If you are heading to a chiropractor for the first time it can be a scary experience. There are so many rumors about bad chiropractors who are out to scam you of your money and do not know what they are doing. However, if you head into your first chiropractic exam and know what to expect you will reduce your risk for falling victim to bad chiropractors. Here is a look at what to expect when you head to your first chiropractic visit.

Medical Papers. Just like all regular doctors your chiropractor will require you to fill out hundreds of papers that document your medical history as well as treatments you have undergone. Even though chiropractic medicine is viewed as alternative medicine it still needs to work with your regular doctors.

First Talk. After filling out the papers you will be taken into the back into an exam room. A chiropractic assistant will ask you various questions such as what symptoms you have, what brings you to a chiropractor and other questions that will allow them to give the chiropractor a better idea of what treatments you may need.

X-Rays. Depending upon the reason for your visit you may be required to undergo some X-rays. This will allow the chiropractor to see what is going on with your spine and neck and how the alignment of the vertebra looks. Sometimes X-rays are not necessary so do not be afraid if you do not have x-rays taken.

Consultation/Treatment. After having X-rays and talking the assistant your chiropractor will come in and offer you a consultation. They will talk about the course of treatment that they will have set up for you and how long it will take. They may offer you the ability to see the alignment problems on an X-Ray. During this time you may express any concerns you have. This first visit the doctor might perform a chiropractic treatment on you but that will depend upon the chiropractor.

Chiropractic medicine is commonly used to treat lower, upper and mid back pain. While the majority of the chiropractic procedures will be done at the chiropractor’s office, you may also be given very easy, light chiropractic exercises to do at home. These exercises are intended to keep what the chiropractor does in line and allow you to manage any back pain while at home. Here is a look at some of the common types of exercises that are given to those that suffer from back pain.

Knee to Chest. This exercise involves lying on your back and pulling one knee slowly up to your chest. You will keep the other leg straight on the mat. This is commonly used to lengthen the back and relieve tension in the lower back.

Spinal Massage. The spine needs to be massaged in order to relax. A common spinal massage exercise involves having the patient lay on their back and put both knees up. The patient will slowly move their knees from side to side. This exercise not only massages the back but will stretch out the lower back.

The Cat/Cow Stretch. The cat/cow stretch is a common yoga exercise. It is also used as an at home chiropractic exercise. This cat/cow stretch is down to decompress any pressure on the spine as well as lengthening it. The cat/cow stretch involves having the patient kneel and place their hands in front of them. They will then press their back to the floor to for a U with their back. They will hold that for a while and reverse it so that it stretches the back.

While these are common chiropractic exercises it is recommended that you speak with your health care provider or chiropractor to see if you should be performing these exercises at home. They will provide you with how often you should do them and when.

As with all professions there will be good chiropractors and bad chiropractors. So how do you know if your chiropractor is good or bad? There are usually warning signs that your chiropractor might not be the best chiropractor for you. Here is a look at some of the warning signs that a chiropractor might not be the best chiropractor.

Long Term Contracts. Many chiropractors will try to get you to sign long term contracts in order to receive treatment. While this isn’t an automatic sign that the chiropractor is bad it should be a warning sign. There is no way to know exactly how long a chiropractic treatment will last so there should be no pressure to sign up for four to six months worth of work at once.

Course of Treatment. All chiropractors will have a definite course of treatment for your care. A good chiropractor will discuss with you what they plan on doing and how it will be performed. If you feel that your chiropractor is not explaining the treatment or talking around it, it could be time to make a switch.

Concern for Pain. Your chiropractor is working for you and should be listening to your fears and pains. If you notice a chiropractor pushing aside any complaints of pain you may wish to consider switching to another chiropractor.

General Wellness. Chiropractors will be concerned about your general wellness. They might refer you to a nutritionist or offer various vitamins that you should use to supplement your diet. Be careful of chiropractors that only push products that they sell in their office. This might not be a sign of a bad chiropractor but it should be something that you are aware of.

Pain During or After Treatment. Chiropractic medicine will involve a tiny, dull pain. However, if you notice that you are experience intense pain after each procedure you should consider a new chiropractor as they may be performing the treatments wrong.

Chiropractors are visited by those that are seeking relief from neck and back pain. It is believed that chiropractors are able to cure these aches and pains by slowly moving the vertebra or small bones of the back, back into place. Moving the vertebra is believed to relieve the pain because the pain was caused by misaligned vertebra which triggers the nerves of the body to respond in a painful way. To move the vertebra back into place a chiropractor will utilize a number of spinal manipulation methods and positions. Here is a look at the most common chiropractic positions and postures that are used during a chiropractic session.

