Residents of the United Kingdom who have not yet been to see a Chiropractor are usually scared to schedule that first visit. They worry that Chiropractic visits are painful and last a long time. Here is the good news: seeing the Chiropractor is not usually a painful experience. The length of the visit, however, will depend on the type of treatment and therapy you need.
A Chiropractor will work with a patient’s entire body but they focus primarily on the patient’s spine. This is because Chiropractors believe that the majority of a body’s illnesses and injuries can be treated via treating the spine. Here are some of the things you can expect when you visit a Chiropractor:
When you go in for your initial visit with the Chiropractor, your Chiropractor will take your full medical history. You will also be given a full physical exam with extra attention given to your spine and your joints. You might have to take some x-rays and your Chiropractor might do some extra tests to narrow down your diagnosis.
If your Chiropractor determines that you need long term Chiropractic treatment, the two of you will work together to figure out the best course of treatment for your injury or illness.
On your follow up visits and therapy appointments with your Chiropractor, a few things will happen. Your Chiropractor will probably begin by aligning your spine and joints. Some people call this “cracking the back” because of the noise that the joints and spine make as they are moved. The term “crack” is a misnomer because a spinal adjustment is not usually painful. It is possible that your Chiropractor will also schedule mobilization therapy appointments. During these appointments your Chiropractor will simply move your joints and muscles in their normal range of motion to improve your current levels of functioning.
There are other types of therapies and treatments your Chiropractor can use. Your Chiropractor could use pressure, electrical stimulation, massage and any number of methods to help ease your pain and heal your injury. Some treatments use ice and heat to relax your muscles, advising you longer rest periods and other types of physical therapy exercises that you will learn how to do during your visits to the Chiropractor.
You might also work with your Chiropractor to put together a diet and exercise plan or your Chiropractor might recommend psychological therapy as well as your regular treatment.
Some Chiropractic patients claim to feel worn out after their Chiropractic visits. This is easy to understand because, in many ways, going to the Chiropractor is like working out except that it is the Chiropractor that moves you, not an exercise machine.
Do not feel frightened of Chiropractic care. Chiropractors are good at what they do and their treatments and therapies are not meant to be painful. The fact is that Chiropractors help relieve pain and speed up the recovery process.
