New Patients

 Finding a new doctor can be overwhelming, so I keep things simple, making your experience as stress-free as possible. Directly from this website, you can schedule your own appointment and get a clear sense of fees. At your first visit, I will focus on your goals, answer questions, do an assessment, and get you started with a base plan. My office is warm and inviting with only one staff person, keeping the focus on the doctor-patient relationship. You will get the best of care and professionalism without the sterile experience or cumbersome process. To make your first visit at my office a smooth one, I provide some tools below.

Make an Appointment

Treatment Options

I offer chiropractic treatments, as well as functional medicine visits. Decide which is the best starting place for you by checking out the “Services” section in the navigation bar above. Then schedule your visit with the “Make an Appointment” buttons throughout the site.

 

 

Payment options

I provide straightforward, reasonable fees for services that are clearly listed on my online scheduler.  While I do not bill insurance, I am more than happy to provide you with all you need to be reimbursed by your insurance company if you have coverage.
FAQ

Here are a few Frequently Asked Questions

How much does it cost for a visit?

Align Asheville offers two appointment types for chiropractic and craniosacral office visits. There is a standard chiropractic adjustment that is $49, and an extended chiropractic adjustment that is $69. We offer these two visit types so you can determine what kind of attention and time your body needs.

All patients who are new to the office must first book a New Patient Chiropractic Treatment appointment. This visit is $120 and includes a consultation, exam and first adjustment. This extra time allows us to better care for you and understand your needs and goals. After this initial visit, you can schedule either a standard or extended visit as you continue care. 

Will I need x-rays?

Not necessarily. I do not require x-rays, although they may be recommended based on findings at your initial exam

What conditions do chiropractors treat?

Doctors of Chiropractic (DCs) care for patients of all ages, with a variety of health conditions. DCs are especially well known for their expertise in caring for patients with back pain, neck pain and headaches…particularly with their highly skilled manipulations or chiropractic adjustments. They also care for patients with a wide range of injuries and disorders of the musculoskeletal system, involving the muscles, ligaments and joints. These painful conditions often involve or impact the nervous system, which can cause referred pain and dysfunction distant to the region of injury. The benefits of chiropractic care extend to general health issues, as well, since our body structure affects our overall function. DCs also counsel patients on diet, nutrition, exercise, healthy habits, and occupational and lifestyle modification.

Is chiropractic treatment safe?

Chiropractic is widely recognized as one of the safest drug-free, non-invasive therapies available for the treatment of neuromusculoskeletal complaints. Although chiropractic has an excellent safety record, no health treatment is completely free of potential adverse effects. The risks associated with chiropractic, however, are very small. Many patients feel immediate relief following chiropractic treatment, but some may experience mild soreness, stiffness or aching, just as they do after some forms of exercise. Current research shows that minor discomfort or soreness following spinal manipulation typically fades within 24 hours.

Is chiropractic treatment appropriate for children?

Yes, children can benefit from chiropractic care. Children are very physically active and experience many types of falls and blows from activities of daily living as well as from participating in sports. Injuries such as these may cause many symptoms including back and neck pain, stiffness, soreness or discomfort. Chiropractic care is always adapted to the individual patient. It is a highly skilled treatment, and in the case of children, very gentle.

 

Dr. Petersen sees children 13 and up and they can book either the standard chiropractic adjustment or extended adjustment. If you would like Dr. Petersen’s recomendation for a pediactric chiropractic office (children under 13) in the Asheville area, send us an email!

