Your First Visit
Medical History
First things first, we will need some perspective.
Your history tells us where we should go with your treatment. The more information we have the better our diagnosis and in turn your outcome will be. All prior medical examinations, along with your vital signs, help us build a more complete picture of your health. We will ask you among other things:
- What are your pre-existing conditions?
- What drugs are you taking?
- What diagnoses, or examinations have you already had?
- Imaging or diagnostics
- X-rays
- MRIs
- CT scans
- What is your blood pressure?
- Weight?
- Imaging or diagnostics
- Do you have any allergies?
- Have you had any surgeries?
- What have you been up to in your daily life?
- Do you have an active lifestyle?
- What are you eating?
- What are your sleeping habits?
- What are the recent changes with your body?
Be ready to provide your medical history, which will be essential for preparing a course of treatment for you. Medical records, such as diagnostic test results, or imaging results, such as X-rays and MRIs, also will provide important information about your condition.
The Examination
We will inspect your body in a respectful, noninvasive manner consistent with the best practices of our industry.
The diagnostic procedures performed during your visit will vary from individual to individual based on your specific case but may include:
- Flexibility testing. Determining range of motion based on your ability to bend and stretch.
- Posture testing. The curvature of your spine while standing, sitting, and laying down.
- Strength testing - Looking for sign of muscle tension, pain, spasms and nerve damage by extension and contraction of muscular systems.
- Balance testing - Find the distance beyond the patients arm length that can be reached while keeping their feet planted.
- Reaction testing - Reflex hammer on the knee, biceps reflex, Achilles tendon reflex, triceps reflex, or brachioradialis reflex.
- Palpation - used to assess swelling or muscle tone, and assess tenderness through tissue deformation using pressure or stretching. Useful in determine painful areas and to qualify pain felt by patients, or to locate three-dimensional coordinates of anatomical landmarks to quantify some aspects of the palpated subject.
Depending on your outcomes more complex diagnostic tests may follow. These laboratory tests may include advanced imaging tools such as Magnetic resonance imaging, and X-ray computed tomography, in addition to blood work.
Post Examination Consultation
The consultation caters to your specific goals and needs as your situation dictates. You may be referred to other specialists or a plan for continued treatments may be necessary. Lifestyle choices will be discussed considering your nutrition, exercise, and health goals.