If you have been having some type of chronic back or spine problem, you may have been referred to a chiropractor. If you have never been to a chiropractor before, you may not know what to expect. You will receive an alignment of your spine via manipulation of the spine. You will also get nutritional counseling and corrective exercises to build strength in your spine. But before that happens, you’ll want to have an idea about what will happen during that first chiropractor visit.
On the first chiropractor visit, you will be evaluated by the chiropractor. He or she has been trained to listen to you, look at you and determine a diagnosis of the possible problems you may be having and the best way to help you. At Premier Health Chiropractic, we use machines that will measure how tense the muscles are in your back which helps us diagnose the problem.
The first way your chiropractor should evaluate you is by getting a case history. Just as any doctor asks some initial questions before treating you, a chiropractor will ask you some basic questions about your health, lifestyle, diet and habits. The chiropractor may ask about symptoms and the location of the pain. He or she may ask you some questions about what makes the pain you are experiencing better or worse. Then x-rays are used to determine the exact nature of any damage or disease that may be occurring. The doctor will then diagnose the cause of pain and proceed with treatment.
You may be asked to lie down on a special chiropractic table. When the doctor adjusts your spine he or she will apply pressure to areas of your neck, spine or lower back using quick thrusts with their hands. Sometimes a cracking or popping sound is heard. This is not the sound of bones moving or grinding back into place as some people believe, but the sound of gases escaping from misaligned joints. The release of these gases also gives the patient a release of pressure and from pain. You can help your chiropractor achieve the best results by relaxing and letting the body move back into place as it is adjusted.
While aligning the spine is a crucial part of chiropractic treatment, preventing spine problems and correcting the issues that caused the problems in the first place are important in achieving long-term results as well. Nutritional counseling and corrective exercises will probably provide strength to hold the spine in alignment. Regular treatment and spinal manipulation, exercise that strengthens and corrects physical problems and proper nutrition that builds the body up to its maximum potential are all key ingredients to correcting spine problems, optimizing body function, and relieving your pain.