What to Expect At Your First Chiropractic Visit
If you’ve decided to start seeing a doctor of chiropractics for regular treatments, you’re going to want to go into the office feeling prepared and somewhat confident in your knowledge of the subject of chiropractic care. First of all, at any new clinic you attend, you should feel comfortable asking any questions or bringing up any concerns that you may have about the examination, diagnosis, or treatment plan. A typical chiropractic consultation will last at least 45 minutes if not longer. Here’s what to expect at your first visit to a chiropractor’s office.
Provide Background Information
Before you see the doctor of chiropractic, you will be asked to fill out forms that provide background information about your health history and past health issues, as well as any current symptoms or conditions. If you’re going into a chiropractic clinic for a specific issue, you will be asked about that issue, so be prepared to answer when the pain or discomfort started, if it’s gotten better or worse, whether an injury caused it or not, and whether any other treatments seem to be helping it. You will also be asked to describe the pain, and whether it’s sharp, burning, dull, throbbing, continuous, or sporadic. You will also more than likely be asked to providethe medical history of your family, any pre-existing health conditions you may have, and what other treatment plans you are currently on, if any.
The Chiropractic Exam
Next, you will begin the actual chiropractic exam, where the doctor of chiropractic will examine the affected area that is bothering you. He or she will test your mobility and reflexes in relation to that area, including the range of motion in the affected body part. The chiropractor will also test for muscle strength, muscle tone, and neurological integrity, to see how your brain is communication with your spinal column. The chiropractor may or may not begin with chiropractic manipulation of the affected body part.
The Diagnosis
Once your doctor of chiropractic has a clearer understanding of your specific condition, he or she will be better able to determine whether your ailment can be treated with chiropractic care. If so, your chiropractor will sit down with you to discuss a future chiropractic treatment plan, that will probably involve regular visits from you to the clinic to ensure the affected body part is getting the care and treatment that it needs to heal well.