Your First Visit to A Chiropractor - What to Expect

So, you've finally made the decision to make an appointment with a chiropractor, but what should you expect? What will the doctor do? Will it hurt?

Your first visit to a chiropractor should take some time. If the doctor walks in and immediately wants to start "cracking" your spine, run out of the room! Any reputable chiropractor would never jump right into adjusting a patient without knowing anything about their case.

The doctor should sit down and discuss your particular problem in detail. He should ask a lot of questions. Where exactly is your pain? When did it start? Have you experienced this type of pain before? Does your pain feel sharp, dull or achy? All of these questions are important to determine what exactly is causing the problem.

Once the doctor has the answers he needs, he should proceed to an examination. Depending on the chiropractor the exam can vary greatly, but generally, they will perform a number of tests. They may check your range of motion to determine if your spine is moving properly. Orthopedic tests may be performed to examine your joints and neurological tests can be used to check the function of your nerves.

After the exam, the doctor may take x-rays of your spine, if they feel it is necessary. Chiropractors view x-rays different than most medical doctors. In addition to making sure that there are not any broken bones or signs of any disease present in the x-ray, chiropractors also check the alignment of each vertebrae in the spine. They check to see if each vertebrae lines up properly with the vertebrae above and below it. They also look to see if any vertebrae has been rotated to one side or the other.

Once the doctor has reviewed all exam and x-ray findings, they will proceed to begin your treatment. The most common and important chiropractic treatment is the adjustment. The adjustment is the process of the doctor using his hands, or in some cases a specialized tool, to either unlock stuck joints or move bones back into position. The adjustment should NOT be painful! You may hear some pops or cracks during the adjustment, don't be alarmed, nothing is breaking or cracking. The sound that you hear is just a release of gas from a joint space, so it is similar to popping the lid on a can of coke.

Depending on the chiropractor, they may also use an additional therapy following the adjustment. This may include some form of electric stimulation or massage to help relax muscles or traction to help take pressure off the discs between each vertebrae.

Now that you know what to expect from your first visit to a chiropractor, don't be afraid, there is nothing to fear. If you've been on the fence regarding making an appointment, I hope that this article has served to calm some of your fears, and helped push you toward scheduling your first adjustment.