When you first arrive you will be greeted by our reception staff who will make you comfortable in our reception and ask for you to fill out a form relating to your medical history. You will then be met by your chiropractor and shown to a private consultation room, where you will be asked questions about the pain along with a general background of your medical history. This is so we have as much information as possible to make the correct diagnosis.
Secondly a very thorough examination is done which includes the whole of the spine and relevant joints as well as muscles, ligaments and the nervous system. If Sometimes X-rays are necessary if the case history and the examination does not provide enough information.
When your chiropractor has made a diagnosis he or she then decides whether this condition is suitable for chiropractic treatment. If not, you are then usually referred back to the GP for further investigations or treatment. The chiropractor will always tell you if he or she can not help you.
When a case is deemed suitable for chiropractic treatment, the chiropractor makes a treatment plan. This plan will include the frequency and cost of treatment along with plans for advice such as exercises, ice or heat, postural changes, working environment etc.
The Report of Findings probably the most important part of your first visit. This where we tell you what is wrong, why it has gone wrong and what we are going to do to make you better. It is vital that the you understand what is going wrong with your body and what we will do to correct it. We will also explain you how the can expect to respond and how long it will take for you to improve. This is usually the stage where are patients realise they are in the right place. We often hear that patients for the first time understand and can make sense of why they are getting pain, and now have a clear plan for how they are going to get better.