Finding the right chiropractor – Step 7

Going to the chiropractor is serious business. To help you make the right choice, this blog provides a 7-point checklist to review with the chiropractor before you become their patient.

Step 1) Get a Background Check (prior post)

Step 2) Make Sure You Get Full Disclosure (prior post)

Step 3) Force the Doctor to Set Expectations (prior post)

Step 4) Make Sure You Get Routine Questioning (prior post)

Step 5) Never Settle for Just The Adjustment (prior post)

Step 6) It’s All About The Progress Report (prior post)

Step 7)  Bring on the Witnesses!

Every successful chiropractor will have helped many patients get out of pain and stay out of pain.  And for this people are infinitely grateful (as you soon should be as well). 

Therefore, your doctor should be able to provide you with reference letters or testimonies of people with similar situations as yours which he/she has already helped. 

Don’t be afraid to ask for these references – especially since you cannot judge how well the doctor can help you by the style of his/her office, the clinic staff or even the amount of fancy equipment on hand. 

Only the true stories of how the doctor has helped other people can give you a realistic assessment of how well he or she may be able to help you.  

So ask your doctor for copies of his/her “success stories” of patients he/she has treated with similar conditions as yours – it will affirm your choice of doctor and motivate you to get started – with the right doctor!!

All the best,

Dr. Anthony Gondesen
HealthSource of Clear Lake
900 Apollo Lane, Suite A
Clear Lake / Houston TX 77058
Tel. 281-286-2229
www.HealthSourceClearLake.com

Finding the right chiropractor – Step 6

Going to the chiropractor is serious business. To help you make the right choice, this blog provides a 7-point checklist to review with the chiropractor before you become their patient.

Step 1) Get a Background Check (prior post)

Step 2) Make Sure You Get Full Disclosure (prior post)

Step 3) Force the Doctor to Set Expectations (prior post)

Step 4) Make Sure You Get Routine Questioning (prior post)

Step 5) Never Settle for Just The Adjustment (prior post)

Step 6) It’s All About The Progress Report

In order to ensure that the expected progress is being made and that you are getting a return on your investment, your doctor should complete an interim examination every 30 days. 

The interim examination won’t be as comprehensive as the initial exam, but should focus the doctor’s attention on your problem area with a review of the rest of your spine as well. 

The doctor should rely not only on his or her expertise and experience with you, but also include another EMG scan to show progress to date and corresponding changes (good or bad) in other areas up and down your spine.  The EMG scan will provide you with tangible and objective data to corroborate the doctor’s analysis, while also ensuring that no new issues have come up.

Of course, it goes without saying that the doctor should review progress versus measured goals/expectations and also adjust your treatment plan as needed to ensure continued progress towards eliminating you pain… the doctor should never just rely on how you feel or what pain level you have.

So make sure that your doctor has a way to tangibly communicate quantifiable progress on your condition with you – after all, if you’re investing in his/her program of care, you most certainly want to see results!

This is especially true if you are looking to eliminate the pain and not just “feel better”….

All the best,

Dr. Anthony Gondesen
HealthSource of Clear Lake
900 Apollo Lane, Suite A
Clear Lake / Houston TX 77058
Tel. 281-286-2229
www.HealthSourceClearLake.com

Finding the right chiropractor – Step 5

Going to the chiropractor is serious business. To help you make the right choice, this blog provides a 7-point checklist to review with the chiropractor before you become their patient.

Step 1) Get a Background Check (prior post)

Step 2) Make Sure You Get Full Disclosure (prior post)

Step 3) Force the Doctor to Set Expectations (prior post)

Step 4) Make Sure You Get Routine Questioning (prior post)

Step 5)  Never Settle for Just The Adjustment

Chiropractic adjustment alone can never eliminate your headaches, migraines, neck pain, shoulder pain or back pain of any type. 

Every bone in your spine is connected to one or more muscles, so although your doctor can bring immediate relief by adjustment of one or more vertebrae in your spine, those vertebrae may move right back into the wrong place as soon as you stand up, get in your car or go back to your daily activities. 

It is therefore absolutely essential that your doctor prescribe exercises that complement the spinal adjustment so that your vertebrae can stay where the doctor put it.  Repetitive exercise of the muscles is like the braces used by orthodontists – it helps move the bone (teeth) back to into the correct position. 

Making sure that the vertebrae are kept in the right place is the only way to eliminate your pain for good.  And that calls for more than just adjustment by the chiropractor.

So ask your doctor about a program of exercise that complements his/her chiropractic adjustments – and please note that in this case we are not referring to the passive “feel-good” exercise like electrical stimulation or rolelr tables to relax the muscles – but bonafide muscle movement & strengthening exercise.

Without the muscle strengthening, you may not be eliminating the pain and may find yourself coming back for other treatments on the same condition – again and again…

All the best,

Dr. Anthony Gondesen
HealthSource of Clear Lake
900 Apollo Lane, Suite A
Clear Lake / Houston TX 77058
Tel. 281-286-2229
www.HealthSourceClearLake.com