A typical visit to our offices is different depending on the stage of your care. Your first visit will likely be the longest. You will spend time filling out an intake that will inform the doctor what the problems are that you are here to have treated. The doctor or his assistants will then step you trough the proper paperwork for your care. There are a number of forms that generally need to be signed at your first visit.
Following this, you will be seen by the doctor for you an exam or consultation. If you are coming in for a consultation, your visit will usually be more brief. You will have the opportunity to sit down and discuss your situation with the doctor and he will tell you whether he feels a course of chiropractic care is likely the right course of action.
If you are being seen for an exam, your visit will take a little longer as the doctor is going to lead you through an exam that will help him to decipher the source of your pain. After your physical examination is complete, the doctor may decide that he needs to take some x-rays. X-rays are taken to be certain that chiropractic care will be safe for you. They allow the doctor to see if there is any evidence of further problems like fractures or other things that cannot be seen with the naked eye.
After these x-rays heave been performed the doctor will often have you do some therapy to help reduce your pain and feel a bit better. The whole visit will usually take 45 minutes to 1 and a half hours, depending on the severity of your injuries. Injuries from things like an automobile accident will likely be longer fist visits. People with minor back pain or headaches that come and go, may take less time on this visit.
Your second visit will be for what we refer to as your Review of Findings. During this visit the doctor will review your x-rays with you, if any were performed, and show you what he has found in them. He will then explain to you the best plan of care for you. If he feels chiropractic can help you, he will recommend a care plan tailored to your needs. If he feels that your problem is better treated by another type of physician, he will refer you to the proper type of doctor for your injuries.
The visits that follow the second visit are typically pretty similar. They will likely take a little over a half hour at first. As you improve, they will decrease in length as your care progresses and some of your therapies are no longer needed and are discontinued. Eventually you will get to the point where you are simply getting your problem areas adjusted and are on your way quickly.
