On Your First Visit If you choose to attend our office for a chiropractic consultation and potential treatment, this is what you can expect on your first visit. The primary objective of your first visit is to establish a diagnosis, which really means "determining the cause of your condition/symptoms." This determination of arriving at a diagnosis is reserved for only five types of health professionals - medical doctors, dentists, psychologists, optometrists and chiropractors. By establishing a diagnosis, a more focused treatment plan can be established, or an appropriate referral to another health-care professional may be warranted. Although Registered Massage Therapists cannot diagnose, they take a health history and perform a physical examination in order to determine whether or not massage therapy may be appropriate for the client. On your first visit, you can expect the following:
•Health history - many questions about what you are experiencing, i.e. primary complaint, past health history, family health history, systems review, etc.
•Physical examination - range of motion, static and motion palpation, orthopedic testing and neurological testing.
•Computer testing - inclinometer (range of motion) and surface electromyography (measures muscle tone).
•X-Rays - may or may not be required, but our office has the quality-assurance tested equipment to take and read x-rays. You can expect that your first visit will take approximately 45 minutes and may include some treatment if appropriate.
