Frequently asked questions about my treatment of children, including those with autism and other developmental delays.
* Each page of these FAQs must be signed and returned to our office before you may schedule an appointment. Print copy here!
- WHAT TYPE OF DOCTOR ARE YOU?
- DOES THAT MEAN YOU ARE GOING TO ADJUST, MANIPULATE, OR “CRACK” MY CHILD’S BACK?
- HOW LONG ARE YOUR APPOINTMENTS?
- HOW DO YOU MUSCLE TEST MY CHILD?
- WHY DO YOU USE MUSCLE TESTING PROCEDURES?
- WHAT IF I DON’T WANT YOU TO USE MUSCLE TESTING?
- HOW MUCH DO YOU CHARGE?
- HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN TREATING DEVELOPMENTAL DELAYED KIDS?
- DO YOU TAKE INSURANCE AND/OR MEDICAID?
- DO YOU RUN A LOT OF LAB TESTS?
- WHAT TYPES OF LABS DO YOU RUN?
- MY CHILD HAS MERCURY TOXICITY, CAN YOU HELP ME CORRECT THAT?
- DO YOU USE PRESCRIPTION MEDICATIONS?
- DO YOU TAKE X-RAYS?
- HOW OFTEN DO WE NEED TO SEE YOU?
- DO YOU DO PHONE CONSULTATIONS?
- WHAT IS YOUR “SUCCESS” RATE?
- DO YOU WORK WITH OTHER PRACTITIONERS?
- BUT MY CHILD HAS NO DIAGNOSIS!
- WHEN YOU ARE READY TO SCHEDULE
My title is D.C., which stands for Doctor of Chiropractic. I also have a diplomate degree in clinical nutrition. Unlike most chiropractors, I am not the type of doctor that only adjusts or manipulates bones. My practice primarily involves nutritionally biochemistry and neurological techniques and therapies. I have been extensively trained in the fields of nutritional biochemistry and neurological therapy techniques as well as many other holistic therapies. I practice what some people know as “Applied Kinesiology” in its truest form of understanding the cause of the ailment rather than just treating the symptoms. I have developed my own technique and protocol to treat a person in what I believe is the most natural and wholistic way possible – Systems Health Care.
DOES THAT MEAN YOU ARE GOING TO ADJUST, MANIPULATE, OR “CRACK” MY CHILD’S BACK?
Not usually. Although I do adjust children as well as adults when indicated, these adjustments are very precise and very little force is used. The majority, and usually all of the appointment is spent using other therapies and/or consulting with the parents. If I think your child needs to be adjusted and you don’t want him or her to be adjusted, then they won’t be.
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HOW LONG ARE YOUR APPOINTMENTS?
The initial consultation/treatment is usually two hours long. Follow-up appointments are around one hour. This is common, though some people need much less time and some need more. The appointments are meant to get a thorough understanding of your child’s needs, issues, goals, etc, as well as do what very few physicians do – actually treat your child. Most physicians simply get a thorough history, do a short exam which is mostly done by observation, recommend and run lab tests, and then recommend medications and/or nutrients based off those findings. I am much more specific due to the fact that I use neurological muscle testing along with all the other parameters (history, labs, etc…) to make much more educated decisions and help your child get better faster.
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HOW DO YOU MUSCLE TEST MY CHILD?
Children under 6 years old and most developmental delayed children cannot follow the instructions by the doctor to perform a muscle test. Therefore, I use a surrogate (usually the mother or father) to muscle test as they are holding the child. I understand that this sounds somewhat strange especially for a practice that bases its treatments off biochemical and neurological sciences, but the surrogate testing works very well. Like other muscle testing, it is an extra tool used by the doctor for further guidance; I do not make decisions based off it alone. The surrogate testing is thoroughly explained and demonstrated to the parents, and they must sign a separate informed consent form. The testing not only helps key into what is going on in the child, it many times saves a great deal of money as less tests need to be run.
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WHY DO YOU USE MUSCLE TESTING PROCEDURES?
