The patient meets with the chiropractor and provides a brief synopsis of his or her issues and pain. The patient will describe the symptoms, duration, frequency, areas of pain, what makes the pain feel better, and what makes it worse.
The chiropractor identifies the areas of the complaint and the nature of the pain by asking questions and learning more about the patient's medical history, including:
- Family history.
- Dietary habits.
- Previous treatments, including chiropractic or any other medical treatment.
- Occupational history.
- Any other details related to your current condition.
This part will vary according to your condition, but it may include any of the following:
- Walking around the room to give the chiropractor different looks at the position of your muscles and bones.
- Moving your body into different positions to answer questions like "how does it feel to perform this movement?" or doing things like pushing your chiropractor's hand so he or she can determine if certain muscles are firing.
- Palpation and observation, from head to toes, scanning the body looking at the symmetry, comparing one side to the other to see if there is any misalignment. Palpation will also help to locate painful areas needing adjustment or any other treatment.
It is also possible that you get other small examinations during treatment. Chiropractors do these to test the results of their last adjustment.
Depending on the results of the above examination, a chiropractor may use additional diagnostic tests, such as:
- X-rays. Used to locate and have a better look at skeletal alterations.
- Temperature readings. With the help of a device, chiropractors identify spinal areas containing significant temperature difference, which means it needs chiropractic adjustment.
