What To Expect At Your Chiropractor Appointment
If you’ve never seen a chiropractor before, it’s natural to wonder what to expect. While each patients’ experience is different based on their specific condition and needs, here is some basic information.
The purpose of your initial consultation with your chiropractor is to discuss your health issues and goals. We ask questions and listen carefully to find out how we can best help you. Then, we complete a thorough examination to help identify the cause of your problem. This examination often includes:
| Checking your blood pressure, respiration and pulse | Posture analysis |
| Muscle strength tests | Neurological tests, including reflexes and sensation |
| Range of motion tests | Orthopedic tests |
| Hands-on evaluation of the affected area, including skin, muscles, tendons, etc. |
Additional diagnostic tests are also sometimes needed to provide an accurate diagnosis. These may include:
| X-Rays | MRI or CAT scans |
| Lab tests, including blood work, urinalysis, etc. |
In some cases, we may provide a referral to a specialist, such as a neurologist, rheumatologist, surgeon, etc. Following the examination, most patients begin some sort of therapy during their first visit. Complete results of your examination are usually compiled and available by the next business day.
Your Second Visit
During your second visit to any one of our chiropractic offices, we will discuss your examination and test results, and make treatment recommendations customized for your particular problem. This will include a written treatment plan, which will detail:
| Your Diagnosis | Cause of your problem |
| Factors that are aggravating your condition | Frequency and length of care |
| Therapies to be used; these may include chiropractic care, rehabilitative therapy, massage therapy or other treatments | Short-term and long-term goals |
Your Follow-up Visits
During your follow-up visits we may:
- Use appropriate therapies, including chiropractic care, rehabilitative therapy, massage therapy or other treatments like traction, ultrasound, diathermy or ultrasound, to facilitate healing and reduce or eliminate pain
- Build flexibility and strength in painful or injured areas by having you complete rehabilitation exercises in the office on specialized machines
- Demonstrate home exercises to improve muscles balance, strength and coordination
- Provide education to improve posture and motor control
Your time is valuable
Most patients will do more than one type of therapy and/or see more than one provider per visit, so most visits will take 45-60 minutes. If you have more than one problem or a complicated condition, it may take longer.
We recognize your time is valuable, and we do everything possible to run on time and minimize the impact on your busy life. Our 10-Minute Promise and Same Day Promise ensure that you will not wait more than 10 minutes for your appointment and will be seen the same day you call for an appointment.
