Chiropractic Adjustments in Surprise, AZ
Chiropractic care in Surprise, AZ from a doctor who also performs acupuncture and dry needling, so the joint, the nerve, and the muscle are treated together in one visit instead of across three offices. At Legg Chiropractic and Acupuncture, Dr. Derek M. Legg, D.C., M.P.H. builds every treatment plan from your examination and your digital X-rays, not from a script, and you start care the same day. New self pay patients start with a $49 first visit, and walk ins are welcome Monday through Thursday.
Does a chiropractic adjustment hurt?
For most patients an adjustment feels like pressure releasing rather than pain. Dr. Legg moves the joint a small, precise distance to restore motion, and many patients feel looser and lighter as soon as they stand up. If you are nervous, say so. He can use a gentler approach, a drop table, or a handheld instrument that adjusts without any twisting or popping at all, and he will explain what he is doing before he does it.
Is the popping sound bad for me?
No. That sound is gas releasing from the joint, the same as cracking a knuckle, not bone grinding on bone, and it is not a measure of whether the adjustment worked. Adjustments that use an instrument or a drop table often make no sound at all.
Is chiropractic care safe?
Chiropractic adjustment is widely considered safe when it is performed by a licensed chiropractor after a proper examination. That examination is the safety step. Dr. Legg takes a history, examines you, and reviews digital X-rays where they are clinically necessary, specifically to find the small number of conditions where an adjustment is not the right choice, such as significant osteoporosis, a fracture, or certain vascular concerns. If your case is one of those, he will tell you and point you toward the right care instead. Find it, fix it, keep it starts with knowing it is safe to begin.
Chiropractic or physical therapy for back pain?
Both help, and the honest answer is that the research puts them close. A well known New England Journal of Medicine study found chiropractic adjustment and physical therapy produced similar results for low back pain. The practical difference is speed and structure: the adjustment tends to give faster short term relief and usually takes fewer visits, while physical therapy leans on stretching and strengthening over a longer course. Many patients do best with both, which is part of why Dr. Legg builds movement and home care into your treatment plan rather than adjusting alone. If your case would be better served by physical therapy or a referral, he tells you at your report of findings.
What we use chiropractic care for in Surprise, AZ
Chiropractic supports care for back pain, neck pain, headaches and migraines, sciatica and radiating pain, shoulder and hip pain, and recovery from auto accident injuries, where it is worth being examined promptly after a crash. Whether an adjustment is the right tool for your case, and which region needs it, comes from your examination and your X-rays rather than a guess. See the full list of conditions we treat.
How the adjustment works with acupuncture and dry needling
The three tools do different jobs, and using them together is the reason patients get results here that a single approach may not reach. The adjustment restores motion to a joint that has stopped moving properly. Acupuncture may calm the nervous system and the inflammation around that joint. Dry needling releases the specific muscle that has been guarding the injury. Dr. Legg is trained in all three and chooses among them, or combines them, based on what your examination shows. You get all of it from the same doctor in the same visit.
How Dr. Legg builds your treatment plan
Your plan comes from your examination and your X-rays, not from a script. If you already have an MRI, the MRI review folds it in. A posture evaluation finds the desk or the habit that keeps loading the same joint, therapeutic exercise rebuilds the support so the relief holds, and electrical stimulation can settle a guarded muscle first. When a disc is the problem, spinal decompression may fit. What to do at home between visits is on the after your adjustment page. Individual results vary.
Does Medicare cover chiropractic adjustments?
Yes. Medicare Part B covers the medically necessary spinal adjustment when it is performed to correct a subluxation, and we bill Medicare directly for it. In 2026 the Part B deductible is $283, after which Medicare pays 80 percent of the approved amount and you are responsible for the remaining 20 percent, which usually works out to around $6 to $10 per visit. Medicare does not cover X-rays ordered by a chiropractor, massage, extremity adjusting, or maintenance care once you are no longer actively improving. It also does not cover acupuncture, dry needling, or spinal decompression performed by a chiropractor. We explain all of that before care begins. More detail is on our Medicare page and our insurance page.
How many visits will I need?
It depends on how long the problem has been present and what your examination and X-rays show. Dr. Legg gives you a specific plan at your report of findings, before care continues, rather than an open ended commitment.
Do I need a referral to see a chiropractor?
No. Arizona allows you to see a chiropractor directly, and no referral is needed for Medicare either. Walk ins are welcome Monday through Thursday, or you can book online.
What to expect on your first visit
Your first visit covers a consultation, a full examination, digital X-rays if they are clinically necessary, and your first adjustment, so you leave with care already started rather than only a plan. Dr. Legg walks you through your X-rays and your treatment plan at the report of findings. New self pay patients can start with the $49 first visit, and more detail on the day is on the first visit page. For context, a new patient chiropractic first visit without insurance commonly runs $100 to $250, and X-rays can add $50 to $150 on top. The $49 first visit does not apply to Medicare, auto accident, personal injury or workers' compensation cases.
Visit us
Legg Chiropractic and Acupuncture, 13757 W Bell Rd #101, Surprise, AZ 85374, inside Sheitelman Physical Medicine on West Bell Road, minutes from Sun City West, Sun City, El Mirage, Litchfield Park, Waddell, Peoria and Goodyear. Call (623) 214-7600 or book online. Monday to Thursday, 9:00 AM to 5:30 PM, Arizona time. Dr. Derek M. Legg, D.C., M.P.H. earned his Doctor of Chiropractic at Logan University and a Master of Public Health and is Certified in Acupuncture. You see the same doctor at every visit, so your plan stays consistent and nothing gets handed off between providers. Learn more about Dr. Legg, see every service we offer, or read about chiropractic care in Surprise, AZ. Individual results vary. Reviewed by Dr. Derek M. Legg, D.C., M.P.H. Last reviewed September 2026.