To determine if chiropractic care can help you, your doctor will need to take a thorough patient history and perform a physical examination. This will usually start with completion of a patient health history form in order to identify other health conditions that may be contributing to your pain and symptoms or if you need to be referred to your family medical doctor for assessment and treatment.

After your health history form has been completed, you will be asked specific questions about your pain and symptoms. Your chiropractor will need to know how long you have experienced discomfort, what symptoms you are experiencing in addition to pain, and what other treatment options you have investigated prior to your chiropractic visit. You will be asked about any trauma or injury, about triggers of pain or methods of relief, and about the severity of your pain and the type of pain you are experiencing. You will also be asked if you have had any medical tests or x-rays and about the results of these tests.

During your examination your chiropractor will perform many of the same tests you would have if you visited a medical specialist in orthopaedics or neurology. In addition, your chiropractor will examine you from a chiropractic perspective in order to identify areas of pain, stiffness, and muscle spasms. The movement of your spine will be closely assessed to identify restrictions or movement abnormalities. Once your examination has been completed, specific x-rays or tests may be requested to confirm your diagnosis and to rule out conditions which should be referred for management by your family medical doctor.

Once your examination is completed and a diagnosis has been established, treatment options and a treatment plan will be discussed with you.