Visiting a chiropractor for the first time can be an exciting or nerve wracking thing, for some. At Stover, we treat all kinds of patients, particularly athletes. For someone who has games and practices to be in top-notch shape for, we want to help in every way we can to guide our patients to recovery. When on the road, or if you move, we also want to make sure you’re equipped with the right tools to navigate the growing chiropractic world on your own.
Here are the top three questions we think you should ask at your next chiropractor visit:
What other services do you provide?
Oftentimes, a chiropractor and their office will provide additional modes of therapy such as massage therapy, physical therapy, and nutritional counseling. At Stover Chiropractic, we offer Cold Laser Therapy and Active Release Techniques. When necessary, we present our patients with these modalities and explain the ways in which they may help.
What can I can do to get the best results?
Be a good patient! Ask the doctor how you can take action on your health. Most often, chiropractors will give you some tips and tricks on how to benefit from your visit, but it never hurts to get specific. Also, be sure to ask your doctor to hold you accountable. Ask them to check in with you each time you see them on one specific thing – whether it be not reading in bed or drinking more water. Help us help you.
How much experience do you have treating my particular condition?
People get nervous with questions like this. They don’t want to offend their doctor or make for an awkward situation. Honestly, you won’t. Best case scenario, you learn a whole lot more about your condition than you anticipated. Worst case scenario, you find a new, great doctor. In our experience, sharing with our patients only brings us closer. So, go on and ask all the questions!
When visiting a new chiropractor, we also suggest you bring any past medical paper or recent X-rays. Always talk about your health, in the present and past tense. For a doctor to best support you, they will need all the information they can get. So, don’t be shy about the things that you’ve done for, or against, your health – whether they worked for you or not.
Our job as chiropractors is to guide you toward life with a happy, healthy spine. We hope to see you in our office and if you are not in our area, we hope you utilize the above guidelines on how to best settle in to working with a new practitioner.
