Your first visit – what to expect
If you’re a new patient at Aligned Health Care, you’ll need to give us some information about your background, medical history and the nature of your condition. This is to help us find the cause of the problem and so that we can provide the best possible care, tailored to your specific circumstances.
A bit of paperwork
We’ll have some brief paperwork for you to fill in on your first visit. This paperwork provides us with useful information about you and your condition.
Examination
In order to pinpoint your problem, we will ask you a number of questions related to your condition. Some tests will be performed to determine the cause of the issue. These may involve seeing what you can and can’t do and finding out where your pain is. As qualified medical practitioners, chiropractors fully screen every patient for related medical issues. This process will take approximately 40 minutes. If any condition is identified that should be brought to the attention of your GP or other health care professional, we will discuss this with you at the time.
X-rays/Scans/MRI
Generally we believe that X-rays are not necessary, bring their own health risks and additional costs. Only on very rare occasions will your specific presentation require us to request X-rays either to rule out more serious conditions or to assist us in assessing the most effective treatment plan for you. It is sometimes the case that an MRI will be useful, if so, we can request this via your GP or a private provider.
Same-day treatment
Once the examination is complete, treatment options for your condition will be discussed.
You will generally have their first treatment during this same visit. This may include spinal adjustments and physical therapy.
Home instructions
Before leaving, you may be given instructions on certain activities or procedures to be carried out at home. This may include ice or heat applications, avoidance of certain activities or positions, as well as home exercises.
Scheduling the next appointment
More often than not, patients will need to have follow up appointments. Generally speaking, patients are seen within 4 days to week later and are provided with a complete review of findings. Further treatments may take between 15-25 minutes. For subsequent appointments, as your condition improves, the interval between treatments is likely to widen.