Questions for New Patients: How do I find the right Chiropractor?

Whether you've been seeing a Chiropractor for a short time or you have been seeing one since you were a child, everyone has had to have their "First Visit" to a Chiropractor. Seeing a Chiropractor for the first time is like many other "first times", filled with questions and maybe even a little (or a lot of) fear. Let's face it, fear is a pretty common response to the unknown. You're definitely not alone. What questions about Chiropractic do you have?

Maybe questions like:

- How do I find the right Chiropractor?

- How can Chiropractic help me?

- What exactly does a Chiropractor do?

- Is the Chiropractor going to "break my neck"??

- What's that popping sound during an adjustment?

- What are the risks involved in getting a Chiropractic adjustment?

- Does my Insurance cover Chiropractic?

Just to name a few.....

Today let's answer the first one:

Here are 5 things to help you know if a Chiropractic Clinic is right for you.

Referrals & Reviews ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Let's face it, not all Chiropractors are created equal. Not all have the same values, philosophy, knowledge, talent or even offer the same services. The best way we've found is by personal referral. If you have a friend or family member that sees a Chiropractor, ask them what they think of their Doctor and office staff. If they are not over-the-moon about their Chiropractor, there is a reason. You may want to look elsewhere. Whether you know someone personally who sees a Chiropractor or not, we always recommend...Google it! Online reviews are a great indicator on whether or not you should give someone your business, let alone your health and well-being. If a Chiropractor has the best and/or the most reviews on Google, Facebook, and Yelp it's usually a good indicator that that's the one you should go check out.

Know Your Goals & Ask Questions

Before you call a Chiropractic office for the first time, make sure to think about and write down any questions you may have as well as your healthcare goals. Questions can be about the office in general, the doctor, the services offered (like massage therapy, decompression, traction, exercise rehab, cold-laser therapy, etc.), and the costs of services (with or without insurance). Something to keep in mind: Questions about a particular health condition can sometimes be answered in general terms. However, specific questions should be reserved for your consultation and examination with the doctor. Sometimes questions can only be answered after a thorough consultation and examination. You should never accept any medical advice without a doctor having carefully examined your case. Your healthcare goals should also be clear in mind. Do you just want to treat the symptoms (like pain) or are you wanting to correct the issue if possible so that the symptoms don't come back? We'll talk more about why this is important in a bit...

Clinic Energy & Demeanor

During your visit, is the staff friendly and are you greeted with a smile? This may seem like a small thing, but have you ever been to an office with a crabby receptionist? Yeah, I didn't like it either. This can also be an indicator of whether or not the office is conducive to your recovery and healing. A negative environment, especially in a doctor's office, is not conducive to healing and will most definitely stifle positive health progress.

Clinic Procedure ‍⚕️‍⚕️

Once you've completed your paperwork, make it to a room and meet the doctor, are you also met with a friendly smile? Healthcare should be taken seriously, however nothing is more reassuring than a smile. Is the consultation and exam thorough and concise? Does the Chiropractor take X-Rays if necessary? X-Rays are essential for a Doctor of Chiropractic to examine and evaluate your case. Simple palpation and/or range of motion tests cannot determine if you have a non-surgical fusion or a calcification of a major artery near your spine, just to name a few. Both of which would be dangerous to adjust or adjust around and your Chiropractor (and other healthcare providers) should be aware of.

Something some people may not consider; Is the doctor quick to adjust you without taking the time to carefully examine your case? (This can be a variable. In some cases [depending on the level of pain and how long the patient has dealt with the condition] the Doctor may be able to do an "emergency review" of a case in order to treat a patient immediately.) In many cases it is best for the Doctor to spend time looking over your exam and x-rays before deciding to adjust you or on a plan of care, which will involve you coming back for a second visit to sit down and discuss your findings.

Communication

Are your recommendations and plan of care clear and comprehensive? Does the doctor seem to have knowledge and experience in treating health conditions like yours? If the Doctor see that your condition is not treatable with Chiropractic, is he/she willing to refer you to someone who can?

Also, remember when you wrote down your healthcare goals? This is when you compare your goals with that of the Doctor's. Do your goals align together? If so, then you may consider other things like costs, longevity of care, etc.

These are some things to keep in mind and ponder over while making the decision to choose your Chiropractor. Next we'll consider, "How Can Chiropractic Help You?".

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