Chiropractic Role in Insurance Reimbursement for Breast Reduction Surgery

No one should see a chiropractor for breast reduction. No chiropractor should ever do a breast exam- ever. A chiropractor is trained to treat musculoskeletal problems that may arise from macromastia. If you were wondering what macromastia is it means breast hypertrophy. As chiropractors, we may see a patient who presents with upper back pain and headaches. Both headaches and upper back pain can be caused by breast hypertrophy. In many cases, chiropractors can relieve headaches and upper back pain. The problem is that women with large breasts may only get intermittent relief. Then their pain becomes chronic and potentially disfiguring, something no one wants.

Here are a few things to look for to determine if your female patient needs a surgical consult;

Severe skin excoriation/intertrigo unresponsive to medical management
– Headache
-Severe restriction of physical activities due to Functional Impairment
– Signs and symptoms of nerve compression that are unresponsive to medical management
– Acquired kyphosis that is attributed to Macromastia
– Chronic breast pain due to weight of the breasts
– Upper back, neck, or shoulder pain

– Shoulder grooving from bra straps

My experience is that the patient may need to be under chiropractic care to resolve the condition with about 6 months of conservative care. If the patient fails to respond a surgical consult should be considered . Proper note-taking is important for the surgeon to begin her evaluation of the patient. What is important here is for the chiropractor to realize that his or her treatment may only be palliative in nature. This means we may not be able to help our patients with chiropractic care only. It is not a failure on our part if the patient does not respond. Being a good doctor means we know when we cannot help a condition.

A referral to a plastic surgeon can be in your patient’s best interest. Isn’t this why we become doctors? Let’s ensure the patient’s best interests are met. If you have any questions please feel free to call me 203-656-3636.