Frequently Asked Questions in Bowie MD

Chiropractic is an all-natural healing profession that primarily treats the musculoskeletal system through joint manipulation. Chiropractic adjustment techniques and services vary from clinic to clinic. Our goal at Taber Chiropractic is to fix your problem.

Here at Taber Chiropractic & Laser Spine Therapy Center we are best known for treating the back and neck. We routinely see the following conditions:

Low Back Pain with or without radiating leg pain:

Low back pain that is across the back often around the belt line. Low back pain that is off to the side and sometimes down near the buttocks.

Lumbar pain, pelvis pain, buttock pain, hip pain, sacroiliac, joint pain (SI joint pain, sacral / sacrum pain, coccyx pain, sciatica, piriformis syndrome.

Neck pain at the base of the head. Neck pain at the bottom often across the shoulders. Neck pain with or without arm/ hand pain, carpal tunnel, headache, tension headache, whiplash, migraine, straight or loss of cervical lordosis (normal curve) often related as head feels heavy by end of day.

Mid back pain:

Upper back pain on one side or both. Thoracic pain, rib pain (patient often says it feels like a knife in my back), scoliosis, scapular pain/ shoulder blade pain, upper trapezius pain (patients often describe as pain in shoulder) One sided upper back pain with different sensations in the arm that may come and go such as numbness or tingling.

For those who prefer medical jargon, here you go.~

Lumbago, cervicalgia, sciatica, Scoliosis, osteoarthritis, piriformis syndrome, spondylosis, pain related to some spondylolysis, spondylolisthesis, herniated / protruded / bulged disc, spinal stenosis, canal stenosis, neuroforaminal stenosis, neurogenic claudication, neuropathy, radiculopathy, cervical brachial syndrome, Cervical cranial syndrome migraine tension, headache.

Although we don’t do a lot of chiropractic and rehab for extremities such as shoulders or knees, these areas typically respond very well to MLS laser therapy and we treat many knee and shoulder cases for Laser.

Additionally, we routinely treat plantar fasciitis and carpal tunnel.

Woo, that’s a lot! If you are still unsure if your issue is a chiropractic case, set up a free phone consultation with one of the doctors to see if chiropractic is the correct course of action. We don’t want to waste your time or money. Call our office today and speak to one of our wonderful staff members and they will set up a time.

We take auto and workers compensation insurance.

We take most insurances including: BCBS, Aetna, UHC, *Kaiser Permanente (*usually requires a referral), Medicare and Multi-Plan.

We do not take Medicaid * , CIGNA (in-network or out-of-network), the VA, or Department of Labor (Federal Workers Compensation)

*We do not take Medicaid: Wellpoint, BCBS Community, Priority Partners, Aetna Better Health, UHC Community, Kaiser Permamente Medicaid Plan, Jai Medical Systems, Maryland Physicians Care, Medstar Family Choice.

For patients who have little or no insurance, we offer the ECS program. For a small annual membership fee (2025 is $20), the patient’s entire family is eligible for discount pricing. Once the patient has completed active treatment, he/she may like to continue with well care. We also offer various discount wellness packages through the ECS program.

When a Chiropractor uses his/her hands or an instrument to mobilize or align a misaligned vertebra. In doing so, the adjustment reduces pain, reduces muscle spasm, increases range of motion, and reduces nerve irritation.

Yes, chiropractic is safe when performed by a trained licensed chiropractor. Serious complications are rare. The doctors do a thorough evaluation and history on the first visit to determine if it is a chiropractic case. Although most complaints of back and neck pain can be helped by chiropractic care, sometimes the doctor will refer to another specialist such as neurologist or surgeon. Sometimes the doctor will order x-rays or MRI before he/she starts treatment.

Those who have watched chiropractic videos, may be a little scared. We don’t make viral videos, and our treatments are not about theatrics. We strive to make our treatments comfortable and painless. We evaluate the patient and pick from a variety of well-tolerated and comfortable techniques.

The doctors use the Impulse IQ, which is FDA approved, highly researched, and effective instrument. In fact, when the doctors did a mission trip to Kenya, they brought the Impulse IQ due it’s safe, gentle and effective outcomes.

We routinely get referrals from other medical doctors in the area. (primary care, neurologists, pain management, and neurosurgeons). We have worked very hard for over 25 years to earn the trust of colleagues and patients. We encourage potential patients to read our hundreds of 5-star reviews.

Dr. Ted Taber and Dr. Diane Taber have different treatment styles.

