It’s About The Journey And The Destination
When you see one of our Chiropractors at WYLD Chiropractic, they will spend time helping you understand what will happen at each visit and why. Sometimes we forget that healing takes time. We all want to be at our ideal health destination, but how we get there is just as important as why.
As Chiropractors, we focus on improving the relationship between your brain and your body and, like any good relationship, solid foundations are built over time. If we want those connections to stay strong, they also need to be well maintained. The thing is, at WYLD Chiropractic we are not just aligning your spine, we are retraining the brain, helping it to form new connections and pathways. This is called neural plasticity.
When you come to see us, commonly your spine has been under stress for many years. As a result, your nervous system, including your brain, has learnt some not so helpful patterns.
When your spine doesn’t move well, your brain isn’t always fed the most accurate information. Given your brain controls all healing and repair, we really want it to be getting the best information possible. The thing is, just like any other health-giving habit, repetition is vital. We can not reach our ideal strength from only one workout, we can not reach our ideal level of nutrition from only one nourishing meal, we cannot reach our ideal energy levels from only one good sleep. The body requires an accumulation of support.
At WYLD Chiropractic we provide you with a personalised care plan which is your own road map to your ideal health destination. What if reaching “pain free” is only the first stop along the route to ideal health. What we know as chiropractors, is pain is a symptom of often a much greater picture.
Pain is incredibly motivating and is often what takes us to the Chiropractor in the first place, but if our final destination is only “pain free palm springs”, we often miss out on “optimal health oasis.” We want you to experience all chiropractic has to offer, beyond pain relief. So remember, your brain is changing one adjustment at a time. “Life is not a single event; it is an ongoing dynamic process” 4 . Getting your spine and nervous system checked consistently by a chiropractor helps you adapt to an ever changing life. Your body is full of potential, let’s see how far you can go!
Go HIGHER, Go FURTHER, GO WYLD!
What To Expect At Your First Chiropractic Visit
An initial Chiropractic exam for back pain will typically have three parts: a consultation, case history, and physical examination. Laboratory analysis and X-ray examination may be performed.
Consultation. The patient meets with the chiropractor and provides a brief synopsis of his or her lower back pain, such as:
Duration and frequency of symptoms
Description of the symptoms (e.g. burning, throbbing)
Areas of pain
What makes the pain feel better (e.g. sitting, stretching)
What makes the pain feel worse (e.g. standing, lifting).
Case history. The chiropractor identifies the area(s) of complaint and the nature of the back pain by asking questions and learning more about different areas of the patient's history, including:
Family history
Dietary habits
Past history of other treatments (chiropractic, osteopathic, medical and other)
Occupational history
Psychosocial history
Other areas to probe, often based on responses to above questions
Physical examination. A chiropractor may utilize a variety of methods to determine the spinal segments that require chiropractic treatments, including but not limited to static and motion palpation techniques determining spinal segments that are hypo mobile (restricted in their movement) or fixated. Depending on the results of the above examination, a chiropractor may use additional diagnostic tests, such as:
X-ray to locate subluxations (the altered position of the vertebra)
A device that detects the temperature of the skin in the paraspinal region to identify spinal areas with a significant temperature variance that requires manipulation.
Chiropractors are trained in a variety of methods to assess the underlying cause of the problem, including:
Evaluation and management services. Chiropractors are trained in examining the joints, bones, muscles and tendons of the spine, head, extremities and other areas of the body with the purpose of noting any misalignment, tenderness, asymmetry, defects or other problems.
Neurologic and other common physical examination procedures. Chiropractors are trained to perform a variety of neurologic tests (nerve root compression/tension, motor strength, coordination, deep tendon and pathological reflexes, etc.) and are skilled in performing orthopedic, cardiovascular and many other common examinations.
Specialised assessment. Chiropractors are trained to assess range of motion, stability, muscle strength, muscle tone and other assessments with the lower back.
Common diagnostic studies. Chiropractors are trained in use of diagnostic studies and tools such as radiography (X-rays), laboratory diagnostics and neurodiagnostics.
References
1) Changes in H-reflex and V-waves following spinal manipulation
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs00221-014-4193-5
2) The role of spinal manipulation in addressing disordered sensorimotor integration and altered motor control
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1050641112000430?via%3Dihub
3) How often should you see your chiropractor
https://therealitycheck.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/How-Often-Should-You-See-a-Chiropractor.pdf
4) At the meeting point between anticipation and chiropraxis
5) Effects of an adjustment
https://therealitycheck.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/PublicArticle-EoA.pdf