Your First Visit

 
  1. Plan to spend about an hour to an hour and a half on your first visit. Please download, print, and fill out this form in advance of your appointment to refresh your memory on any health history and to save time on your first visit. On your first visit to the office, you will meet with the doctor right away in our comfortable exam room.
    (Remember to print and complete the New patient form to save time. We already have most of the other information we need, as we will receive it when you call in to make your appointment. So, you won’t be greeted with piles of paperwork…just a friendly face.)

  2. The doctor will talk with you about your health concerns. They review and take a detailed history of your health issues to help determine if yours is a chiropractic case. (The doctors listen…they always encourage you to ask lots of questions!)

  3.  Next, you will have a complete exam, which includes special tests. These tests help determine where your problem areas might be and how the doctor will address them. The tests include: static palpation, which is simply feeling the bones in your spine for tenderness, swelling and other abnormalities; motion palpation, which is simply bending your spine to look for signs of fixation; instrumentation, which involves running a Nervo-scope down your spine to locate areas of swelling. The nervoscope feels like two fingers gliding down your spine. It detects heat, which is an indication of swelling. These tests, in addition to others, help the doctor determine if yours is a chiropractic case…if they can help you.(Ladies, we have thick, long gowns that only open wide enough to examine your spine. The exam is a time to relax and let the doctor do the work.)

  4.  Then, if necessary, full spine weight bearing (standing) x-rays will be taken. X-rays are taken for several reasons. These include: 1. to determine the condition of the discs (the cushions between the vertebrae in your spine); 2. to determine the phases of degeneration; 3. to locate potential problem areas, misalignments and; 4. to rule out other pathologies (disease).

    (To see is to know, to not see is to guess. We don’t want to guess at your health care. X-rays are an important tool of analysis.)

  5. After the x-rays, you will watch an informational video that introduces you to chiropractic and the office. This gives the doctor not only time to analyze the x-rays but also important information so that she can provide you with the best care possible.

    After the video, the financial policy will be reviewed with you. Any questions that you may have will be answered. You are then ready to be seen by the doctor.