First Visit
Chiropractic consultations should be part of your normal health routine, just like regular visits to your doctor and dentist. The chiropractor is a primary contact healthcare professional, and no medical referral is required to seek consultation, except for CSST and SAAQ cases. Their services are also covered by most private insurance plans.
What happens during your first visit?
- Anamnesis
- Complete physical examination
- X-rays
- Chiropractic diagnosis
- Chiropractic treatment and prognosis
- Informed consent
- Chiropractic adjustment
Helpful advice for your first visit
How to choose your chiropractor
Preventive Chiropractic Care
Rather than waiting for the body to display symptoms or pain, chiropractic care works towards eliminating interferences, or vertebral subluxation, to stop the emergence of discomfort or pain at its root, inasmuch as possible.
While everyone recognizes the essential role the spinal column and nervous system play in ensuring a person’s optimal health, why run the risk of neglecting his/hers health while waiting for symptoms to appear before seeking treatment?
Your chiropractor can assist and offer advice in several areas:
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• Joint movement recovery |
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Curative Ciropractic Care
Chiropractic is particularly effective in relieving pain caused by joint or muscular problems. Using chiropractic techniques and adjustments to correct vertebral subluxation, the chiropractor helps to re-establish vertebral mobility, which may be the cause of interference in the nervous system and muscular pain. Quick intervention is the key to optimum healing and quick recovery.
Chiropractic is ideal for patients suffering from vertebral subluxation that may be associated with:
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• Headaches |
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• Osteoarthritis |
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What happens during your first visit?
To open a case file, the patient must complete a detailed questionnaire to enable the chiropractor to establish a full history of the patient’s health.
Be prepared to answer the following questions:
• Your personal and family medical history
• Services received by other healthcare professionals
• Any hospitalizations and surgery you have received
• History of your major injuries and accidents
• Any medications, vitamins or supplements you are taking
• Steps taken to date to relieve your health issues
• Your lifestyle habits, including:
o Nutrition
o Exercise
o Sleep patterns
o Daily activities
o Workplace routine
o Stress management
The chiropractor will then make a series of examinations including postural, neurological, orthopaedic and palpatory examinations to identify any potential dysfunction of the neuro-musculo-skeletal system or the presence of vertebral subluxation.
The chiropractor may feel it necessary to take x-rays in order to make an accurate diagnosis of the patient’s neuro-musculo-skeletal condition.
Following an in-depth analysis of the data collected and the results of the examinations conducted, the chiropractor will be able to establish the chiropractic diagnosis of the patient’s condition. By taking the patient’s history into consideration, the chiropractor will be able to determine whether any contraindications to care or underlying pathologies exist that require the patient to be referred to the most appropriate healthcare professional, depending on the patient’s condition.
If your condition falls within the competency of a chiropractor, he will be able to suggest a personalized chiropractic treatment program tailored to your condition and health objectives. The prognosis determines your chances of recovery and the estimated time required to reach your goal. Take the time to ask questions you feel are important, because you have an active role to play when it comes to your state of health.
Informed consent is a required written document that your chiropractor, like other healthcare professionals, will ask you to sign. It states that you have received and understood the information pertaining to your condition and that you agree to receive the chiropractic care that your chiropractor proposes.
Click here to watch a video of what to expect during your first chiropractic appointment:
Chiropractic adjustment is the primary manipulation that the chiropractor performs on the patient. With the patient in a standing, sitting or lying position, the chiropractor will adapt his manipulations to the morphology, while considering applying the force, angle and velocity necessary to maximize treatment results. The chiropractor’s manipulations of the patient are in no way random. Each movement is calculated and performed in a secure, systematic fashion. Thus, it is very rare that a chiropractic adjustment will cause pain. Various instruments and equipment may be used in chiropractic treatment. The chiropractor is the healthcare professional who has received the most complex and in-depth training in performing a vertebral manipulation.
Click here to watch a video of what is involved during a chiropractic adjustment.
Helpful Advice For Your Visit
Tip #1
Ensure you schedule enough time to speak with the chiropractor. Ask him any questions and/or address any concerns you may have. During your first visit, you will be asked in-depth questions regarding your health history and the reasons for your visit. On average, it will take from 45 minutes to 1 hour for the first visit.
Tip #2
Don’t be afraid to discuss any health concerns with your chiropractor. Answer his/hers questions honestly to enable him/her to rate how relevant the information you provide is. Remember that, like all healthcare professionals, the chiropractor is bound by professional confidentiality.
Tip #3
Bring all relevant examination records with you. If you have recently had x-rays for your condition, bring them along during your first visit.
Tip #4
During the palpatory examination, you may have to wear a hospital gown. Ensure you wear clothing and shoes that are easy to remove.
Choosing the Right Chiroprator, Your Health Ally
From the get go, verify whether the chiropractor is a member of the Ordre des chiropraticiens du Québec. This professional body is dedicated to protecting the public, and all chiropractors practising in Quebec must belong to the Order. Ask your friends for advice and get referrals. The chiropractor you select should be available and have good listening skills. Ask your chiropractor about the techniques and approaches he uses, and he will explain what he judges is most appropriate for your condition. Your chiropractor must take the time to explain the manipulations he uses on you to evaluate the mobility of your vertebrae and perform the adjustments. Ask questions and clearly set out your expectations. Cooperation and trust are of the utmost importance in your relationship with your chiropractor.
To learn more about the role of the Ordre des chiropraticiens du Québec, click here.
How Many Visit Will Be Necessary For Treatment at the Chiroprator's?
The number of required visits depends on the severity of your condition and your health goals. So the length of chiropractic treatment varies from one person to another. Your chiropractor will talk to you about a treatment program that is adapted to your condition and health objectives. Take the time to discuss a personalized treatment plan with your chiropractor that is best tailored and beneficial to you. Your chiropractic follow-up may also include recommendations for exercise and stretching, dietary changes or other health advice aimed at improving your quality of life.