Why don’t we treat on the first visit?
We finish our initial consultation often with taking x-rays to give ourselves the best opportunity to diagnose the condition plus to give ourselves time to prepare a report for you the patient. We often get asked ‘but can’t you treat me now?’
We wish we could but doing that wouldn’t be fair on you. The reason is we are 90% sure of what is going on from our detailed examination and physical tests, however when we have the option to be 100% sure with an x-ray why would we take that risk?
It’s like eating Padron peppers, you 99 times out of 100 that they are not going to be spicy but there could be one extra spicy one in there that will give you a kick. Same thing with healthcare, most practitioners and doctors are 90% certain the whole time based on their experience with looking after patients.
But we aren’t dealing with Padron peppers here, this is peoples health, and we must be certain before we start delivering Chiropractic adjustments. Chiropractic adjustments delivered in the right way are highly skilled and when done correctly with all the correct information can have an enormous impact on your body.
You wouldn’t get diagnosed with high blood pressure and then rushed into the operating theatre for open heart surgery, you would have further tests, ECG, blood tests and then a follow up a few days later to determine the appropriate treatment plan.
Now there are some Chiropractors that will treat on the first visit and that is their choice, it’s just not the way we do it for the reasons outlined.
It’s very easy to say this is a simple mechanical low back pain and very often that can be the case. But what If we don’t do the relevant testing for a disc prolapse? The treatment program is completely different. We would adjust the patient differently, different soft tissue techniques, different decompression settings. We need to gather all of the relevant clinical information and sometimes this can take a number of hours to prepare.
So if you want someone to rush in and jump on your back without properly assessing then we probably aren’t the right clinic for you. If you want someone who is meticulous and takes their time, doesn’t guess or gamble with your health then call us on 01932 355529
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