What is Chiropractic?
Chiropractic is a form of an assessment, diagnosis and treatment for disorders of the neuromuscoskeletal (nerve, muscle and joint) systems.
A wide range of techniques are used in chiropractic care including, spinal manipulation, joint mobilisations, medical acupuncture, active release techniques, soft tissue massage and kinesiology taping.
The main things chiropractors treat are
– Back, neck, shoulder pain
– Joint pains and muscle spasms
– Sciatica
– Minor sports injuries
– Cervicogenic Headaches and migraine prevention
The main aims of treatment
– Alleviate tension and decrease pain
– Restore normal function, strength and mobility
Regulation of Chiropractors
– Chiropractic is fully regulated by the General Chiropractic Council (GCC)
– To be able to register with the GCC, chiropractors are required to undertake a degree in chiropractic
– Chiropractic is a protected title
– To retain on the register chiropractors must undertake and submit their annual continual professional development activities (CPD) to the GCC.
What to expect on your first visit?
Friendly welcome by the team, as we want your experience to be a good one, it may be that life changing one you’ll always remember.
You’ll be greeted by one of our highly experienced chiropractors who will start by taking a thorough case history of your symptoms and general health. Then, once consent for examination has been received, a full chiropractic and a brief medical examination will occur. This includes looking at your posture, examination of your movement, palpation of the spine, joints and muscles along with muscle testing. Neurological and orthopaedic tests may be conducted such as taking your reflexes and finally a medical examination may be performed such as reading your blood pressure. This all will help the chiropractor pin point exactly where the cause of your problem is coming from. We ensure to address the cause, not just the symptoms.
Next a verbal report of findings will be explained and there’ll be time for you to discuss and understand your diagnosis with your chiropractor. If further investigations such as x-rays or scans are needed we promise not to leave you in the lurch and will refer you back to your GP with a full explanation with what we’ve found. Now on to your first treatment with your chiropractor, this most commonly consists of safe, often gentle but specific, spinal manipulation to the stiff and restricted areas of the spine. This increases movement to the area, and reduces irritation to the joints, which in turn increases functionality. The manipulation is done by the chiropractor’s hands. The surrounding musculature around the area is often treated with various soft tissue modalities, such as massage, active tissue release, trigger points and medical acupuncture.
Furthermore a treatment plan will be drawn up together to suit your goals and to fit around your commitments with recommendations of the follow up appointments, along with home advice often on posture and whether to use heat or ice. Our aim is to get you there as soon as we can with the number of treatments being as few as possible but as often as necessary.
Your first visit is usually 40-50 minutes with the chiropractor but please allow up to an hour in the clinic.
What happens on the follow up treatment?
Follow up treatments are only once you’ve received your diagnosis from your initial appointment. You’ll still receive the friendly welcome from the team, just like your first visit, followed by a similar treatment process, usually spinal manipulation and soft tissue work. The chiropractor will give you a mini update and report on your progression with care at each follow up treatment and make any further recommendations of care. This may include co-management with the in house sports therapist and/or further stretching and strengthening exercises, either home or they may recommend you one of our trusted Pilates groups or personal trainers. This will depend on each individual and their needs to help achieve their own optimum goal.