Now that you are ready to start chiropractic care and your journey towards better health, here’s what to expect on your first visit at Infinity Spine Center!
The first visit revolves around:
- Getting to know you as a person
- Your health history
- Physical examination
- And your healthcare goals
Health History + Consultation:
During the first visit, we will go over important aspects of your health history along with any relevant follow up questions to attain more valuable information. The initial paperwork includes important sections such as: family medical history, pre-existing medical conditions, prior injuries, surgeries, and current treatments from health professionals. Please complete the initial paperwork prior to coming into the office to save you 10-15 minutes of time!
Physical Exam and Chiropractic Assessments:
The physical exam and chiropractic assessments are essential to beginning chiropractic care. The Gonstead Method has specific specialized assessments designed to understand and address an individual body. Some of these examinations include:
- range of motion
- palpation
- muscle tests
- neurological tests
- x-ray or MRI (if necessary)
- thermography
- visualization
*Adjustments:
The Gonstead Method is a conservative chiropractic technique, so typically adjustments are made during follow up visits to allow time to analyze the person’s history and examination findings, receive x-rays or MRI’s if necessary, as well as formulate a care plan.
A chiropractic adjustment may be done the first visit If the doctor determines the person’s condition to be safe to adjust. This is dependent on a person’s condition, exam findings, severity, and pain level. In severe acute cases, accommodations may be made to help alleviate pain.
Care Plan:
An individualized care plan is developed based on a person’s history, exam findings, and severity of their conditions. The frequency of chiropractic visits as well as length of time is typically determined on a case by case basis.
Other parts of the care plan include, but are not limited to:
- lifestyle recommendations
- vitamins and supplements
- physical therapy exercises and stretches
- referrals to other healthcare professionals
- modalities such as:
- IASTM
- Laser Therapy
- cupping
- Taping
- heat/ice
First Adjustment:
Before the adjustment, the Doctor will spend time identifying the area affected through: palpation, thermography, visualization, etc.
During the first adjustment, the Doctor will pay special attention to patient education and comfort. With the Gonstead Method, adjustments utilize special tools and tables designed to position the body based on the biomechanics of the area being adjusted. These positions can feel a little bit awkward and unnatural at first, but soon it will feel second nature.