Your First Visit
Patient Forms
Upon entering our office, our receptionist will welcome you as a member of our family. We will request that you complete our patient forms located in the New Patient Center portion of this website. This paperwork provides us with your health history and information on your condition.
Consultation
Next, you will have a consultation with a chiropractor or practitioner of your choice at Arapahoe Chiropractic and Acupuncture Center to discuss your health-related problems, concerns, and potential treatment options. This initial visit is designed for the doctors to learn more about you, your condition, and expectations to determine how chiropractic care can meet your goals.
Examination
After your consultation, your chiropractor or acupuncturist will perform a complete examination utilizing neurological, orthopedic, postural, and physical tests. If necessary a conventional western medical or Chinese medical examination will be performed. However, nothing will be done in our office without your consent.
Recommendation
Once the information is collected and examinations are performed, your chiropractor will give you a detailed report of all findings and answer any of your questions. We will discuss recommendations and notify you if your condition requires care with other providers. Everybody at Arapahoe Chirorpactic and Acupuncture Center will provide the best treatment for your needs.
Treatment
At the conclusion of this initial appointment, you can choose to undergo your first treatment. This may include spinal adjustments, physical therapy, modalities, acupuncture, medications, vitamins, herbs and/or supplements, and/or soft tissue massage. Treatment is interactive, so you can express your concerns about the different styles of treatment anytime.
Wellness Program
Prior to leaving, the doctor will suggest a wellness program to incorporate outside of treatment. If you are in pain when you first come into our office, this may include: ice or heat application instructions, certain activities or positions to avoid, and at home exercises and/or stretches. Every person is unique, therefore everyone requires a customized wellness plan. The purpose of our wellness program is for you to achieve good spinal alignment, have a healthy diet, exercise, and maintain a positive mental state.
Our Wellness Approach
Chiropractic care is like building a house – certain things have to happen in a particular order for everything to stand strong and work correctly. When building a house, if you tried to put up your walls before you had a solid foundation, your walls would be weak and eventually collapse. If you tried to put on your roof before the walls were ready, you would run into the same problem. The same is true for your body. Your body has to go through a particular plan of care in order to repair itself correctly and fully. There are three general phases of chiropractic care:
If you are in pain when you come into our office, the first objective is to help you feel better. Temporary relief of acute pain is just the beginning. If you stop care as you start to feel better before muscles and ligaments fully heal you are likely to experience an exacerbation. Depending on the severity of your problem, it is typical to need care 2-3 times per week for 4-6 weeks.
Most people are under the assumption that if they don’t feel any pain that there is nothing wrong and they are healthy. Unfortunately, pain is a very poor indicator of health. In fact, pain and other symptoms frequently appear after a disease or other condition has become advanced.
Most chiropractors regard the elimination of symptoms as the easiest part of a persons care. If all that the chiropractor does is to reduce the pain and stop there, the chances of the condition recurring are much greater. In order to prevent a rapid recurrence of symptoms, it is necessary to continue receiving care even though your symptoms are gone.
During the correction / restorative phase of your care, you will not have to receive adjustments as often as you did during the first phase of care and, depending on your particular circumstances, you may begin doing exercises and stretches either at the center or at home to help accelerate your healing.
Do not be discouraged if you have mild flare-ups in your symptoms on occasion. This is normal. Flare-ups are bound to occur during this phase because your body has not fully healed. Depending on the severity of your injury or condition and how long you have been suffering from it, this phase of your care may last anywhere from a few weeks to a couple of months.
Once your body has fully healed, routine chiropractic care can help ensure that your physical problems do not return, and keep your body in optimal condition. Many patients choose to continue chiropractic care and receive spinal manipulation every 1-2 months to ensure the health of your musculoskeletal system. It is your choice whether you receive regular maintenance care or see one of our chiropractors when you are in pain.
When you make routine chiropractic care a part of your lifestyle, you avoid many of the aches and pains that so many people suffer through, your joints will last longer and you will be able to engage in more of the activities you love.