of the safest forms of health care, just look at our track record with our malpractice insurance companies for the proof. In my experience, it seems most people are afraid of getting something broken, particularly when they are having their neck adjusted. The possibility of this happening in the clinical setting is extremely slim. There are things you have to be mindful of, for example, if you have a brittle bone disease or have a preexisting fracture. All patients are carefully screened for these possibilities and any other potential contraindications for chiropractic care.

Is chiropractic safe for children?

Not only is chiropractic safe for children, it is beneficial. From the very beginning, the birth process is incredibly stressful, particularly if assisted measures were taken (forceps, etc). There have been some shocking studies correlating injury to ligaments and joints during the birthing process with incidence of SIDS and other health problems with newborns. Any parent knows the amazing length children go to challenge the validity of physical laws and gravity. The good news is that children have a tendency to respond to chiropractic considerably faster than most adults do. Unfortunately, most parents do not realize that it is safe for children to be treated by chiropractic. I cannot begin to tell you how many times a patient has come in with a problem that has lasted for 20-30 years, that began when they were young and has progressed to a level that could have been avoidable.

Are X-rays necessary?

Some patients have an aversion to the idea of having their x-ray picture taken. While avoiding being exposed to radiation is always a good idea, technology today has reduced the average exposure on a set of films to the equivalent of taking a transatlantic flight. The major exception to this rule is a pregnant patient or one who thinks there is a chance she might be. At Zinser and Bruns Chiropractic Clinic, we limit what x-rays we do to what we feel is clinically necessary to give the best care to our patients.

What can I expect on my first visit?

At our office, the first step on your journey to chiropractic health is to call and set up an appointment for a consultation. During the consultation you meet the doctor. The doctor also gets a chance to meet you and learn some important preliminary information to decide the nature of your problem and whether the problem you are experiencing is something that chiropractic can help. If the problem is something we feel we can help you with, the next step is a thorough examination to confirm or further identify what the doctor felt the consultation history indicated. This step is where x-ray films are taken, if the situation warrants. After the doctor has all the information gathered and has come up with a working diagnosis, the next step is to carefully explain to you the patient, what we have found and what we feel needs to be done about it. The next step is to begin chiropractic care and get you on the road to wellness and relieving your body from the dis-ease so it can function at its optimal level.

I have heard that chiropractic is helpful for things other than neck pain or back pain. Is this true?

Yes it is very true. Since its conception in the late 1800s, chiropractic has been credited with relieving everything from asthma and bedwetting to colic and the inability to conceive. While chiropractic does not claim to be the answer to infertilty or any other malady, it does claim to improve the homeostatic function of the human body. It does this by relieving stress on the nervous system and thereby normalizing function. Some things other than spinal pain that chiropractic has success with are headaches, intestinal problems, shoulder problems, pregnancy pain, TMJ problems (jaw) and dizziness to name a few. If you are curious if Chiropractic can help you, please give us a call and set up a consultation.

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