The Process

When you visit us for the first time, we ask you to fill in a basic questionnaire giving brief details of your current problem, any other previous or current health problems and family history. You will then spend some time with the chiropractor who will listen to you describe your problem and ask you questions to gain all the relevant information.

After taking a thorough case history, the chiropractor will perform a full examination including orthopaedic and neurological tests, to find out what is wrong and determine if chiropractic care will help.

In some cases it is necessary to take x-rays to reach a diagnosis and if this is the case you will be referred to a specialised radiology clinic. X-rays are not performed routinely, only when clinically necessary and if you have had relevant x-rays taken elsewhere, we will endeavour to access these rather than take new ones.

After the initial consultation and examination, we will explain what we have found and give you a diagnosis. After this, you should know what is causing your problem, how chiropractic may be able to help you and how long it is likely to take to get better. Then, the most appropriate treatment plan for your condition will be outlined. This may not happen on the first visit as it may be necessary for the chiropractor to spend some time considering the results of the examination or further tests if needed.

Not all problems are suitable for chiropractic care. In these cases we inform you of our findings and recommend your best course of action. If this involves you needing to consult another health-care professional we will normally liaise directly with them on your behalf, unless you request us not to. In some cases it is necessary for tests to be done that require outside skills or facilities, for example blood tests or MRI scans and again, we would normally liaise with the relevant practitioners to achieve this.

Chiropractors provide safe, effective treatment, using a wide range of techniques. By working on the joints and muscles, your chiropractor will use their skills to maximize function and relieve pain. Usually this involves precise manipulations, called ‘adjustments’, to the spine or other joints, as well as soft tissue work.

Our clinic can also provide therapeutic massage. This is combined with individually tailored exercises and advice to complement your chiropractic care and help prevent future recurrences. The wide variety of techniques employed allows persons of all ages and states of health to be treated safely and comfortably, with care tailored according to the specific needs of each person.

Every patient is different and every patient’s problems are different. Acute recent conditions often respond more quickly, whereas chronic, longstanding problems generally take longer to respond. Most importantly, care goes beyond the relief of symptoms and concentrates on long-term good health through preventative chiropractic care.

Particularly if your problem has become chronic (longstanding), or re-occurs frequently, you will benefit from regular check-ups to maintain improvement – much like visits to your dentist.