My First Visit to a Chiropractor was Awful - Let’s Make Yours Great!
My first chiropractic experience was NOT a positive one; I got hustled from room to room, from one staff member to the next, as if I was on some kind of chiropractic assembly line. No one, including the doctor, really answered my questions or addressed my concerns; they seemed more focused on pressuring me into x-rays, running up my bill, and rescheduling me as soon as possible, for as many visits as possible! I got the heck out of there and vowed NEVER to see a chiropractor again; I just learned to live with my pain.
It was about 4 years later, when I was experiencing some unrelenting upper back pain, that my friends talked me into seeing another chiropractor. My friends swore this guy was different, that I'd love him. I went in with my skepticism set at full blast, but they were right: he was a great guy. He ran a small office, offered one-on-one attention, took the time to answer all my questions, and even solved a frustrating problem I'd had for several years. My wrist had started hurting right around the time I started college, and the university health care center was boggled: "Wear this brace all summer" was their first idea (great fun in the Florida heat and humidity!), then when that didn't work, they suggested, "We could try some surgery," even though they admitted that they didn't know what was wrong! My chiropractor felt the bones in my wrist, made a slight adjustment to one, and the pain was gone! My wrist felt better than it had in years.
This was the first time I realized that no one person has all the answers, regardless of the letters after their name. There are dozens of approaches to health and movement. Our goal is to find the approach that works best for you. Changing how we think about the body, learning how the pieces work together, and working with your body to find and fix the source of problems, rather than just addressing symptoms with endless stretching, massage, adjustments, medications, or even undergoing risky surgery. If you have been frustrated by other approaches or not gotten the answers you need, let’s see what we can do together.
I asked him why they hadn't known that something so simple could fix my problem, and he smiled ruefully, saying "There are lots of things they don't know." This opened my eyes for the first time that there were lots of different ways of thinking about the body, learning how it works, and working with it to fix problems, rather than just covering up symptoms with painkillers or undergoing risky surgery.
HERE’S WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT AT YOUR FIRST APPOINTMENT:
As a Synergy patient, we’re going to spend some time together, and I want to get to know you and your story. My goal is to find you the personalized mix of care that is customized to resolve your issue. You’ll never receive “one-size-fits-all” treatment, and I’ll never try to rush through your care.
At many healthcare appointments, they want just the highlights so they can get in, get out, and move on to the next patient. I want your full, complete history so that you can learn how to take care of yourself better.
All new patients start with an in-depth, one-on-one consultation that takes about 45 minutes.
History Deep Dive: We start with a deep dive into the history of what brings you to my office. I want to hear about your pain, and I also want to hear about your complete medical history, see any imaging reports you have from X-rays or MRIs, and learn about what kind of stress you put on your body at work, at home, and through exercise. Bring your questions! I want to know what you've already tried, whether it's helped or not, and what your personal goals are for living in your skin.
Exam: Before we begin treatment, I’ll examine your whole body to see what aches and pains, old injuries and surgeries, and other factors may be contributing to your problem. I will check the stiffness of your joints, the tension and tenderness in your muscles and fascia, and how your whole body moves (or doesn’t) in everyday activities like bending, twisting, balancing, and squatting. All of these factors add up to give us a more complete picture of your whole body’s health, because sometimes the part that hurts isn’t the problem - it’s the part that’s been picking up the slack. Many of our patients have not found success in other offices because the focus was on “the hurty bit” rather than on finding the true source. Our goal is to dig deep and find the CAUSE of your pain, not just manage symptoms. The more accurate our initial diagnosis, the more laser-focused your treatment will be.
First treatment: Once I get a good idea of what’s going on, we’ll talk about treatment options and decide on a course of action together. That’s right, together. From day one, you and I are a team that is focused on getting you back up to speed and crushing your goals, whether that’s being able to sit comfortably long enough to destroy all your online opponents, finally run that 5k or obstacle course, knock some strokes off your golf score, or survive a weekend with the grandkids pain-free and smiling. Our methods are hands-on and patient-focused, which means making the most of each visit with chiropractic adjustments, massage/myofascial therapy, functional movement training, and increasing strength and endurance. Your follow-up visits will target one or more of these treatment options, with the ultimate goal of making you independent - I don’t want to see you 3 times a week for the rest of your life!