| Your First Visit |
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Health History & Consultation Chiropractic is probably best known for its great success in treating back and neck pain. However, the scope of Chiropractic extends far beyond these complaints. Therefore we want to know about all the conditions or symptoms that you currently have. Misalignment of your spine may put pressure on your nerves, which may contribute to the creation of a symptom or condition. Chiropractic is very effective in the treatment of headaches, whiplash, carpal tunnel syndrome, numbness, chronic pain and the effects of stress to name just a few, therefore you will be asked to fill out a health history to help us better understand the nature of your condition. The doctor will then review the history and ask you questions designed to allow him to better understand your particular condition. It is important during the consolation that the Doctor gets a thorough understanding of your condition. It is also important to understand what health care goals you have regarding your care. Do you simply want symptom relief? Do you want reconstructive care to improve the spine as much as possible and stabilize it? Or do you want to improve your spine and health as much as possible? This is in order to PREVENT problems from happening in the future. Examination During the examination the Doctor will assess not only the causes of your complaints, but the condition of your spine and health in general. The intention is to treat your body as a whole, not just as a symptom. Some of the test may be familiar to you such as checking your reflexes and ranges of motion. Other tests are specific to Chiropractic. None of the test involves any discomfort to the patient. X-ray Our x-ray equipment is designed to keep your exposure to a minimum. We never x-ray more than the minimum necessary to evaluate your condition. Many Chiropractors do not use x-rays. However it is the policy of the Spine & Injury Center to see an X-ray (with the exception of pregnant women or very young children) so that we can properly formulate a diagnosis, prognosis and treatment plan. To see is to know, anything else is guessing. We do not guess with your health. In most cases, this ends the first visit. It takes time to develop, study, and correlate the findings to the examination performed. You will be discharged for the day, and asked to schedule a new appointment to complete the process described below. Report of Findings Once we develop and do an analysis of your x-rays we will review all of the information regarding your case. We will then determine the best treatment plan to match your health care goals. You will have your X-rays and exam findings explained to you, and if your problem can be helped, we will review your treatment plan. If it is felt that your case is unable to be helped by our intervention, you will receive the appropriate referral. First Adjustment Once you have accepted the recommendations for care at the Report of Findings, the first chiropractic adjustment will be given. Chiropractic adjustment is the method with which we realign the vertebra of the spine, thereby relieving the pressure on the nervous system and begin restoring normal nerve function. Dr. Kovacs is proficient in a number of different adjusting techiniques, and will tailor your adjustment to suit you. |
Most people who have never visited a Chiropractic office before have questions about what will take place on the first visit, and this is very understandable. The staff at the Spine & Injury Centers is sensitive to this, and will explain everything as your visit progresses. The purpose of the first visit is to determine if your condition could benefit from chiropractic care. The Spine & Injury Centers only accept patients whose condition could be helped by our treatments.
