What To Expect At Your First Chiropractic Appointment

Chiropractic

If you’re new to the world of chiropractic care, it can be intimidating to get started. When your only background info is what you found by searching “best chiropractor near me” and scheduling an appointment, you may not know what to expect during your first chiropractic appointment. There are so many benefits of chiropractic care, so the good news is that this visit is the first step in a journey towards a healthier life. Here’s what you should know before you get started on your treatment plan.

Wondering What To Wear To Chiropractor? Get Comfy!

First things first: before you head out to the chiropractor, make sure you’re well-dressed for the appointment, and by that we don’t mean a suit and tie. Make sure whatever you wear is comfortable.

Pick out:

Loose clothing that you can move in
Comfortable shoes—no heels

While you may be coming straight from an office job to the chiropractor, bring comfortable clothes to change into so you can ditch the suit and tie.

Here are the three basic areas that are usually covered at your first visit.

Your medical history and symptoms
A general chiropractic physical examination
Diagnostic studies or perhaps, an adjustment

The Best Chiropractors Set Out First Visit Expectations From The Start

When you search for “the best chiropractor near me,” chances are you’ll find one who’s reputable and highly rated. A good chiropractor will tell you before starting what you should expect as well. This way, he or she knows that you will be comfortable and feel at ease. A practitioner who doesn’t try to develop this type of rapport from the start is either too rushed or being sloppy, point-blank. And one of the benefits of chiropractic care is having a practitioner that gives you both an individualized treatment plan and attention, so if he or she seems rushed during the first visit, be wary.

Part I: Your History:

You’ll most likely fill out background forms about your health, symptoms and condition with questions similar to these:

– How did the pain start?

– Where is the pain located?

-Did the pain stem from an injury?

In addition to these types of questions, your practitioner will want to know your family medical history, any medications you take, your current list of doctors, as well as pre-existing conditions and injuries.

Part II: The General Exam

Your chiropractor will do a battery of tests because he or she is concerned about overall wellness, and not just your back and neck! This is one of the other great benefits of chiropractic care.

He or she will check your: blood pressure, pulse, reflexes, and do a variety of tests to check your:

Range of motion
Muscle strength & tone
Neurological responses
Posture test

Part III: The Treatment

If your practitioner thinks you can benefit from an immediate adjustment, he or she may do one at your first visit on a padded comfortable table.

Your practitioner may also want to go further than the previous tests mentioned in order to find any issues or create a treatment plan. This doesn’t always happen though, but if he or she feels you need to, you may get X-rays, an MRI, or other tests. After these tests are conducted—whether at the chiropractor’s office or done in an outside facility, the chiropractor will create a personalized treatment plan for you.

At the end of the visit, a good chiropractor will have you walking out the door feeling confident about the next steps in your healing.

If you’re in the Monmouth County area and are curious about whether chiropractic care can work for you, call us at 732-431-2155 to schedule a consultation.