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Your first Visit
Your first visit will take around 45 minutes, and the key goal of this visit is to figure out what’s wrong, and then decide if we can help you or not.
We ask that you arrive a little early to begin with, as there will be some forms for you to fill out such as contact details, and general health history information. Following this, Dr. Chris will take you through and collect detailed information from you about your problem/s.
Once completed, you will have a very comprehensive physical examination, essentially to figure out what’s working, and what isn’t. Then Dr. Chris will explain what he has found, and what he feels is the best way to tackle the problem. Once you’re happy with what has been explained, and had any questions answered, Dr. Chris is likely to begin adjusting you straight away.
In some circumstances, more information may be necessary before any treatment can commence, such as X-rays, in which case, Dr. Chris will organise a referral for you so they can be done as soon as possible.
X-rays are not mandatory before treatment. When X-rays have been ordered, the following visit will allow extra time so that Dr. Chris can go over his findings with you.
At the end of your first visit, after you have been adjusted, Dr. Chris will outline a proposed ‘schedule of care’ with you. This will cover a range of topics such as visit frequency, technique/s used, short/long term goals, and other recommendations such as exercises.
The goal is to get you as least dependant on your chiropractic care as soon as reasonably possible, so that you can start taking control of your wellbeing again.
General Principles
Stages of Care
Whilst it can be very difficult to generalise, there are usually 2 stages to get through:
1. Undo the most recent damage first - this typically takes about 4-6 weeks (though can be quicker, or much slower). This can vary considerably. Children/infants/babies usually respond much faster, as they don’t have decades of general wear and tear to overcome. Some damage isn’t reversible, but at this stage we focus on what can be undone.
2. Begin the process of cleaning up the longer-term, bigger picture. This involves less frequent visits, however involves you becoming the bigger part of the solution by addressing factors such as diet, exercise, and work posture. Allows you to “raise the bar” and get your wellbeing up to a higher standard. IF.......you’re interested! This stage can often involve a change in technique used, and most often involves beginning ‘Advanced Biostructural Correction’, to deal with the more complex problems that limit further improvement.
“At the end of the day”, Results are the key. We are constantly assessing to ensure measurable progress is occurring.
Visit fequency
The frequency with which you get adjusted typically depends on which stage of care you are at. Initially, a higher visit frequency is essential, which then tapers off over time. Whilst it would be nice if spinal problems could be corrected in a visit or two, it simply is not the case.
Amongst many, there are two key reasons that more needs to be done sooner. Firstly, by getting adjusted more often initially, you get through that initial ‘pain management’ stage much faster, allowing you to get on with more corrective work.
Secondly, teaching the body to work differently, is much the same as learning a new skill such as juggling, tennis, piano and so on. The more often we practice, the faster our brain and body can reprogram the new movement patterns. A beginner piano player wouldn’t get very far having one lesson a month or fortnight!
Determining your visit frequency is a very dynamic process, and is not ‘carved in stone’.
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