I feel that when employed accurately and professionally, they are highly effective, noninvasive, and very safe. There are plenty of studies showing the effectiveness and reliability of muscle testing. However, surrogate testing is not a readily accepted or studied technique. It can be a very touchy subject, especially by those who have only heard about it through others who have had no experience, or a poor experience with it. But since it is so effective, I have decided to continue to use it despite the bad rap it has received from those less informed or those who are closed minded and believe it to be hocus-pocus. It works much like the way one body conducts electricity from one to another.
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WHAT IF I DON’T WANT YOU TO USE MUSCLE TESTING?
Understand that this is a big part of the diagnosis and therefore treatment process in my office. Patients come to me for this type of individualized treatment rather than just receive the standard lab test and dietary changes protocol used by most other physicians. Without neurological muscle testing, I will not be able to use any specific “hands on treatments” for your child, such as helping to desensitize food allergies or rub certain neurological points to address the immune system, for example. The nutrient program will most likely be less effective too. For example, a child may need zinc for a supplement. Giving him or her zinc picolinate may do nothing even though the history and lab work appear to show a need for it. However, giving him/her zinc carbonate may make a huge difference. There are many forms of nutrients, and muscle testing cuts to the chase and lets you know which one is going to work and which one might not work at all. This often explains why parents say, “I give my child all these vitamins and minerals but they don’t seem to be doing anything”. The neurological muscle testing I use is very advanced and precise. It is not what some know as an “arm pull down” test. Patients who have been muscle tested before note that the muscle testing I do is the most thorough, in-depth, and accurate testing they have ever had. If you are set against not using muscle testing, then it is probably best for everyone that you seek treatment elsewhere.
My office fee is $465 per hour, not including nutrients and lab work. Since the fee is per hour, you are billed for the time that I actually see your child, (or consult with you). Therefore, if you are scheduled for 1 hour and I see you for 30 minutes, you are billed for the 30 minutes. Likewise, if I need to go longer to get what needs to be done in that day, then you are charged for that extra time. Please note this is the time you spend with me, the doctor, not a physician assistant or dietitian that many other clinics employ.
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HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN TREATING KIDS WITH DEVELOPMENTAL DELAYS?
I have been treating autistic and other developmental delayed children for approximately 20 years. My practice is referral-based, so most patients referred by a friend or family member know what type of doctor I am and what to expect.
I have been performing therapies such as heavy metal (i.e. mercury, aluminum) detoxification/chelation, yeast and gut disturbance clearings, and nutrient therapies well before they were thought to help those in the Autism Spectrum Disorder or many other health problems for that matter.
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DO YOU TAKE INSURANCE AND/OR MEDICAID?
We give you all the forms to submit to your insurance company. Payment is required at the end of each appointment. We accept cash, check, visa, Mastercard, and Discover. We will not file your insurance for you, but will help you as best we can. You will get all the information and codes you need to submit your bill to your insurance company. We do not participate in any insurance plan as a “provider” and we do not accept Medicaid. In very special circumstances, agreed upon prior to your first visit, may payment arrangements be made. You can ask the office staff to give you a sheet to help you ask your insurance carrier the right questions to understand what your policy covers and how to properly submit your claim(s).
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DO YOU RUN A LOT OF LAB TESTS?
Not usually. Using neurological muscle testing really cuts down on a lot of the labs needed to be run, especially expensive and highly false-negative/positive tests like a food allergy test. Many physicians use the “shotgun” approach to labs…they run a bunch until they find something that isn’t right. Not only is that very expensive, but many of these physicians are not skilled in interpreting these lab results accurately. Test(s), if any, needed to run are thoroughly gone over with you beforehand so you understand why they should be run and what information they will give us. Furthermore, I do not charge excessively for lab fees.
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WHAT TYPES OF LABS DO YOU RUN?
That depends on your child. We have the means to run any lab test available and your individual needs can be discussed at the time of your visit. Very commonly I like to run an Organic Acid Test to start for those children in the Autism Spectrum Disorder, and a hair analysis or urine analysis if heavy metal toxicity is suspected.
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MY CHILD HAS MERCURY TOXICITY, CAN YOU HELP ME CORRECT THAT?
Yes, my treatments are very effective in helping chelate heavy metals (orally, not IV use). I make sure the child has a strong nutritional foundation first so as their symptoms do not worsen dramatically during chelation due to nutrient depletion and/or immune suppression.
