25 May What should I expect at the chiropractor?
Picture this… You wake up one morning and attempt to get out of bed but your lower back is so stiff and sore that you struggle to sit-up. It takes you 5 minutes to get up to the standing position and you shuffle your feet to the kitchen to pour your cup of coffee. You think to yourself, “what in the world is going on, why does my back hurt today?” If you’re like most, you cross your fingers and hope that the pain will magically go away because it has several times in the past. So you just wait it out for a day, a couple days, a few weeks but it’s still there and seems to be getting worse. You finally get to the point where you decide to do something about it so you seek the guidance of Google for a chiropractor, or even better, you have a friend who can refer you to their doctor (hopefully it us). You make an appointment for that afternoon and hope for the best.
What should I expect at the chiropractor?
I can not speak for the policies and procedures of other offices, but I can tell you how we treat new patients at Eastern Oklahoma Chiropractic. First of all, when you call to schedule, we will find out your contact information, your primary complaint and who referred you to our office. We always thank those that refer 🙂 As the phone call wraps up, you will be directed to our website to print off the paperwork and fill it out at your leisure or we can email it to you as well. Please don’t worry if you are unable to complete it ahead of time because we have the forms in office but we found that most people prefer to fill it out ahead of time and we encourage that. Upon arriving at our office, you will be greeted with a smile from Tiffany who is the Certified Chiropractic Assistant and she will get all your paperwork in order and verify your insurance benefits if you have coverage. Next, you will be introduced to Dr. Ring who will take you back to the exam room for a thorough case history, examination and he will also take X-rays if they are necessary. After the conclusion of the examination and X-rays, Dr. Ring will provide a “relief treatment” which is intended to get the healing process started. At that point, you will be turned back over to Tiffany who will conclude your visit by answering any questions you have and she will also schedule you for your follow-up visit to discuss the findings of your examination and X-rays that we call the “Report of Findings”.
At the ROF, Dr. Ring will review your conditions and discuss the findings on the examination and X-rays. He strives to make you feel as comfortable as possible and explain the results in a way that you will understand and he is always open for questions. One of his favorite sayings is, “a person who is educated on the situation will make the best decision for their care and feel comfortable doing so”. At the conclusion of the Report of Findings, Dr. Ring will map out a recommended treatment plan and will begin with the first adjustment and subsequent therapy performed in the office. Following the adjustment, Tiffany will cover the financial portion of care with you taking into account the length of the treatment plan along with any out-of-pocket cost you will accrue during the care. Just like Dr. Ring, Tiffany wants to make certain that all your questions answered and feel comfortable with your decision to pursue care. At Eastern Oklahoma Chiropractic, we promise to treat you like we would treat our nearest and dearest family.
The ongoing visits will follow the treatment plan outlined by Dr. Ring where he will perform the appropriate adjustments and you will receive physiotherapy that is intended to speed the healing process. Dr. Ring will conduct re-examinations along the treatment plan after the first 30 days or so or about 12 visits in, whichever happens first. The re-examinations are intended to be “spot checks” along the way to monitor your improvement and make any appropriate alterations to the treatment plan. When we have concluded our treatment plan, and you are feeling better and recovered from you episode, Dr. Ring will discuss the possibility of “wellness care” going forward that is intended to keep you in good situation and help limit the re-occurrence of the pain.
We hope this helps, put your mind at ease when seeking chiropractic care. At Eastern Oklahoma Chiropractic, we are always accepting new patients and referrals are definitely appreciated. If you would like to schedule an appointment or if you have questions, please call us at 918-940-4630 and we will get you set-up. Thank you for allowing us to be your chiropractor.