Many people experience stress and anxiety while attending medical appointments. This can feel particularly amplified when it’s a new experience. When you first schedule an appointment with a Gainesville chiropractor, you might feel apprehensive about what to expect. What will it be like? Do I need to prepare? Here, our chiropractor discusses what new patients should expect when they visit Tucker Chiropractic for chiropractic treatment.
We want you to come to your first appointment feeling comfortable and reap all the possible benefits from your adjustment. For more information on what to expect at your appointment with our skilled chiropractor in Gainesville, FL, and how chiropractic care could help you, contact us today to schedule an appointment!
Patient History & Symptoms
Before you undergo any chiropractic adjustments or treatments, one of our chiropractors will sit with you and discuss your medical history, concerns, and treatment goals. If you have come in to address physical pain symptoms, your chiropractor will ask questions to better understand your pain: where is the location of the pain? How long have you experienced pain? Can you rate the pain on a 1–10 scale? Are you experiencing other symptoms?
These and other questions can help your chiropractor understand the possible source of your condition and the best course of action to remediate it. If you’ve come in for general care, be ready to discuss your health goals and how you might like to achieve them. This conversation with your chiropractic specialist will serve as a roadmap for your treatment plan.
Chiropractic Exam
You will then receive a thorough chiropractic exam, including tests like blood pressure, pulse, respiration, and reflexes. Additionally, orthopedic and neurological tests may also be given to assess your range of motion in the affected area(s) of your body, muscle tone, muscle strength, and neurological integrity. Depending on your state at your appointment, further chiropractic tests may be recommended to assess the affected area. These can include a posture analysis or the affected body area. Based on the results of your history and the exam, diagnostic studies, such as an X-ray scan, may be a helpful way to identify structural abnormalities to help us more accurately diagnose your condition, though this is not always required.
Chiropractic Adjustment
Findings from your history, the physical examination, and diagnostic tests usually help our chiropractors reach a specific diagnosis. Once your chiropractor establishes a diagnosis, they can determine if your condition will respond to chiropractic treatment. If your condition responds to our treatments, we will likely proceed with an adjustment. A chiropractic adjustment is a quick and painless process for most patients. You lie on a table, and your chiropractor may push, twist, or pull sections of your body to pinpoint and repair any misalignments in your spine.
You may hear “cracking” or “popping” noises as the adjustment is performed. This is a normal part of treatment and nothing to worry about. Many patients experience instant relief with their adjustment, while others may need several sessions to feel the effects. The adjustments may be focused on a specific area, such as the back, shoulders, or neck, or they may be holistic, depending on your needs. Each adjustment is unique and tailored to your specific needs and body.
Chiropractic Care At Tucker Chiropractic
When you choose Tucker Chiropractic for your care, you choose a multidisciplinary team of experts dedicated to helping you resolve your ailments and achieve top health! Our experience and technique allow us to heal our patients and work toward their desired outcomes with real results. Contact our practice today to learn more about our available services and to schedule an appointment!