Do I Have to Pay for Palliative Chiropractic Care Forever?

Palliative care is not supposed to be considered reasonable solely because an injured worker says that it helps, but that is often how it seems.   In Souligny v. PB&J, Inc., Op. No. 12-17WC (Feb, 2017), ALJ Belcher offers some insight into what evidence and/or expert opinion testimony might be necessary to persuade the Department that ongoing chiropractic care is unreasonable.   An increase in narcotic pain medication or an increase in treatment frequency, for example, might suggest that the chiropractic treatment is no longer allowing sufficient pain control to allow an injured worker to maintain a certain level of function.   A medical opinion describing how chiropractic care can prohibit improvement, because it stretches ligaments that can complicate a degenerative disc condition might also provide sound support for terminating responsibility for ongoing chiropractic care.  

These are factors worth considering if you are paying for chiropractic care, with no end in sight. More questions?  Call us.