What to Expect When You Visit a Chiropractor

Doctors of chiropractic are regulated health professionals that use a patient-centered, non-invasive, hands-on approach to health care.They are experts of the spine and related joints, muscles, and nervous system.Because your spine and spinal nerves have connections to almost all parts of the body, chiropractors are trained to think wholistically when examining, diagnosing and caring for their patients. Chiropractic care is conservative care which means they help people move better, feel better andimprove their quality of life without the use of medications or surgery.The focus is on restoring function and promoting healthy lifestyles.

On your first visit to a chiropractor, there will be some paperwork for you to com- plete.Next, the doctor will listen to you and give you time to communicate your health concerns. They will ask you several questions to get as specific and as complete an understanding of your health status as possible.From here we proceed to an examination.Chiropractic exams most often will include a combination of orthopedic and neurological tests as well as various palpation techniques of the spine.As an example, someone may have a complaint of low back pain.

Chiropractors will assess the low back but also the hips, knees, and feet, mid back, neck and shoulders.This is because no part of the body works in isolation.Also, in my experience patients don’t tell, or are not aware of, secondary and tertiary areas of the body that are also functioning sub optimally. At the end of the exam the chiropractor will have decided as to whether x-rays or any other tests or imaging are necessary.

Once all the information is gathered the chiropractor will relay their diagnosis and the various treatment options they would recommend to you.Sometimes this can be done on the first visit.However, often it isn’t until the second visit, especially if it is a chronic condition or they are waiting for further imaging reports.As chiropractors we feel it is important to communicate effectively with our patients for them to understand their health condition and what chiropractic can do to help them. This would also include all the things the patient can do to help themselves, such as, improved postures at home, sleep and work, specific exercises and various other lifestyle changes that will support and enhance the care that the chiropractor gives in office.

In my experience, most people who use chiropractic care get significant benefit. The most common improvements include, decreased pain, increased function, better sleep, and overall improved quality of life. Those patients who are most successful are the ones that work with the chiropractor as a team and learn how to help themselves. Recent research into effectiveness of chiropractic care also shows that those who use chiropractors have a 64% less chance of using opioids and an 83% less reliance on pain medication. Chiropractic care was also shown to be better than exercise for short-term pain relief.

Next month we will expand on what a chiropractor does to improve your health and how long you should expect to need chiropractic care.

James DiGiuseppe is a local chiropractor with a busy family and wellness practice.For more health information or to contact Dr. DiGiuseppe visit: www.portarthurchiropractic.com