New Patient Center
Here’s what you can expect from your first visit to final treatment:
Step One: Patient Forms
We request that you complete our patient forms located in the New Patient Center. You can either fill out the forms online prior to your first visit, or arrive early for your first appointment to fill out in our office. Required forms include our new patient intake form.
Step Two: Consultation & Examination
This initial visit is designed for us to learn more about you, your condition, and expectations to determineif chiropractic care can meet your goals. We will perform a complete examination testing your reflexes, flexibility, neurological, orthopedic, postural, and physical tests.
Step Three: Report of Findings
We give a detailed report of all findings and answer any questions. After reviewing your health history and goals and discuss if your condition requires chiropractic care and or care with other providers. We will provide the best treatment and wellness program for your needs.
Step Four: Treatment Plan
Chiropractic care may include spinal adjustments, physical therapy, stretching and/or soft tissue massage. Chiropractors use their hands to apply controlled movement to the spine or joints. Subsequent visits may include specific recommended therapies to return you to good health.
The Three Phases of Chiropractic Care:
Relief Care
Many people go to a chiropractor because they are in pain. In this first phase of care, the main goal is to reduce your symptoms. Sometimes this will require daily visits, or two to three visits per week for a time.
Most people are under the assumption that if they don’t feel any pain that there is nothing wrong with them – that they are healthy. Unfortunately, pain is a very poor indicator of health. In fact, pain and other symptoms frequently only appear after a disease or other condition has become advanced.
For example, consider a cavity in your tooth. Does it hurt when it first develops or only after it has become serious? How about heart disease? Regardless of whether you are talking about cancer, heart disease, diabetes, stress or problems with the spine, pain is usually the last thing to appear. When you begin chiropractic care, pain is also the first symptom to disappear, even though much of the underlying condition remains.
Corrective Care
Most chiropractors regard the elimination of symptoms as the easiest part of a persons care. If all that the chiropractor does is to reduce the pain and stop there, the chances of the condition recurring are much greater. In order to prevent a rapid recurrence of symptoms, it is necessary to continue receiving care even though your symptoms are gone.
During the correction / restorative phase of your care, you will not have to receive adjustments as often as you did during the first phase of care and, depending on your particular circumstances, you may begin doing exercises and stretches either at the center or at home to help accelerate your healing.
Do not be discouraged if you have mild flare-ups in your symptoms on occasion. This is normal. Flare-ups are bound to occur during this phase because your body has not fully healed. Depending on the severity of your injury or condition and how long you have been suffering from it, this phase of your care may last anywhere from a few months to a couple of years.
Wellness
Once your body has fully healed, routine chiropractic care can help ensure that your physical problems do not return, and keep your body in optimal condition. Just like continuing an exercise program and eating well in order to sustain the benefits of exercise and proper diet, it is necessary to continue chiropractic care to ensure the health of your musculoskeletal system.
When you make routine chiropractic care a part of your lifestyle, you avoid many of the aches and pains that so many people suffer through, your joints will last longer and you will be able to engage in more of the activities you love.
Address
127 W Rodney French Blvd 2nd Floor
New Bedford, MA 02744