A treatment plan is determined by the patient’s goals and the severity of the condition. It varies on a case-by-case basis. Our treatment plans are comparable to physical therapy. We re-evaluate outcomes on a continual basis and may alter our plan as we go based on the patient’s progress. The patient should have less pain and improved function until he/ she is all better or until they have reached their chiropractic best.

Some other chiropractic offices sell 1-year packages up front for several thousands of dollars. We do not.

Most insurances cover chiropractic, but some may have limited coverage. Our staff will verify your benefits and let you know coverage prior to your appointment. If you do not have insurance coverage, we offer affordable discount plans and will let you know the cost beforehand.

Chiropractic treatment is known to reduce pain and improve function.

A common question is: Will this hurt?
The simple answer is, no, it shouldn’t. That is the goal of every treatment.
The long answer relates to the question: Does massage hurt? I would say that the answer is no, but also sometimes, yes. If our muscles are sore, massage may be tender or downright painful if the pressure is too deep or too hard. An experienced practitioner can manage discomfort but changing technique, adjusting the pressure, or choosing not to massage that area. They could get similar results by using a different technique such as stretching. A trained professional can make massage an enjoyable experience.

Chiropractic is similar.

Adjustments should make us feel better and not hurt. We regularly treat patients that are in a lot of pain. In those cases, we have a variety of very gentle techniques at our disposal to help. We have 100’s of 5-star reviews testifying their love and satisfaction for Taber Chiropractic.

Chiropractic care has great success with treating headaches. Pain in the back of the head or pain over one eye are common areas we treat. If you have headaches and any type of neck pain such as at the base of the skull or across the shoulders, you should make an appointment to be evaluated. We get great results with headaches.

Chiropractic is focused on joint motion/mobility. Chiropractors primarily treat with joint manipulation/ adjustments. They also do physiotherapy, manual therapy, and exercises.
PT is typically exercise and stretching with some manual therapy and physiotherapy. At Taber Chiropractic, if we feel that the patient is better served at a physical therapy office, based on the condition or insurance benefits, we will refer the patient to PT.

If you are unsure if your case is a chiro case or PT case, call the office and the staff will schedule a free phone consultation with one of the doctors. He /she will let you know which direction is best.

Dr. Ted Taber (Dr. T) and Dr. Diane Taber (Dr. Diane) met at NYCC (now Northeast College of Health Sciences) in Seneca Falls, NY. They graduated in 1997 and were married in 1998. They went for additional chiropractic training in ergonomics and work-related injuries. The Doctors Taber opened Taber Chiropractic, P.C., Bowie MD in 2000. The specialty focus has been spine. We use chiropractic to restore joint function and mobility. Our goal has always been to work with other medical professionals to provide the best care for the patients. In fact, Dr. Diane Taber was a past President of the Bowie Medical and Dental Society. We rebranded and opened Taber Chiropractic & Laser Spine Therapy Center in 2017 where we added MLS Laser and Spinal Decompression.

When Dr. Ted Taber is not in the office, he enjoys doing home improvement/ construction projects and playing golf. He combined the two by designing and personally installing a putting green in the back yard. He also enjoys outdoor activities such as skiing with his son.

When not in the office, Dr. Diane Taber spends her time taking care of her family/ home and serving at her church. One of her greatest joys was going to Nakuru, Kenya with her family on a mission trip. Where she and her husband helped where needed and provided chiropractic care.

The doctors are married and like most married couples, they are very different. Both see patients with spinal conditions (older children to seniors, male, female, pregnant, routine cases, and complicated cases.

We would like to outline the following differences:

Who is best to schedule with Dr. Ted Taber:

• A veteran chiropractic patient or new patient looking for a manual adjustment.
• Someone looking for efficient and focused on musculoskeletal care.
• Sports injury patient.

Who is best to schedule with Dr. Diane Taber:

• Someone who is new to chiropractic and isn’t sure what to expect. Those who would like more gentle hand holding.
• A patient who likes a little more time to delve into the details, discuss nutrition, or have an outlier condition where traditional medicine hasn’t been able to give you the answers that you need. You don’t quite feel well, and you don’t know why.
• Those who want a holistic approach may have a lot of inflammation or fibromyalgia.
• Patients who come in specifically for MLS Laser therapy.

The doctors often consult together on cases and will switch the patient if they feel the other is a better fit. Sometimes patients go back and forth because they like to have care from both doctors. Lastly, call the office and talk with the staff. They will know who would be best, if you are unsure. Our goal is to have highly satisfied patients. We are here for you!

Dr. Ted Taber (Dr. T) uses manual (diversified) adjusting, Impulse IQ adjusting instrument, and drop table.

