Frequently
Asked Questions:
Q. What can I expect on my first visits?
A. CONSULTATION. First your doctor will
determine whether or not you are a candidate for
care in his office. Dr. McClelland is interested in
trying to completely understand your health
condition. He will ask you questions related to how
your health condition started, what makes your
symptoms better or worse, the severity of your
symptoms, how long you have had them and other
related aspects of your health condition.
PHYSICAL EXAMINATION. A physical examination will
follow your consultation. After ruling out
conditions that require immediate medical referral,
Dr. McClelland will perform an evaluation of your
neuromusculoskeletal system.
REPORT OF FINDINGS. Upon completion of the
physical examination an assessment of your condition
will be given to you in what is known as the “Report
of Findings”. During the report of findings Dr.
McClelland will discuss your diagnosis, your
treatment plan, including duration and number of
visits.
Q. Do I use heat or ice after an injury?
A. This is a very common question, and a very
important one. After an injury like a pulled
hamstring or lower back sprain, the inflammatory
stage begins and lasts for 24-72 hours. During this
time ice is preferred. Typically ice is applied for
10-20 minutes, and then taken off for 10-20
minutes. The cycle is repeated as often as
necessary.
Q. What is the cracking noise?
A. A joint contains fluid that helps keep it
healthy and lubricated. This fluid is called
synovial fluid. Synovial fluid contains gas (like
carbonation in soft drinks). When an adjustment is
made you may hear a noise (called an “audible
release”). The audible release or “crack” is simply
the release of gas in the joint much like when you
open a can of soda.
Q. Which nutritional supplements should I take?
A. Quality and absorption are the keys to
choosing an effective supplement. Supplements can
be broken down into two basic categories: those
taken for maintaining good health ( such as
multi-minerals) and those for specific health
conditions ( such as joint pain ).
Q. What type of education do chiropractors have?
A. Doctors of Chiropractic (D.C.) comprise the
second largest health care profession with over
50,000 practitioners in the U.S. They earn the
title “doctor” along with medical doctors (M.D.),
doctors of osteopathy (D.O.), and dentists (D.D.S.).
The
educational process leading to the title Doctor of
Chiropractic is quite similar to that of an M.D. and
D.O.. In order to earn a D.C. degree, a student
must complete several years of pre-chiropractic
studies at universities, followed by 5 academic
years of chiropractic education (totaling a minimum
of 7 years of study). A chiropractic student
accumulates more course hours in anatomy,
physiology, biomechanics, neurology, and nutrition
than their medical and osteopathic colleagues.. The
chiropractic student’s last year is spent in
clinical internship. Upon graduation and earning
the Doctor of Chiropractic degree, a state licensing
exam must be passed in order to practice.
Q. Is Chiropractic care dangerous?
A. The safety of chiropractic care has been well
documented in professional journals of all kinds.
Serious side-effects of chiropractic manipulative
therapy occur approximately one out of every one
million adjustments. Compare this to the serious
side-effects of medicines and surgical errors to put
safety in perspective. Each year prescription drugs
injure 1.5 million people so severely that they
require hospitalization and 100,000 die, making
prescription drugs the 4th leading cause
of death in the United States. So the question was
about the safety of chiropractic care?
Q. Do you have to see your chiropractor for the rest
of your life?
A. Think of spinal adjustments like maintaining
your car. It’s recommended that you change your
car’s oil every 3,000 or so miles. For how long you
ask? For as long as you own the car! The point is,
however, that we change our oil on a regular basis.
The same goes for caring for your spine. Whether to
get adjusted weekly or monthly depends on each
patient’s health condition. Remember “An ounce of
prevention is worth a pound of cure!” Don’t let
your car’s engine fall out before changing its oil!
Q. How soon will I feel results from Chiropractic
care?
A. There are three phases of Chiropractic
care-Relief, Correction, and Wellness. Relief is
the first phase. The goal of the relief phase is to
reduce or eliminate pain. The number of visits
necessary to accomplish this will depend on your
age, underlying spinal condition, length of time
you’ve had your condition and other lifestyle
choices.
Restoring the body to normal maximum function is the
goal of the “correction” phase. In most conditions,
pain is the last thing to show up and the first
thing to leave when treating the vertebral
subluxation complex.
The
purpose of the Wellness phase of care is to prevent
relapses of previous conditions and to address new
conditions before symptoms appear.
If you have any other questions, please feel free to
call us any time. We'll be delighted to assist you
with answers.
|