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DO YOU USE PRESCRIPTION MEDICATIONS?
Not usually. This is a very holistic practice. My goal is to get your child well as fast as possible by finding out the issues needing to be treated and making the necessary changes. Many people have been misled to think that the prescription antibiotics/antimicrobials are much better than the natural antifungals/antimicrobials. This is not true in most instances. I have great success using natural therapies only. In rare instances, and only when truly needed, do I refer out so your child can get the medication he or she needs. Many physicians who say they practice “natural” or “holistic” therapies think that “natural” means that they try, for example, an herbal supplement to get rid of yeast, and when it doesn’t work they go right to a broad spectrum antibiotic. Using the techniques described, I have a good understanding of the supplement(s) that will work, and if they don’t work that well and there is no other alternative, then the medication can be discussed at that time.
It is my view that a Developmentally Delayed Child, or any child for that matter, does not need to be put on any neurologically or chemically altering drugs such as Prozac or Ritalin, to get well. Again, my goal is to treat these issues biochemically and nutritionally. If you notice that your child does better on a certain drug then that is a good clue to help me investigate the chemical pathway involved and try to correct it accordingly. It is ultimately your decision, not mine, if you choose to medicate your child.
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DO YOU TAKE X-RAYS?
No I do not, unless there has been a trauma to the body deeming an x-ray necessary, and I will then refer out for the films.
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HOW OFTEN DO WE NEED TO SEE YOU?
That depends on the extent of the issues involved. I like to see the child for a follow-up 1 to 4 weeks after the initial appointment to see how they are doing and go over, or discuss, any lab tests done or that need to be done. Some children need to be treated more often than others so they need to see me more for short(er) appointments. Others don’t need to see me nearly as often if the main issue is being driven by something such as a food allergy that needs time to clear out. There is no cookbook method in my practice so the treatments/appointments are tailored to your child as an individual, not what worked for the last child.
DO YOU DO PHONE CONSULTATIONS?
Sometimes, especially if you live a distance and can’t see me as often, or at all. Therefore, more labs will need to be done to get a clear picture of your child’s issues and we will go over them on the phone with a plan to correct what needs to be corrected.
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WHAT IS YOUR “SUCCESS” RATE?
It is very high for those who stick with my recommendations. Everybody is different but I think that my rate of helping others is greater than other physicians because I work on what needs to be addressed, not what I think is going on.
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DO YOU WORK WITH OTHER PRACTITIONERS?
I can recommend other practitioners that utilize therapies that I feel will help your child progress. Some of the neurological therapies you may need to implement in your program might involve the help and understanding of your speech and occupational therapists.
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BUT MY CHILD HAS NO DIAGNOSIS!
That’s okay. It’s more important to diagnose the processes in the body that have gone wrong rather than give someone an ultimate “you’ve got this” diagnosis for which they know will do nothing for the patient but label them. I am interested in diagnosing issues such as an under active digestive system, low immune function, inability to detoxify substance ‘x’, etc….so the true cause of the problem can be addressed, leading to the ultimate “diagnosis of the symptoms” being corrected. Basically, I treat the causes rather than the symptoms so we’re not “painting over rust” as some say.
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WHEN YOU ARE READY TO SCHEDULE:
Hopefully this packet has answered most, if not all of your questions. If any question has not been answered, please call or email and I will be more than happy to speak with you. Please sign each page of these FAQs and return them to our office prior to scheduling your child. The one major thing I ask of parents is that they come prepared and ready to make the changes they need to make as soon as they leave my office after your first appointment. If you feel as though you are not ready to make the commitment regarding dietary and certain lifestyle changes at this time, then it is best for you to wait until you are ready. It is also important that you have all the questions answered regarding your insurance coverage prior to your appointment. I have had some parents cancel their follow-up appointment to wait and see what their insurance company would cover of the first visit before returning, and progress of the child’s health suffers. Please have all this information taken care of prior to your first visit. Also, I highly recommend that you bring someone else (spouse, caretaker, friend, etc), to watch over your child during the time I need to talk to you before treating him/her. Please bring a notebook to write down helpful/important information which you will learn from our time together. I look forward to seeing you!
Dr. Gangemi
