Your First Visit
Our goal is to make your first visit to the office stress-free and one where you leave feeling excited and hopeful for your health future!
Prior to arriving, you may have had the opportunity to fill out our on-line new patient paperwork (these can be found under ONLINE FORMS). If not, don't worry! We can provide you the intake paperwork to fill out in the office. This paperwork gives us important information about your current health status, the concern that prompted you to make the appointment, and what your health goals are and what you hope to accomplish by being under chiropractic care.
Next, we will start your new patient experience by taking a thorough health history. The history will give us important information about the past and present stressors in your life that are causing subluxation and interfering with your body's ability to heal properly.
After the history the Doctor will conduct a complete physical examination. The physical examination may include any or all of, a full-body postural assessment, range of motion, orthopaedic and neurological testing, as well as a hands-on exam where the Doctor will carefully feel each segment of your spine to locate areas of subluxation. This examination does not require you to disrobe or put on a gown and can be conducted through your clothing. However, we recommend comfortable clothing and nothing bulky or tight fitting, and no dresses or skirts.
After your physical exam the Doctor may request to take x-rays of your spine to confirm the findings and help determine how long the problem is going to take to fix. After taking the x-rays, your first visit will now be complete. The Doctor will take time before your next appointment to carefully review your findings, study and mark your x-rays and prepare a specific care plan with unique recommendations based on your case to help you start your journey of healing.
You will leave the office after your first visit with a specific appointment time in the very near future to attend a Doctor's Report to review your findings.
Your Second Visit
Patients who understand the most about their health always get the best results! For this reason, your second visit will start in the Doctor's Report, a small group setting where Dr. Tim and Dr. Peter will explain clearly how the body heals, what makes chiropractic unique and how to understand your x-rays and the other results of your exam. You will be provided a handout package which will include simple spinal flexibility exercises, a nerve chart outlining your specific areas of subluxation, as well as a detailed report of your x-ray findings. After the group portion, Dr. Tim or Dr. Peter will go over your results with you privately and review our recommendations and options for care. At this point we will provide your first chiropractic adjustment. Please see the next tab for a video and explanation of what to expect when receiving your first adjustment.
How Long Will It Take to Feel Better?
How many adjustments it will take to start feeling better will depend on a number of factors, including your age (how long the problem has been there), your general state of health and your current lifestyle habits and behaviours. Keep in mind that there are three stages of chiropractic care that we recommend to all of our patients, depending on their level of commitment to their health and their care.
The Three Phases of Care
Our first objective is to help you feel better and alleviate the pain or symptoms that caused you to seek chiropractic care. While some patients notice immediate relief after their first adjustment, for others it can take several weeks or months depending on how long you have been living with subluxation in your spine, and what other stressors and complicating health factors you are currently experiencing.
Phase 2: Corrective Care
The focus of corrective care is to optimize the alignment and function of your spine. Your spine is composed of many tissues and structures including bones, nerves, discs, ligaments, joints, muscles and more. The process of re-modelling and optimizing the alignment of these structures will continue after you start to feel better and your symptoms disappear. Patients who elect to continue with corrective care after their pain subsides often notice other profound improvements in their vitality and function as the communication between the brain and the body are optimized through ideal spinal function and alignment.
Phase 3: Wellness Care
After the completion of the corrective phase of care, many of our patients express an interest in maintaining optimal health and the results of their correction through ongoing wellness care. Dr. Tim or Dr. Peter will recommend an adjustment frequency specifically for you that will allow you to maintain the benefits of the correction your have worked to complete. Factors such as your current lifestyle habits as well as your current stress levels will help the Doctors determine how long you will hold your adjustment, and how often you will need to get adjusted to maintain a healthy spine and nervous system.