What to Tell Your Chiropractor

When you visit the chiropractor, there are going to be things you need to be prepared to discuss. Your adjustment and overall treatment is customized each time you visit and therefore you have to know what to talk about so that you receive the maximum benefits.
Here’s what to tell your chiropractor.

Where is the Pain?
While you may be going to visit the chiropractor for back pain, you have to be as specific as possible. Explain that the pain is on your left side or in the lower portion. The more specific you can be, the easier it will be for the chiropractor to understand what is going on and provide relief. It may be different kinds of pain, too, and you should be able to describe this in. The pain may be a burning sensation or be sporadic. It may also be a dull pain that is always there no matter what you do.
What are the Past Injuries?
You will want to tell your chiropractor about past injuries that you have sustained, even if they were from years ago or you didn’t think much about them. Some of the pain you are experiencing now could be as a result of a past injury. This could be from a sport that you used to play or even a car accident that you were involved in. Provide dates as well as what was done in order to treat the injury at the time.
It’s also a good idea to talk about any surgeries you have undergone. Some chiropractic adjustments should not be done too closely following a surgery or a break of any kind. If you’ve had a broken leg, abdominal surgery, or any other thing happen to you, it’s best to tell the chiropractor and then let him decide if it’s relevant or not.
When Does it Hurt?
When does the pain actually show up? You may experience the pain more when you are performing certain activities. You may also be asked to demonstrate the movement so the chiropractor has a clear understanding of what’s causing the pain.
What Have You Done to Relieve the Pain?
Have you used hot or cold compresses to relieve the pain? Have you been taking over the counter pain medications? Have you had surgery on your neck or back to relieve the pain? All of this needs to be presented because your chiropractor is going to establish a treatment plan and needs to understand what you have and haven’t tried already to make the plan as effective as possible at treating your pain.
How Active are You?
Some back and neck problems come as a result of being too active, or not active enough. For example, if you are at a very sedentary job, you may have compression within your back because of sitting all the time in front of the computer. If you have a very active job where you do a lot of lifting, this can cause muscles and tendons to stretch and become inflamed. Be honest about how active you are and what you do in order to stay active so the chiropractor has a clear idea as to what you do on a daily basis.