On arriving for your first visit it is advisable to arrive 10 minutes before your appointment time as you will be provided with a new patient detail sheet at reception to be filled in prior to entering your consultation with the Chiropractor.Your first visit will be up to one hour in duration and will include:

• A private consultation with a Doctor of Chiropractic
• Examination of the problem area using General Diagnostic, Orthopaedic, Neurological Postural and Chiropractic tests
• Discussion of findings and treatment options
• Referral for further investigation or to other health professionals e.g. G.P. where necessary.

The Chiropractor will take you into a treatment room for your consultation. This is your opportunity to tell him all about your problem, how it started, how it affects you, how much it hurts and every other detail you can think of. Once he has a full understanding of your problem the Chiropractor will already be starting to diagnose your condition. He can rule in or out certain conditions by going on to ask you about anything that has happened to you medically previously (your medical history) or any other problems you may be currently suffering with. Even significant disease in members of your family will be asked about. This is a good opportunity to mention all the little aches and pains that you may have never mentioned to anyone before - it is quite likely that they are curable! Once a full record of this information has been made, the examination will begin.

The examination is comprised of a variety of different tests which aim to establish: 

1. Your general state of health.
2. The specific anatomical structures responsible for your pain or problem.
3. Any contributing factors e.g. bad posture or unstable joints.
4. If there is a need to investigate further e.g. X-Rays or blood tests.  

Your Chiropractor will then discuss with you his findings, this is known as a 'report of findings'. He will explain to you, with the aid of anatomical models and illustrations exactly which structures are causing your problem and why. He will also discuss any factors that might be making things worse, such as your mattress, your working environment or your posture and how to correct those things (these will often be discussed again on future occasions as you and your Chiropractor work on strategies for avoiding or improving them).

Your Chiropractor will tell you what treatments he feels would help, how many you are likely to require and over what time he expects you to recover. He will discuss the side-effects of any proposed treatment and how you might be able to minimize them. If further investigation or referral to another healthcare practitioner are required, this will also be discussed.

Finally you can ask any questions you may have (although you are welcome to ask away throughout the entire consultation!). You can also discuss any previous information you may have had from other healthcare professionals.

The visit will then come to a close. You can pick up further informative leaflets in reception and arrange for your first treatment!

Your Chiropractor will develop an exercise plan on the ChiroCare database for your specific problem areas based on his examination findings. This will speed your recovery and give you back control over your pain. This will be ready for you by your first treatment and taught to you 'one to one' in the treatment sessions along with the treatment being given.

Copyright ChiroCare Chiropractic Clinic Ltd. 28/04/09