Chiropractic – Making Healthy Choices

Wise Choices

This is part one of a three-part series about choosing wisely with chiropractic. It’s my goal to help you see that your decision to utilize chiropractic was the right choice to make. As your recovery progresses, offering you informed choices will help me improve your results and satisfaction.

Choosing the Tests and Treatments That Can Help

On your initial visit for a problem, we are going to do an examination to determine your diagnosis, after conducting an interview to try to pinpoint potential causes. We will consider the possibile tests that are available to assist with that. As soon as we have the information needed, a treatment plan is created that can help your body recover and balance. As a chiropractor, I use modern testing methods and follow guidelines that allow me to adjust the body to improve joint function, ease pain, and restore and optimize movement. Consequently, recent research shows that chiropractic can work as well as drugs and surgery to relieve pain and discomfort  – and in many cases it is also safer. 

Exercises will help you to improve function, movement, alignment (posture), strengthen weakened regions, and prevent injury. I am also going to work with you about healthy behaviors such as quitting smoking and maintaining a healthy weight.

Tests and Treatment Plans

At Blue Heron Chiropractic, we offer a variety of tests and treatment plans. First and foremost, we have a physical examination, which is a part of your “office visit”.  Besides including the basic vital signs, deep tendon reflexes, palpation, neurological screening procedures and orthopedic joint and muscle testing, we might even use dynamic surface-EMG muscle scans. If indicated, we might consider ordering radiographs or imaging.  We order X-rays, for example – but not on every patient, and not necessarily right away. The American Chiropractic Association urges patients to talk with their healthcare provider to make sure they are getting the tests and treatments they need. This idea is about choosing wisely. We’ll work with you to make sure you are getting your questions answered – and that you are choosing based on new knowledge. Even if you don’t ask, it’s our policy to outline what I am doing and why. Above all, you having both knowledge and the option to make wise choices is a gain to both of us.

Your First Visit

On the first visit, we are going to discuss your diagnosis and I am going to outline the course that I expect it may follow. Likewise, we may go over further testing that needs to be done or past health records we should consult. At Blue Heron we will discuss the expectations for treatment, and what might happen without any intervention. We will talk about how optimizing your function can work for you. We will lay out a treatment plan and give you a choice. You will feel good about choosing wisely. Every time.  Let’s set up an appointment.