Are you injured? Sick? In need of a Chiropractor? Well, if so we all go seeking help from a medical professional at some time or another, but what are you supposed to do before you go? How can you make the trip to the doctor more effective and a little less tense so that you have more certainty that you are going to the right facility?
What to do?
Call your friends – see what doctors they recommend in the area. What about family? Do they know anyone? Keep in mind that if you need help that you want to do some of your own investigating. Just because they were recommended to you doesn’t mean they are a good fit, but having a name recommended is a good start.
Continue to Investigate on your own (probably the most important step) – Check into the staff, doctor, reviews, techniques, etc. Call them; check the websites, yelp, etc. If you hurt your knee or ankle but the doctor you found only does adjustments to the neck, you may be in the wrong place. Many Chiropractors do not even focus on other areas other than the spine.
Make sure the doctor or staff is competent that you can be helped with that specific issue prior to going there. You don’t want to waste valuable time in an office where someone cannot help you!
Prepare for Exam – if this is your first visit or you haven’t been there in a while you likely are going to need an exam and/or consultation. This is a focused history on your problem so that the doctor has an understanding of your injury and how best to treat you.
Medical Records – Try to have old or new MRI’s, X-rays and other information available before headed to the office. This can cut down your exam time or wait time in the office as the doctor may have to go over the information. Having a somewhat up to date record of your health is a good idea for everyone.
Do You Need X-rays? Many Chiropractors do look at X-rays and take them but some do not. So which one should you see? Well, this is up to you but a Chiropractor can still appropriately and adequately treat an injury without seeing an X-ray. Many doctors are well trained and if something just “isn’t right” then other signs and symptoms will likely occur. So, if you are one of those people who need an X-ray for your own personal need then go there, but I would go to the one that can best treat your injury.
My opinion
You definitely want to find out as much as you can about the doctors skills and whether or not they can treat that area. You want to find a doctor who is proficient in adjustments as well as soft tissue work! All too often I hear that chiropractors do not do muscle work or rehabilitation. If a joint is composed of tendons, ligaments, and muscles (soft tissue) but the doctor just does adjustments; they are only addressing a fraction of the problem and likely missing a large component of the injury. Remember a joint does not move itself, the surrounding soft tissue does.