So many people have this question when seeing a new Chiropractor or even a Chiropractor for the very fist time. I thought I would write this post so you can get a good understanding of what to expect on your first visit with me.
First off, the first visit will take about 40-45 minutes. We will start off with a history of your complaint(s). A history is your opportunity to tell me what's going on. Along with questions I ask you, the goal is to find out; How did it start? how long has it been going on? has it happened before? what areas are affected? does anything make it better/worse? do you have medical issues that may affect treatment? does it affect your work/activities? and so on.
The idea is asking poignant questions and getting your account of the issue can help with the overall diagnosis. A trained doctor can have a very good idea of the problem based on the history alone. But most importantly, I need to assess if Chiropractic is right for you. If I uncover things in the history that concern me or things that need further investigation, I will recommend you consult your family physician or suggest other therapies like Physiotherapy or massage. If I think that another therapy is more appropriate for you, I will tell you.
If on the other hand, I think that Chiropractic can help you, I will also tell you. More on this later. The next step is the physical exam and orthopedic testing. The physical exam will give me a better idea of your status right off the bat. I will check for; areas of pain, if the pain radiates or travels to other areas, range of motion/stiffness in the affected areas, muscle strength in the affected areas, etc. I will also check for neurological signs that include reflexes, sensation and strength to assess the health of your nervous system.
Finally, I will use a series of orthopedic tests. Orthopedic tests are used in order to narrow down the diagnosis. These tests can be very helpful to distinguish where the problem is really coming from and what structures or tissues are involved.(To give you insight on how Chiropractors or any doctor for that matter thinks, when a patient presents complaining of symptoms or pain, there are probably a few possibilities of causes. So Chiropractors are trained to narrow down the possibilities until we find the most likely cause of your complaint. Kind of like playing a detective. If we can rule out possibilities one by one, we will often be left with the most probable cause)
For an example, here's a video that demonstrates a specific orthopedic tests called; Yeoman's test. This test is used to see if the source of a patient's low back pain is coming from the Sacroiliac joints that make up your pelvis.
Once we've completed the physical exam. I will explain to you what my diagnosis is and the reasoning behind it. Then I will explain to you how Chiropractic can help you. When you understand the diagnosis and are comfortable with everything discussed, we can begin treatment.
We will then proceed with soft tissue and massage work. This not only feels good but can help to relieve tension in the muscles that almost everyone can relate to. After this, I will use a series of Chiropractic adjustments to correct your complaint, relieve pain, improve mobility and restore function.
But before the session is over, I will often leave the patient with stretches and exercises they can perform at home to help speed their recovery. NOTE: In my office, this is pretty much a requirement. I believe everyone should be active and along with Chiropractic treatments, you can positively affect your outcome if you set aside some time to stretch and exercise. Although I can't force you to exercise, I know it will definitely help so I strongly recommend it.
I guess that pretty much sums up what to expect from your first visit to my office. But if you have any questions or comments, leave me a note below and perhaps we could get a group discussion going!
As always, if you're in the Commercial Drive neighborhood of East Vancouver stop by my office or go visit my website;COMMERCIAL DRIVE - EAST VANCOUVER CHIROPRACTOR; DR. DOMINIC CHAN DC!!!
No comments:
Post a Comment