First Timer? What to Expect from Your Chiropractic Appointments

If you're expecting your first visit to the chiropractor, you may be wondering what to expect. We look at what will happen at your chiropractic appointments.

Step on a crack and you break your mothers back... it's a childhood rhyme, but if you have back pain, it feels like you can never be too careful.

But a crack may be just what you need when it comes to getting rid of your back pain. A crack by a licensed chiropractor, that is.

Are you nervous about the idea of chiropractic appointments? Don't know what to expect? We're walking you through the entire process below.

Start By Scheduling an Appointment

If you've chosen us as your first-time care provider, welcome! We aim to make our clinic inviting to all. The first thing you'll need to do is get on our calendar. If you go to our home page, you'll see an appointment request form at the bottom.

Fill that out and let us know it's your first time. Someone will call you to discuss appointment times.

Fill out Your Forms

A lot of the intake process at a new clinic is the forms. This usually takes up a bulk of the time and slows down your appointment. That's why our intake forms are downloadable, so you can show up with them filled out.

Part of your intake forms is describing your pain and symptoms.

When did they start?

Where is the pain located?

How would you describe it?

Please don't try to write off the pain. If your pain is a 9/10 - tell us it's a nine out of ten. We're here to help! Someone will go over this page with you in person - so don't worry about not knowing what to write or forgetting something.

Just do your best to describe your pain and how it's affecting your life.

Arriving at The Clinic

When you first arrive, you'll check in at the front desk. Tell us your name and appointment time, and give us any pre-filled out forms.

Doing your forms at home will shave at least ten minutes off your first appointment. The front desk will check over them and ask any questions or get more information if needed.

Then, someone will take you back to the treatment room or room(s).

Intake for Chiropractic Appointments

Once you're taken back, the chiropractor or an assistant will go over your pain and symptoms with you. You'll discuss issues at length and they may go through a range of motions with you, to determine to location of the issue.

Depending on the patient, sometimes we take vital statistics, like blood pressure and pulse. We'll check reflexes if we think it's relevant and talk about previous health issues.

This information gives us what we need to form a treatment plan, which is how we're going to reduce your symptoms or pain long term. We'll explain the steps of it to you and why we think we think the steps we suggest will help.

If you have any questions, please ask. We're more than willing to spend time explaining whatever you need more time with.

If the injury is severe, we may recommend you see your primary care doctor for an X-ray or MRI. (If you haven't had one already).

The Treatment

Each patient's process is a little different. A simple adjustment takes minutes, once all the talking is done with.

When you get an adjustment, the chiropractor will have you lay down on a massage-table like a bed. They will then direct you to move or lay your arms/legs a certain way.

While you're in the position they requested, they'll push and pull on your joints. This is simply pressuring - it really shouldn't hurt. They may hold one part of your body steady while they work on a joint.

They may even need two hands to adjust a certain joint. Try to relax the part of your body they're working on as much as possible. You're going to feel a little bit like a Barbie doll as they move you every which way.

Depending on the injury, sometimes an adjustment isn't enough. That's where other treatment options come in. Usually, these come before an adjustment, but again, it depends.

At our clinic we offer a few different treatments "add ons" if you will.

What Are the "Other" Therapies?

When you have an injury, everything around the location of trauma tenses up. That means we may need to work on relaxes the muscles to get to a place where we can adjust you.

Or relaxing your muscles could be the main aspect of your therapy. There are a few medically approved ways we can do this.

The chiropractor may apply a heating pad to the painful area. The heat warms the muscle tissues and makes them more pliable. They may massage the area or have you schedule a session with our massage therapists.

We also use ultrasounds, laser therapy, and electric stimulation to calm tense muscles. None of this hurts - including electrotherapy. The most you'll feel is a slight jerk or tickle.

Ending Your Visit

Once you've gone through your intake, made your treatment plan, and had your adjustment - you're all done. The chiropractor or their assistant will walk you out and tell the receptionist when they'd like to see you back.

They'll file a copy of your treatment plan in your file, so they know what your next appointment should look like. You can get a copy of this plan too if you'd like.

Once you pay and schedule your next appointment, you can be on your way - in less pain than you came in with and a new sense of hope.

Ready to get started with your chiropractic appointments? Give us a call.