What To Expect On Your First Visit To A Chiropractor

With a new trend toward natural alleviation of symptoms of various medical conditions, more and more people are turning their interest toward chiropractic care. A chiropractor can provide care for a plethora of different ailments and conditions, while the main principles of the care are the same. Chiropractors are trained to treat the following conditions:

Acute and chronic back pain
Acute and chronic neck pain
Pain in the extremities
Dysfunction in the extremities
Repetitive-use injuries
Herniated disc injuries
Headaches
Sports injuries
Pinched nerves
Pain in the joints

Your First Chiropractic Visit

The job of your chiropractor is to identify the cause behind your pain and to devise a plan that will allow you to alleviate or recover from your condition as soon as possible. Chiropractic treatment can include adjustments and manipulations, soft tissue treatment, and physical stabilization or rehab exercises.

At the core of your Suffolk chiropractor's treatment will likely be the chiropractic adjustment. These on-hands manipulations are applied to joints that have been identified as having poor range of motion or being "fixated". Specific force is applied to the joint to allow for the joint to move like it should, which allows you to become more functional while experiencing a reduced level of pain.

Manual therapy in the form of soft tissue treatment is also aimed at assisting your ligaments and muscles in working properly so that they can adapt to your appropriately functioning joints after an adjustment. Ultrasound, trigger point therapy, traction, and electrical stimulation are all often used as soft tissue treatment in the chiropractor's office.

Stabilization and rehabilitative exercises are often required in order to help a recuperating patient to maintain the effects of a successful chiropractic manipulation or adjustment and related soft tissue therapy. With these exercises, your chiropractor's aim is to have you rely on yourself once your treatment is completed. These exercises are based on your individual needs and the goals that you and the chiropractor establish for your treatment, and are very similar to physical therapy that you might experience in any traditional medical setting.

When initially visiting a chiropractor, you will need to bring along:

Your x-rays or MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) scans
Your medical records (if you haven't already requested them to be sent to the chiropractor)
A referral from your primary care physician (if it is required by your health insurance company)
Your current health insurance I.D. cards

Plan to spend more time at your first chiropractic visit than you will at following visits. Your chiropractor will want to review your medical history with you and go over the x-ray films or scans that you bring with you. He will also likely perform an adjustment and soft tissue therapy at the first consultative visit. During your initial visit, your chiropractor will discuss his suggestions for treatment and draw up a treatment plan based on your individual needs.