Dr. Diane Taber (Dr. Diane Taber) uses Impulse IQ adjusting instrument, drop table, Cox Flexion-Distraction, and Logan. She also does some soft tissue trigger point therapy (TPT) and Kinesiotape.

There are many adjusting instruments on the market. Find out why we LOVE the Impulse!

• Physiotherapies: electric stimulation, traction, and hydrotherapy.
• Exercises and stretching: Our core exercises, movement training, and stretches are especially designed for patients with painful spinal conditions. The wrong exercises can be flaring and setback the recovery. We have carefully chosen exercises that are well tolerated. The sooner we can engage the core, the better. Research shows that chiropractic manipulative therapy is recommended for spine pain. We also know that core exercises are beneficial for spinal conditions. We do both for the best outcomes.
• Orthotics are commonly the first line of defense for foot issues, such as plantar fasciitis and Achilles tendinitis. Asymmetric dropped arches, can cause one leg to be dropped on one side (short leg) causing a chain reaction. (The foot bone is connected to the ankle bone, the ankle bone is connected to the leg bone etc. You get the point!…) We offer two custom lines of orthotics and an over-the-counter orthotic line as well. We offer free digital orthotic scanning, and free orthotic consultations.
• Lifestyle coaching:
  We coach the patient on lifestyle changes to maximize outcomes.
• MLS Laser
• Spinal Decompression

MLS Laser and Spinal Decompression are not covered by insurance. It makes sense, in most cases, to start with the basics first. For those cases that need something more, we have MLS Laser (which is FDA cleared for pain , inflammation, and edema) and Spinal Decompression.

It’s about building your healthcare plan on a solid foundation.

This is a bold statement, but I will say it anyway…No treatment (regardless of specialty) will work, if you are building on a weak foundation. It’s not uncommon for a patient to feel much improvement for 1-7 days after a steroid injection, and then the pain returns quickly. This is often due to unaddressed underlying inflammatory diet drivers. Again, you can’t build a successful healthcare plan on an unhealthy foundation. It’s common sense to start with the fundamentals. That is why it’s logical to start with chiropractic care.

Important foundational topics include diet, sleeping postures, pillows, mattress firmness, ice vs heat, lifting / bending / movement patterns, and ergonomics.

A typical patient will present to the office in one of the following three ways:

1.) Pain of stiffness that started for no reason. An example would be a patient with pain across low back at the beltline or pain on one side of the lower back that runs into the gluts. It may be neck pain that hurts in the morning or pain late in the day. It may be low back pain that mainly comes with driving. The pain may come on slow over time and increase gradually over the days of even months, or it may start suddenly without trauma. These are the most common presentations. We will ask questions such as: Does it hurt more to sit or stand? Dose it hurt more in the morning? Does it hurt when you cough, sneeze or have a bowel movement? These questions can help us determine the cause, so we can get to the root of the problem and help fix it.

Stiffness. Left untreated, the stiffness becomes pain. It may start as a dull ache, or it may be sharp and stabbing. Typically, there is also muscle spasm. An injured joint segment is often inflamed. As the nerves become increasingly irritated, one may develop radiating nerve pain into the arms and legs. Over time, fixated and stressed joint segments may wear down causing arthritis.

2.) Injury from trauma such as a car accident, slip, twist, or fall. Disc injuries and sprain strain injuries are common. These cases are acute and initially quite painful.

3.) Pain due to repetitive movements such as with shoveling snow or playing golf. They may have an underlying disc or facet injury that suddenly becomes painful.

For chiropractic care we see mostly spine cases. We also see shoulder, knee, arm/hand, foot/ankle patients for laser. Our most common patients are middle aged to seniors. We routinely see older children. (The point at which we can communicate together.) However, taking care of babies and very young children presents certain time management challenges. One of our core principles is to run on time. So, we have elected to refer those very young patients out to a more suitable provider.

The goal of the first visit is to do an assessment (thorough history, exam, review of radiology) to determine if it’s a chiropractic case. Is the patient in the right office?

The second day is a report of findings in which review the patient’s case and recommend a treatment plan. Then, over the next 2-3 weeks (6-10 visits), we are watching to see if the patient is getting value from our treatments. In other words, are they making improvements? Is it reasonable to expect continued improvement with continued care? If a patient is not responding after we’ve tried everything we know to do, we may need to order additional tests, such as an MRI and/ or refer out to another specialist.

In some cases, patients elect to continue with maintenance care. We do not always recommend maintenance care for every patient, but in some cases, it makes sense to do routine treatments to maintain flexibility and joint mobility. In those cases, maintenance care is a great value. Treatment frequency for maintenance care is custom to each patient. Maintenance care is not covered by insurance, however, we offer affordable discounted care plans and packages.