Posted in Wisconsin Workers Compensation Related News
It is normal to have a lot of questions after you have been injured. Should you visit a doctor or chiropractor? Is it covered by your insurance? If you also have never been to a chiropractor before, and are considering going to one for the first time, you probably have even more questions. There is no reason to feel nervous about speaking with a chiropractor today. Although you will likely want to ask some more detailed questions that pertain to your specific condition, here are a few basic questions that you can ask to get started:
1. How much hands-on experience and educational training do you have? Real-world experience is very important, but you may also want to find out if your chiropractor has any postgraduate education experience. Quite simply, the field of chiropractic is fairly new and, like other fields within medicine, it is constantly changing. There are always new certifications and new degrees that a chiropractor can obtain after graduating. A chiropractor who has very little hands-on training may be just as ineffective as a chiropractor who does not keep up with advances in the chiropractic field.
2. How many sessions will I need to have to improve my injury? The majority of patients need several sessions with a chiropractor before they begin seeing real results, and the number of sessions will differ from patient to patient. However, many chiropractors are able to give their patients a general assessment of their condition and treatment plan, including how many sessions may be necessary.
3. Do you have any evidence-based research available regarding your techniques? This is a very important question to ask, even if the answer may seem intimidating at first. Chiropractic is a unique part of the medical field; it is guided by a certain philosophy as much as scientific-based research methods. Two chiropractors might treat the same condition in two very different ways.
4. Can you give me any information on how to prevent my injury in the future? A good chiropractor will be able to discuss every aspect of your injury with you — including how and/or why it happened in the first place. In many cases, an injury occurred because of an accident or simply due to an aging body. Prevention, in these cases, might not be a primary concern. However, if you’re seeing a chiropractor because of a sports-related injury or because you’re experiencing long-lasting pain, you might be able to prevent the injury from occurring again.
5. Can you connect me with other medical professionals if my condition worsens or doesn’t improve? Many chiropractors have numerous professional connections throughout their local community. For example, if you were injured during a car accident and experienced whiplash, your primary care doctor or even your personal injury lawyer may have recommended that you see an experienced chiropractor such as the physical therapy Rockville, MD locals turn to. These recommendations should go both ways. There is never any guarantee that chiropractic will completely fix an injury or ailment. A good chiropractor should discuss your treatment plan with you and help you decide when it may be time to seek a more intensive treatment.
A special thanks to our authors at Pain and Arthritis Relief Center for their insight into Physical Therapy Care.
