What you should expect when visiting a chiropractor for the first time?
Although chiropractic treatment is effective for the treatment of many diseases its claim to fame is for pain relief that it does most effectively. Relieving the symptoms of patients as fast as possible is the top agenda for the chiropractors attached to Active Edge chiropractic & functional medicine, a chiropractic clinic that treats wide-ranging health issues from chronic pain to digestive issues, from migraines and headache to stiffness and soreness as well as numbness and tingling, low energy and fatigue and auto injuries. Chiropractors use minimal treatment by using their hands to make bodily adjustments for providing relief to patients suffering from sciatica or back pain.
All chiropractic techniques are not alike because there is a variety of practice philosophies and you must ask enough questions to understand how the chiropractor plans to carry out the treatment. You must understand the examination and diagnosis method that leads to the treatment so that you are aware of the kind of treatment you would undergo. Usually, the clinical examination in the office consists of gathering information about the patient history and symptoms, conducting chiropractic examination and finally doing some diagnostic studies, if needed and finally followed by the chiropractic treatment plan.
Patient history and symptoms
Before starting any examination of the patient, the chiropractor would like to know a lot of details about the patient’s health and medical history that helps to assess the present condition more accurately. The background information must include everything that explains the symptoms correctly like the location of the pain area, when the pain started and how especially whether it happened from any injury. It is essential to describe the type of pain like throbbing or dull pain or is it a searing and burning sensation that comes with pain and very sharp. You must point out the conditions that aggravate the pain or seems to reduce.
The examination
A chiropractic examination is different from the routine checkup by doctors but has many similarities too. Since the chiropractor aims to understand the body condition and the overall health the examination consists of checking blood pressure, respiration, pulse and reflexes and in addition might require some neurological and orthopedic tests to assess muscle tone, range of motion of the affected part, neurological integrity and muscle strength. It might be necessary to conduct more chiropractic tests to assess the condition of the affected area. Posture analysis, asking the patient to move in a specific manner and chiropractic manipulation of the affected area are some other tests that help in better diagnosis.
Diagnostic studies
To identify structural abnormalities and understanding pathologies for more accurate diagnosis, chiropractors recommend some tests or diagnostic studies if they feel necessary. Only if the chiropractor feels like gathering more information after going through the first two steps that should be helpful to guide the treatment program of the patient that he or she would recommend it. Some laboratory tests and imaging like X-ray and MRI are the tests usually advised.
By analyzing the information from the above procedures, the chiropractor discusses the diagnosis and the treatment plan.