Information For New Patients

More visits were made to “alternative” healthcare providers last year than to traditional providers. Does that still mean its an alternative?

We’ve put more information here for everyone, just in case you have some questions about your care here.

There’s nothing mysterious about chiropractic care. It’s a natural method of health care that focuses on correcting the cause of physical problems, rather than just treating the symptoms. All the cells, tissues, and organs of your body are designed to resist disease and ill health. They are all controlled by the nervous system, and your spine is the lifeline of this system. When there is interference in your lifeline, you experience ill health and discomfort. Chiropractic care is medical treatment for the connection between your spinal structure and your overall health.

Chiropractic care is based on the fact that your body is able to heal itself when your spine and nervous system are healthy and functioning normally. Chiropractic care is the practice of removing points of interference in your nervous system so your body can heal. These points of interference are called subluxations.

Kenmore’s Dynamic Chiropractic provides chiropractic adjustments to help your body heal from subluxations.

How chiropractic adjustments work to remove interference in your spine: Dr. Carr is specially trained to first carefully diagnose and locate interferences, or subluxations, in your spine. A chiropractic adjustment is the art of applying a
specific force in a precise direction to a joint that is subluxated, “locked up,”, “fixated”, “stuck”, or not moving properly. Chiropractic adjustments are a safe and natural procedure.

Dr. Carr of Kenmore’s Dynamic Chiropractic Clinic is a specialist in locating and correcting vertebral subluxations.

New Chiropractic Patient?

Don’t be nervous… there’s a first time for everything, and we hope this first patient appointment guide helps.

First:

Call our downtown Kenmore office at (206) 343-3325, and make an appointment with our friendly front desk staff. Our office allows you to print and fill out your forms before coming in!

ALL OF OUR SCHEDULING AND RESCHEDULING CAN BE DONE ONLINE AT OUR APPOINTMENT AND BILLING SITE:

Review some of our frequently asked questions here.

Directions

We’re right on the corner of the Downtown Kenmore Business District, where Highway 522 and 68th Avenue NE intersect at the North end of Lake Washington.

Two bus routes, the 522 and 372, stop right next to our office, as well.

For all you bikers out there, we’re only about 30 feet from the Burke Gilman Trail!

Causes of Subluxations

Subluxations occur when an individual does not have their spine regulary checked from birth. They are most commonly caused by:

– car and auto accidents
– work injuries
– slips and falls
– poor posture
– poor sleeping habits
– sports impacts
– strenuous exercise
– childhood falls
– the birth process

Effects of Subluxations

Subluxations cause dangerous stress to the spinal cord and the delicate nerves as they exit the spine between the spinal bones. This causes irritation to the nerves and causes increased susceptibility to disease and disorder in the body, usually resulting in uncomfortable common health complaints.

How do I know if I have a Subluxation?

Unfortunately subluxations are most often painless and often go undetected for years. One can’t always tell if there is a subluxation; a subluxation is sort of like a dental cavity, in that you may have it for a long time before symptoms appear. That’s why periodic spinal checkups are so important. Dr. Carr provides diagnosis and treament of subluxations as well as periodic systemic checkups and wellness evaluations.

Every new patient at New Patient’s Dynamic Chiropractic Clinic recieves a thorough spinal checkup.

The many other benefits of Chiropractic care at Kenmore’s Dynamic Chiropractic Clinic.

Many people don’t realize that chiropractic care has an excellent record of success correcting many health disorders as well as helping healthy individuals maintain optimal health. Maintaining a healthy and well-aligned spine is extremely important and is the most overlooked key to staying healthy. The purpose of this safe and natural procedure is to eliminate interference to the nervous system, improving spinal function and overall health as gentle spinal adjustments boost your body’s immunity.

What Can I Expect on My First Visit to a Chiropractor?

