Your chiropractor’s main goal is to make sure you leave feeling better than when you came in. If this is your very first visit, know that everyone in the practice, from the receptionist to your chiropractor’s support team are there to ensure that you will have a good experience. You will find that a first visit with a chiropractor is similar to a first visit with a primary care physician. You will have to provide a full medical history, consult with your chiropractor, go through a medical exam, and get your first treatment.
Providing Your Health History
Your chiropractor like your primary care physician requires you to fill out forms that include your medical history and insurance information. Sometimes, you can download forms online and fill them out at home. Add as much detail as you can about your health history and pay special attention to the section that describe the reasons why you are seeking help from your chiropractor. For example, if you have lower back pain, describe exactly where the pain is and how it is affecting your everyday life.
The Consultation
In the consultation, you will provide your chiropractor with more details about your health history, your current health, the reason or reasons for the visit, and your health goals. Health goals may include things like being able to walk without pain or starting an exercise regimen even if you have some limitations.
The chiropractor may ask some probing questions about the symptoms you may be feeling now. These include questions like:
- Where are you feeling pain?
- Does the pain throb or burn?
- What makes the pain feel worse, or better?
- What actions have you taken to relieve your pain?
- How has the pain affected your family life and work life?
The chiropractor will be careful to note down what you are experiencing and may suggest possible treatment options, including exercises you can do at home.
The Exam
During the exam, the chiropractor will have you stand, sit, or lie down in a position that is comfortable for you. If the problem is in your back, the chiropractor may use different methods to identify the segments in your spine that require chiropractic treatment. The chiropractor may do several range of motion tests and gently touch your spine to determine if there are issues with movement in the spinal joints. The chiropractor may order additional diagnostic tests, that include X-rays or even an MRI, when necessary.
The Adjustment
Chiropractic adjustments take about 5 to 15 minutes. The chiropractor may perform several adjustments, depending on your symptoms and the result of the physical examination. The simplest way to describe an adjustment is to call it spinal manipulation. In other words, the chiropractor will apply gentle pressure to areas of the spine that are “locked up.” You may feel an immediate sense of relief as the chiropractor adjusts your upper back, lower back, and hips. Some people report a sudden calmness. Why? Because your spine is what houses your spinal cord, a system of nerves that run from your brain all the way down to your lower intestines. When these nerves are pinched or blocked by the joints in your spine you may feel a number of different symptoms—from localized pain, to headaches, and even psychological symptoms such as anxiety and depression.
Providing Your Health History
Your chiropractor like your primary care physician requires you to fill out forms that include your medical history and insurance information. Sometimes, you can download forms online and fill them out at home. Add as much detail as you can about your health history and pay special attention to the section that describe the reasons why you are seeking help from your chiropractor. For example, if you have lower back pain, describe exactly where the pain is and how it is affecting your everyday life.
The Consultation
In the consultation, you will provide your chiropractor with more details about your health history, your current health, the reason or reasons for the visit, and your health goals. Health goals may include things like being able to walk without pain or starting an exercise regimen even if you have some limitations.
The chiropractor may ask some probing questions about the symptoms you may be feeling now. These include questions like:
- Where are you feeling pain?
- Does the pain throb or burn?
- What makes the pain feel worse, or better?
- What actions have you taken to relieve your pain?
- How has the pain affected your family life and work life?
The chiropractor will be careful to note down what you are experiencing and may suggest possible treatment options, including exercises you can do at home.
The Exam
During the exam, the chiropractor will have you stand, sit, or lie down in a position that is comfortable for you. If the problem is in your back, the chiropractor may use different methods to identify the segments in your spine that require chiropractic treatment. The chiropractor may do several range of motion tests and gently touch your spine to determine if there are issues with movement in the spinal joints. The chiropractor may order additional diagnostic tests, that include X-rays or even an MRI, when necessary.
The Adjustment
Chiropractic adjustments take about 5 to 15 minutes. The chiropractor may perform several adjustments, depending on your symptoms and the result of the physical examination. The simplest way to describe an adjustment is to call it spinal manipulation. In other words, the chiropractor will apply gentle pressure to areas of the spine that are “locked up.” You may feel an immediate sense of relief as the chiropractor adjusts your upper back, lower back, and hips. Some people report a sudden calmness. Why? Because your spine is what houses your spinal cord, a system of nerves that run from your brain all the way down to your lower intestines. When these nerves are pinched or blocked by the joints in your spine you may feel a number of different symptoms—from localized pain, to headaches, and even psychological symptoms such as anxiety and depression.
After Your Visit
After Your Visit
Because chiropractic treatments follow your body’s own natural healing process, you may require several follow-up visits. Chiropractic treatments are not a “quick fix,” although there are times when a few adjustments are all that is necessary to make you feel better. A good chiropractor will speak to you at every visit to determine if the treatment plan you discussed in your first few visits is helping. The chiropractor will adjust the treatment plan, as needed, if he or she feels it is necessary.
If the chiropractor has given you at-home exercises, follow through and do them. Our bodies have a natural tendency to fall back into old patterns, so at-home exercises ensure that the work the chiropractor has done to help you, is not lost. Make sure that at-home exercises are combined with a good diet, a regular exercise routine, (if allowed), and rest.
Follow your chiropractor’s advice because both you and your chiropractor have one mutual goal—to help you heal as quickly and as effectively as possible. Continue to visit your chiropractor even after your treatment is over. Regular adjustments strengthen your immune system, keep you flexible and less prone to injury, and help you sleep better.