Chiropractic News and Info

The importance of the Chiropractic exam

I was recently asked about the importance of  the chiropractic exam.  This is usually asked by those new to chiropractic,  however, this occasion was unique. The question came from an individual who had seen a chiropractor in years past and now wanted to resume care where their last chiropractor had left off.

I started thinking about this and thought it would be a good topic to share with you this week.  So what is the importance of the chiropractic exam, or better yet, what is the importance of any exam in general?

The word exam is literally defined as “a test”. So, in a sense what you experience when you go through a chiropractic exam is in fact a test. The word test is defined as “the trial of the quality of something”.  Now you ask, “ What are you testing for and why am I being tested?”

Just as the word test was defined, we are looking for the “quality” of  you and your body. More specifically, we are looking for the cause of what brought you into our door. This can be any variety of things.  The information we gather during your exam, or test, will then appropriately guide us in the direction of your care.

You may be saying, ”It’s so simple, Doc. I know exactly what my problem is.”  What you percieve as the problem may very well be caused by something entirely different.  You may have other issues contributing to your present ailment and be completely unaware.  It is also possible that we discover an old problem, which you had given up on, or one that you had accepted as is.  I am commonly told, “I don’t have a problem here. It is just the normal aches and pains.” Imagine, how exciting it would be to find out that there is something you can do. You don’t have to accept it any longer.

This is why your chiropractic exam is so important and why it must be thorough. In order to make an appropriate diagnosis, we must first have all the necessary information.

Picking up care where this individual had left off, without doing an exam, would not only be irresponsible, but would completely disregard any changes which may have taken place.  It would be like trying to fix something without first finding out what the problem or cause even was.

One would never take their car to a mechanic and trust them to fix it without first running a diagnostic test or at least looking under the hood. If you did,  it wouldn’t take long before you were looking for a more qualified mechanic. It is like asking them to replace the starter, because that fixed your problem last time.  Replacing your starter today may have no effect on the current problem.  Now it may be a fouled spark plug that is responsible. This could only be determined through testing and examining the involved parts.

Value your exams and expect them.  It doesn’t matter if it is your general practitioner,  dentist, chiropractor or even mechanic. Make sure that they take the steps necessary to find out what your problems are. Only then can they make an informed decision about YOU. You would not trust your valued possessions with anything less, please treat your body with the same priority.

If you have any questions about chiropractic and what it can do for you contact Belle Hall Chiropractic at 843-284-2273 or email Dr. McCoy at drnick@bellehallchiropractic.com

Feel free to visit our website at www.bellehallchiropractic.com for more information.

We are located at 721 Long Point Road, Suite 403, Mount Pleasant, SC 29464 (across the street from the Seacoast Church) in theLong Point Office Park.