What To Expect
New Admission
When you arrive for your appointment you will be greeted by our friendly staff at reception and provided with a New Patient Admission Form. This will provide us with a clearer picture of your whole health history, including any conditions, medications, surgical procedures and accidents pertinent to your case.
History
Your chiropractor will carefully review your form and ask further questions to develop a thorough understanding of your presenting complaint and overall health condition. A complete and thorough history can also determine if any red flags indicate immediate referral to a medical facility.
Examination
Once your history is complete, a thorough examination will be conducted in order to determine whether or not you have a Chiropractic problem. This will entail a series of small assessments from checking your posture, feeling for pressure and swelling, analysing joint motion, as well as orthopaedic and neurological testing. The emphasis of Chiropractic is in problem detection and not routine manipulative therapy. You can rest assured, if your case is not suitable for Chiropractic, referral to another health practitioner will be made.
X-Ray or Further Investigation
Shall a Chiropractic problem be detected, further investigation such as an X-Ray of the region may be warranted. Information obtained from X-Ray, includes the presence of anomalies and degenerative change, signs of trauma as well as the presence of pathologies.
Adjustment
With all the information put together, you will receive a very accurate, calculated and controlled movement to your problem area only. Chiropractors term this "Adjustment". It only takes a split second and is usually painless.
Advice
You may be advised on basic exercises such as walking or stretching, as well as instructions for the application of ice and heat. Postural advice is also prescribed in order to protect vulnerable regions of your spine and extremities.
After Adjustment
Although most feel immediate relief after the adjustment, some may experience temporary reactionary swelling or some muscle soreness from guarding. This is normal and usually settles within 48 hours. Some acute stages of presentation may not feel any different for several days until inflammation has begun to settle.