What to Expect
Welcome to your first step towards a healthier life with chiropractic care!
After scheduling your ‘New Patient Consultation’, we’ll send you an online health form to gather essential information about your health and the reason for your upcoming visit.
This form must be completed in advance of your appointment.
Our experienced chiropractor Dr Joe will review your completed form ahead of your first visit. This allows the focus of these appointments to be on identifying the underlying cause and to determine the most effective method to optimise your health & wellbeing.
Dr Joe will take the time to listen to your concerns, understand your health history and answer any questions you may have to make sure you feel comfortable. He will conduct a range of tests and examinations, evaluating your spinal alignment, mobility, and overall joint health. Chiropractors are skilled at identifying areas of dysfunction in the spine, using their trained hands to examine each spinal joint, assessing for muscle tension, signs of inflammation/swelling and, where necessary, conduct advanced physiological and neurological testing.
Your appointment may conclude with a “test” adjustment which will give an indication on how well or restricted your joints are moving and how you may respond to care.
Following your New Patient appointment, Dr Joe will study your notes and the examination findings, before determining the most appropriate care plan for you. This will be discussed with you at your Report of Findings appointment (scheduled on a separate day at no extra cost).
This personalised care plan, staged over 3 phases, is aimed at rehabilitating your spine, restoring your function, addressing your symptoms and improving your overall health and wellbeing.
Phase 1:
Corrective Phase
The first phase is typically the most intensive phase, with the focus on restoring correct joint motion. These regular visits will consist of specific, intentional chiropractic adjustments to the areas of stress within your spine which were identified at your new patient consultation. This phase can often last between 6 to 8 weeks with adjustments 1-3 times per week, the exact frequency will be defined as part of your personalised care plan.
Phase 2:
Stabilisation
This phase is focused on increasing the strength and stability of your spine and is typically at a lower frequency of 1 visit per week for approximately 6-8 weeks. This phase is focused on retaining the progress made in Phase 1 (like wearing a retainer after dental braces!). At the end of the second phase, your chiropractor will discuss your future care plan with you, empowering you to make an informed decision about your future of care.
Phase 3:
Wellness
The wellness phase is all about maintaining and improving the progress made throughout your chiropractic journey. By the end of phase 2, most patients should now be experiencing symptom control, increased flexibility, improved mobility, enhanced strength, and an overall sense of well-being.
These maintenance adjustments are aimed at preserving spinal motion and alignment over an extended period, and to ensure that you're getting the maximum benefits of your care, we will arrange Progress Exams at regular intervals. These are designed to keep you on track and to make sure you are receiving the most effective care possible for you.
Your well-being is our priority, and our goal is to improve your health and wellness!
