WELCOME TO OUR OFFICE

When you first arrive you will be greeted by Brooke, our friendly Chiropractic Assistant, who can answer any specific questions you have about your first visit.   If you have not already downloaded and filled out the new patient forms she will have you do that and provide insurance documents when needed.

Your First Chiropractic Care Visit: What To Expect

Individuals who are going to have their chiropractic treatment for the first time might have a lot of questions about the treatment procedures. Some might be scared, while others are nervous due to lack of proper knowledge about what to expect. Read on to learn more about what usually goes on during your first visit to a chiropractor to make you better prepared for it.

Patient Health History

Any consultation with a chiropractor or other medical practitioners begins with a consultation. You will be provided a form that must be filled out as a means for Dr. Alexander to gather background information needed on any symptoms or conditions currently being experienced. That way, he’ll be able to trace if you have any history of other conditions and better able to determine the source of your current complaints.

Among the questions you are expected to answer on the form include the following:

• When did you first feel the pain?
• How did the pain start?
• Where could you have possibly acquired it?
• Does any factor cause it to ease or become worse?

Basically, the idea behind these questions is to provide the data Dr. Alexander needs to assess the extent of your condition. These observations are also placed in comparison to any medical records that you may already have.

Physical Examination

Patients undergo a thorough physical examination before a chiropractic treatment is performed. The tests are required orthopedic neurological tests. All of these are performed to gather crucial data needed for proper diagnosis of the your condition.

Among the aspects of  your health that are determined through this stage include strength and tone of muscle, range of motion in the specific area of the body that is affected, and neurological imbalances. In addition, you  might be required to execute a few physical motions to see exactly how well the body executes the assigned movements.

Dr. Raymond Alexander

Diagnostic Studies and Diagnosis

Once the gathering of medical history information and physical chiropractic examination is complete, diagnostic studies are now conducted.  In this stage, an evaluation of the previously gathered data is done with the intent of  making an accurate diagnosis.   An x-ray and other procedures may be part of the diagnostic study..

When Dr. Alexander has all these elements put together, he will now have all the tools needed to make an accurate evaluation. The next step will be to determine whether chiropractic care is appropriate and if you qualify for treatment, or if there are other suggested treatment methods for your condition.

How Long Will It Take?

Your first visit to a chiropractor will typically last for less than an hour. This should be enough time to perform all of the above steps needed to gather medical information and evaluate them for proper diagnosis. Since it is your health condition that is on the line, it is important for Dr. Alexander  not to proceed in haste to insure that some crucial information is not left out.

Deciding on a Treatment Plan

Depending on the severity of the your condition, some chiropractors can already begin the treatment plan upon the first visit. However, a few others would have to schedule another appointment to begin the treatment session.

Using the information available , Dr. Alexander will prescribe a set of goals for your treatment. Again, the extent of the damage and the treatment method determined for you will impact the length of your treatment period. Short-term treatments are usually suited for patients who merely suffer from pain caused by dysfunction in the joints or muscles.

Meanwhile, those that require full restoration of their health system to retain function and improve daily life might require a longer-term treatment plan.