What type of education and training do chiropractors have?
Doctors of chiropracticare educated as primary-contact health care providers, with an emphasis on diagnosis and treatment of conditions related to the musculoskeletal system (the muscles, ligaments and joints of the spine and extremities) and the nerves that supply them. Educational requirements for doctors of chiropractic are among the most stringent of any of the health care professions.
The typical applicant for chiropractic college has already acquired nearly four years of pre-medical undergraduate college education, including courses in biology, inorganic and organic chemistry, physics, psychology and related lab work. Once accepted into an accredited chiropractic college, the requirements become even more demanding — four to five academic years of professional study are the standard. Doctors of chiropractic are educated in orthopedics, neurology, physiology, human anatomy, clinical diagnosis including laboratory procedures, diagnostic imaging, exercise, nutrition rehabilitation and more.
How long should I expect it to take before I feel better?
There is often significant reduction in symptoms immediately or shortly following the chiropractic adjustment. This is not always the case, however. Your response to chiropractic care depends on numerous factors including the amount of time you have had your symptoms, the cause of your symptoms, the number of symptoms, the number of biomechanical dysfunctions you have, the presence of arthritis, your weight, your activity or lack there of, your levels of stress, the amount of time you sit during the day, computer use, your level of participation in performing stretches or completing strengthening exercises as prescribed, or your history of past injury to name only a few. As you can see, many factors can affect your response to treatments.
The goal of chiropractic treatment is to restore movement and/or proper function to your body. Many times the underlying cause of your symptoms has been functioning improperly for a significant amount of time, most likely much longer than you’ve been experiencing pain. That being said, it is reasonable and probable that it will take a little time and some effort on your part to see a reduction or resolution of your symptoms. We will constantly evaluate your progress and will make necessary changes in our treatment protocols to ensure the shortest course of treatment to resolve your problem.
How is a chiropractic adjustment performed?

Chiropractic adjustment or manipulation is a manual procedure that utilizes the highly refined skills developed during the doctor of chiropractic’s intensive years of chiropractic education. The chiropractic physician typically uses his or her hands–or an instrument– to manipulate the joints of the body, particularly the spine, in order to restore or enhance joint function and optimize the tone of the nervous system. This can have a myriad of beneficial effects, including a reduction of pain. Chiropractic manipulation is a highly controlled procedure that rarely causes discomfort. The chiropractor adapts the procedure to meet the specific needs of each patient. Patients often note positive changes in their symptoms immediately following treatment.

More FAQs

Is chiropractic treatment ongoing?

The hands-on nature of the chiropractic treatment is essentially what requires patients to visit the chiropractor a number of times. To be treated by a chiropractor, a patient needs to be in his or her office. In contrast, a course of treatment from medical doctors often involves a pre-established plan that is conducted at home (i.e. taking a course of antibiotics once a day for a couple of weeks). A chiropractor may provide acute, chronic, and/or preventive care thus making a certain number of visits sometimes necessary. Your doctor of chiropractic should tell you the extent of treatment recommended and how long you can expect it to last.

Why is there a popping sound when a joint is adjusted?

Adjustment (or manipulation) of a joint may result in the release of a gas bubble between the joints, which makes a popping sound. The same thing occurs when you “crack” your knuckles. The noise is caused by the change of pressure within the joint, which results in gas bubbles being released. There is usually minimal, if any, discomfort involved.

What is the true cause of my pain?

Only a small percentage of cases I see are related to an injury. Most people wake up with pain or are doing some normal activity when symptoms arise. It is not uncommon for someone to have their first real pain while getting out of bed, washing their hair, spitting out toothpaste, vacuuming the floor, or picking something up off of the floor like a piece of paper. We are constantly asked “why” this happened for no apparent reason. We can all agree that the weight of the pen picked up from the floor, for example, was not the true cause of the symptom. The problem is that the true causal event may have been weeks, months, or years earlier. To complicate matters even further, there may have been more than one event coupled with stress, trauma, genetics or emotional patterns. Identifying the true cause can sometimes be very difficult. Nonetheless, entering chiropractic care can be a powerful way to begin to uncover our patterns which have lead to our symptoms. Supporting our nervous system this way can be revealing and healing.

Can chiropractic help with preventing pain in the future?

Prevention is the idea of taking action now to reduce the risk of future symptoms. Getting chiropractic care on a regular basis falls into this category. We have many patients who get adjusted even when they are pain-free to prevent future problems. Getting adjusted on a regular basis catches the pre-symptom misalignments before they become painful. This preventative measure re-establishes proper movement in your spine to ensure proper health. How often you get adjusted depends on your specific needs and lifestyle. Prevention makes much more sense than symptom chasing.

Does chiropractic treatment require a referral from an MD?

A referral is usually not needed to see a doctor of chiropractic (DC); however, your health plan may have specific referral requirements. You may want to contact your employer’s human resources department—or the insurance plan directly—to find out if there are any referral requirements. Most plans allow you to just call and schedule an appointment with a DC.