What to Expect During Your First Chiropractic Appointment

Chiropractic is among the best ways to manage chronic pain. But if you’ve never been to a chiropractor, you understandable want to know what you can expect at your first appointment. What are the side effects? Is it a pain-free process? And how effective will the treatment be for you? Motus Integrative Health is here to answer your questions. Our chiropractors have assisted countless patients of all ages. Discuss your individual health needs at an appointment. 

Provide Your Health History

When you’re in pain, your priority is to feel better as soon as possible. In order to build an effective treatment plan, we begin by learning about your unique health history. You’ll provide detailed information about any chronic health conditions you have, your physical activity levels, past and current injuries and other relevant information. Tell us the severity of your pain and what activities make it worse. Consider recording your symptoms in a journal to track when they happen and how severe the pain is. Doing so can help us find a link between your pain and possible aggravating factors within your daily life.  

A few questions we may ask include: 

• When did the pain start?
• What parts of your body does the pain affect? 
• How would you describe the pain (e.g., dull, sharp, etc.)?
• Is the pain constant, or does it come and go?
• Did the pain begin or worsen after an injury?
• What are your wellness goals?

Physical Examination

Once we better understand the kind of pain you’re dealing with and what you expect from our team, we’ll perform a physical examination. We’ll examine your joints, spine and neck depending on where exactly the pain is. Usually, we will perform various physical tests to examine your joints’ range of motion and whether the movements trigger any discomfort, so be sure to wear loose, comfortable clothing for the appointment. If needed, we can also order tests for neurotransmitters, food sensitivities and more to delve deeper into potential health issues that you may have. 

Since the pain can be caused by muscle strains, arthritis and many other health conditions, it’s crucial to determine a few possible causes. Even if a specific cause isn’t found, we can rule out other potential factors to guide us in creating an effective pain management plan. 

Create a Treatment Plan

Once we’ve completed the initial examination, your chiropractor will work with you to create an individualized pain management strategy. Your treatment plan considers your age, physical activity levels, injuries, chronic health conditions and more to provide effective pain relief. If we’ve determined that chiropractic care is right for you, we’ll schedule regular chiropractic adjustments. We can also discuss other aspects of wellness, such as having a healthy lifestyle and eating proper nutrition. 

Begin Your Wellness Journey at Motus Integrative Health

If you’re ready to learn how to manage your chronic pain, visit Motus Integrative Health. Our chiropractors are ready to help you feel better. Contact our office today to schedule your first chiropractic appointment.