What to Expect at the First Chiropractic Consultation

People often seek chiropractic care for pain relief and treatment is effective for different types of lower back pain, sciatica, neck pain and more. Your first chiropractic consultation will involve a thorough chiropractic exam, history, any necessary x-rays and may or may not include the start of your chiropractic treatment. The first consultation generally lasts 45-minutes and your follow-up appointments will most likely be a lot shorter, generally about 10 to 15-minutes.

Your first consultation will cover three areas, including patient history and symptoms, a chiropractic exam, and diagnostic studies. This will take place in the exam room and you will have to fill out forms to provide the chiropractor with background information about your symptoms and condition. Information on your history with be gathered and any pre-existing medical conditions or past injuries so that they can create a proper care plan.

The chiropractic exam will include general tests like range of motion, orthopedic testing, neurological testing, palpation, and depending on your condition, additional chiropractic tests may be required to better assess the affected areas. Based on the results of the assessment, diagnostic studies may be conducted to reveal structural abnormalities. An x-ray is the most common diagnostic study used during the initial appointment but is not always needed. It may be used to help diagnose a recent trauma or to study a spinal issues.

The chiropractor will generally arrive at a specific diagnosis through their findings from the patient’s history, physical exam, and diagnostic test results. Once they have this information, your chiropractor will decide if your condition will respond well to chiropractic care. They will explain the diagnosed condition and individualized chiropractic treatment plans to you towards the end of the initial visit and will also be able to tell you the length of your chiropractic care.

Westwood Family Chiropractic can provide you with more information, so if you are looking for a chiropractor in the Winnipeg area, give us a call today!