Day One – Your First Visit
Most chiropractic offices will follow the same standard “first visit” format. This allows the Doctor of Chiropractic to collect detailed information about you, your health history, your concerns and your expectations, and determine how chiropractic care can benefit you. At Capitol Rehab of Annandale, we follow that same standard “first visit” format:
PATIENT FORMS
Upon entering our office, our staff will welcome you and request that you complete our patient intake forms. You can print them out ahead of time, complete them at your convenience and bring them with you to your first appointment, OR you can arrive a few minutes prior to your schedule appointment and complete them in our office. Our new patient forms are located in the New Patient Center and provide us with your health history, information on your concern(s), authorization for the Doctors to treat you and an explanation our office policies.
CONSULTATION
Once all the paperwork is completed, you will meet one-on-one with one of the Doctors. During the consultation, the Doctor will learn more about you, your concerns, your health goals and your expectations in order to determine how chiropractic care can benefit you.
EXAMINATION
After learning more about you, if the Doctor feels chiropractic care is the right choice for your concerns and goals, we will obtain your consent to perform a complete chiropractic exam. A chiropractic exam includes range of motion tests, palpation, neurological, orthopedic, postural and physical tests that allow our Doctors to better understand what may be going on inside you.
X-RAY STUDIES
Depending on your concern(s) and the result of the exam, the Doctor may provide you an order to take x-rays as well. Once we complete the exam and x-rays order is provided (if required), the standard “first visit” will be completed.
TREATMENT
You will then be asked to schedule a subsequent “Report of Findings” appointment. We strive to explain everything first before we begin a treatment plan, so you know what to expect.
Day Two – Report Of Findings
REPORT OF FINDINGS
After reviewing YOUR unique health history, date, exam findings and x-rays the Doctor will show you your x-rays, provide you with a detailed report of his findings and make treatment recommendations. Our Doctors strives to explain everything first before we begin a treatment plan, so you know what to expect. We will also answer several questions including.
1. How can you benefit from chiropractic care?
2. Are referrals to other healthcare providers recommended or necessary?
3. How often does he recommend you be seen?
4. How soon can you expect to see results?
5. What is the cost of chiropractic care in his office?
TREATMENT
Once you’ve completed your Report Of Findings, if you agree to move forward with chiropractic care, you will receive your first adjustment/treatment from the Doctor!
Remember treatment can include spinal adjustments, exercises, stretches and/or physical therapy and is interactive, so you can express concerns and/or ask questions about the different treatment styles at any time. We encourage questions and our Doctors LOVES to educate the patients! Our Doctors have lots of knowledge about the human body, spinal trauma, and clinical neurology so if we do not know the answer, we can probably direct you to a resource that does.
With a treatment plan in place, all you need to do now is schedule regular chiropractic visits based on your schedule and the frequency that you determined met your health goals(s). Subsequent visits will not take as long.