New Patients at Advanced Healthcare Associates
As Wheaton chiropractors, we want all of our patients to feel immediately at home when they walk in the door. Since chiropractic care involves a series of visits, with each one building on the ones before, it’s important for you to feel comfortable right from the start.
Your First Visit
Upon arrival you will be warmly greeted by our staff members. You will be given paperwork to fill out pertaining to your current and past medical history and insurance information. You will see a lot of hustle and bustle of people getting better! You will be given a brief tour of Advanced Healthcare Associates and led to a private room where you will be introduced to the Doctor.
The doctor will ask you questions pertaining to your history and will also ask you questions about your current challenges. He will introduce you to what we do in this office and how we combine the different disciplines in order to come to a diagnosis and determine if we are able to help you and your current condition. A full orthopedic, neurologic and physical exam will be performed and x-rays will be taken to further evaluate your condition.
At this point, your relaxation will begin. Depending on how severe your condition is, you will receive ice or heat and muscle stimulation. As this treatment comes to an end, we will discuss our next appointment.
Between the first visit and your next appointment, the doctor will compare the exam findings to the x-rays and diagnose the condition. We will call the insurance company and determine the benefits so that we can estimate what the care will cost compared to the treatment time estimated. As you leave the office another appointment will be made to go over the findings.
Upon arrival at our office, you will check in at the front desk. Typically, we will have all the results from the initial exam at hand. We will have had time to determine a diagnosis and devise a treatment plan. In a private room we will discuss the exam and compare the physical exam to the radiographic findings.
After discussing the diagnosis, a treatment plan is discussed with the patient and family member. At this point we estimate what the cost of care will be including what their insurance company will pay, their portion of the deductible and co pays.
Now that the patient knows the WHAT (what is the problem), HOW MUCH, HOW LONG, WHERE, AND WHEN… A schedule of appointments and financial arrangements are made and then treatment can begin!!!
Your second visit can last an hour to an hour and a half.
A typical office visit consists of very little idle time. You can count on at least 25 minutes of exercise. The muscles must be warmed up with aerobic exercises such as a stationary bike, treadmill or a stair climber.
The Physical Therapist, once evaluated, will set up a protocol designed to strengthen weakened muscles and stretch tight muscles. These exercises will be upgraded on a consistent basis with the patient and constant supervision by a qualified rehabilitation technician.
Once the active part of the visit is complete, the patient moves to the “spa treatment” portion of the visit. This portion consists of passive therapy with ice or heat, muscle stimulation to decrease muscle spasm, massage/trigger point therapy and the chiropractic adjustment.
Each visit typically lasts an hour.