The first thing a chiropractor will do is ask you about the health complaints about which you are chiefly concerned. The DC will also ask about your family history, dietary habits, other care you may have had (chiropractic, osteopathic, medical, etc.), your job, and other questions designed to help determine the nature of your illness and the best way to go about treating the problem. A physical examination will be performed in accordance with your DC’s clinical judgement, which may include x-rays, laboratory analysis and other diagnostic procedures. In addition, a careful spinal examination and analysis will be performed to detect any structural abnormalities which may be affecting or causing your condition. All of these elements are important components of your total health profile, and vital to the doctor of chiropractic in evaluating your problem.

An “adjustment,” as doctors of chiropractic use the term, means the specific manipulation of vertebrae which have abnormal movement patterns or fail to function normally. Doctors of chiropractic spend years learning motion palpation (the art of examining by movement or touch) and other forms of spinal examining procedures, so that they can administer specific and appropriate spinal adjustments. Once the DC has identified the problem, he/she will begin care by way of these adjustments or “manipulations.”

Particular attention will be paid to that area of your spine where a spinal derangement or “subluxation” has been detected. The adjustment is usually given by hand or “activator” type instruments, and consists of applying pressure to the areas of the spine that are out of alignment or that do not move properly within their normal range of motion.

Doctors of chiropractic use many sophisticated and varied techniques, and the specific procedure to be used will be determined and explained completely to you following a careful evaluation of your radiographs and physical findings. Under normal circumstances, adjustments don’t hurt. The patient may experience a minor amount of discomfort during the adjustment which lasts only seconds. Adjustments or manipulations are extremely safe. The risk factor for injury is estimated to be WELL excess of 10 million to 1 across the board!

Do I need X-Rays? (Radiographs)

By: Susan Spinasanta, Medical Writer, SpineUniverse San Diego, CA, USA

In 1895 W.C. Roentgen invented roentgenograms, which today are simply referred to as x-rays, or radiographs. Although x-rays have evolved over the years, the principle remains the same – except – today’s techniques utilize only a fraction of the x-ray dose required in the early days of radiology. Truly, x-ray technology is the ‘workhorse’ of fundamental diagnostic imaging. Testing is fast, easy, and painless. Radiographs are produced by means of a source that radiates x-rays through a particular body part (e.g. spine). As the x-rays pass through the body they are weakened by the many types and levels of tissue encountered. That is why bony structures appear more prominently (e.g. whiter) than soft tissue – bone is denser and absorbs a greater amount of radiation. The energy is directed into a film cassette that has been placed into a receptacle under/behind the targeted X-rays are performed in many types of medical facilities such as a hospital, imaging center, or physician’s office. If previous imaging studies (x-rays, CT scans, MRIs) pertinent to the diagnosis are available, those should be presented to the chiropractor the day of the study. There are certain questions the x-ray technician will ask the patient – some of these questions are listed below and should be discussed with the referring physician prior to the day of the test: body part. The film is exposed and developed in much the same manner as a photograph.

– Are you pregnant?
– Are you allergic to contrast agents (e.g. iodine, IVP)?
– Do you wear permanent eyeliner?
– Do you have a pacemaker, artificial hip/knee, or other metal implants?

Patient preparation depends on the type of x-ray the referring physician has ordered. Some x-rays require an injection of a contrast medium to enhance the images. The patient will be made aware of the type of test and whether any form of preparation is required. The patient will be instructed to remove any metal objects (e.g. jewelry, hearing aids, hairpins) and change into a gown. Next, the radiology technician positions the patient properly on the table. In some cases, the technician will drape or have the patient wear a lead apron. The apron shields and protects other body parts from radiation. It is important the patient remain still. The technician leaves the room to enter the adjacent control room. During the imaging process, the patient will be asked to hold their breath for several seconds. When the test is done, the patient is instructed to dress and wait while the images are reviewed. In some cases, additional x-rays are required. A chiropractor, a doctor whose specialty is diagnostic imaging, carefully examines the x-rays and prepares a report for the referring physician documenting the findings.

If you have any other questions about what or why or how do do things here at Dynamic Chiropractic Clinic, please don’t hesitate to call us at our convenient Kenmore location… (206) 343-3325.