Supine. The Supine position is the most common chiropractic position. It involves having a chiropractic patient lying on their back staring at the ceiling. The chiropractor will then have access to move the patients neck without having to worry about stress and muscle tightness. The supine position is used for moving the vertebra of the neck back into place.

Side-Posture. The side posture position has the patient lying on their side as if they were resting. The chiropractor will then push gently on the back and neck area. This position is used a lot for patients and chiropractic procedures that do not involve moving or twisting the spine.

Prone Position. The prone position involves the patient kneeing down and curling into a ball. This allows the chiropractor to have access to the mid-back area of the patient. Some of the most common chiropractic procedures known as the activator and the pro-adjustor use the prone position.

Knee-Posture. The Knee posture requires that a patient kneel on the floor and lay their head on a bench. The patient will move their head from side to side and the chiropractor works on the patient’s back and neck area.

Chiropractors use different machines in their practice to help realign the spine and other joints. If you are heading to a chiropractor it is a good idea to know what types of instruments they might be using on you. Here is a look at the various categories of instruments that a chiropractor might have in his or her office.

Tables. When walking into a chiropractor’s office there will be dozens of tables in the office. These tables are instruments that the chiropractor will use to help realign your back and other parts of the body. Tables can range from those that are gravity enhanced which allow the chiropractor to use gravity to realign the spine to those that contain rolling balls that will massage the back and other parts of the body back into alignment.

Ultrasound Machine. Ultrasound machines are very popular in chiropractic offices. These machines are used to reduce the inflammation that can cause the stiffness or alignment issues.

The TENS machine. The TENS machine stands for transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulator. This is used to stimulate the nerves and muscles throughout the body. Just like in ultrasound therapy it allows the muscles to relax and can help the chiropractor move the body and joints around easier.

Activator Adjusting Instrument. This is a small hand held device that chiropractors will use to gently pound or press on the back. It is believed that this will help to realign any vertebra that has become misaligned. The device helps stabilize the back area and move it back into place.

Toftness Radiation Detector. This is another small hand held device that will help a chiropractor find and identify where pinched nerves may be located in the body. Once these nerves have been located the chiropractor can focus the treatment on those parts of the body.

Chiropractic medicine is designed to relieve certain conditions from headaches, high blood pressure, back aches and neck aches. While most chiropractic procedures do more good than harm, there is a slight possibility that after a chiropractic procedure you will face some varying levels of difficulty. Here is a look at some of the problems that you might face after a chiropractic treatment. These problems are all related to digestive health, however, there are other concerns and problems that might arise.

Eating, Chewing and Swallowing. It is not uncommon to face problems with eating, chewing or swallowing after a routine chiropractic procedure. This is because the procedures that are being performed are related to the neck and mouth area. However, sometimes during a treatment the chiropractor might over rotate the neck muscles. This usually results in a stiffness of the neck and jaw area which causes problems with eating, chewing and swallowing.

Stomach Acids. Your stomach is filled with a lot of acids that help digest the various foods and break them down. Inside the spinal cord is where the nerves lie that control how much acid your body produces. Due to the fact that most chiropractic procedures are back related it is possible that the over rotation of the back could cause the acids to not be produced as often as they should which will result in slow digestion or it could cause the acid in the stomach to be over produced which causes acid stomach.

Bowel Movements.  Most chiropractic procedures are around the lower to mid-back area. Should a mishap happen in this area it could potentially cause damage to the intestines and internal digestive system. Should damage happen a chiropractic patient might suffer from constipation or even diarrhea. However, the chances of this happening are very rare and there are only a few documented cases.

If you are looking for a good alternative way to relieve symptoms from high blood pressure, headaches, body aches, back aches and even sinus pressure then you might be considering trying out a chiropractic service. However, there are thousands of chiropractors in the area and it can be hard to choose which one to go to. Here is a look at how you can find the right chiropractor for you.

The first step to finding a chiropractor is to ask around. Chances are your friends or family member either see a chiropractor regularly or have gone to one for various injuries. This first hand experience will allow you to see if they liked the chiropractic service and how the chiropractor was.

The second way to find a chiropractor is to contact the American Chiropractic Association. This organization keeps track of all the licensed chiropractors in the area and will be able to give you a recommendation from there. This will allow you to make sure that you are going to a licensed chiropractor and one that knows what they are doing.

The third way to find a chiropractor is through the trial and error stage. This involves making an appointment with a chiropractor and seeing what they have to offer. Patients can usually tell after the first visit whether or not they will enjoy going to that particular chiropractor. Also on the first chiropractic visit the chiropractor will discuss treatment options with you. If you do not like the discussed options you can always find another chiropractor that offers similar services.

Regardless of which chiropractor you choose remember that when undergoing a chiropractic treatment you should never feel any type of pain during the procedure. If you do experience pain it might be time to make the switch or find another chiropractor who might be right for you and your conditions.