1. How qualified is my chiropractor? Training, organisations, registration and regulation.

All practitioners advertising their services as chiropractors must BY LAW be registered with the General Chiropractic Council (GCC). This is the regulatory body that sets down codes of conduct and stipulates how chiropractors must be trained.  The GCC is there to protect the public from harm at the hands of poorly trained or unscrupulous individuals. Failure to be registered with the GCC is illegal for anyone claiming to practice as a chiropractor and you should not consult unregistered practitioners for their advice.

It takes five years of full time training to qualify as a chiropractor and there is a legal requirement to undergo a minimum of 30 hours of further training per year in order to stay registered with the GCC. There are only two establishments teaching a degree course in chiropractic here in the UK, they are The Anglo-European College of Chiropractic in Bournemouth and the University of Glamorgan in Wales.

All practitioners at Winchester Sports and Spine are fully qualified, properly registered and insured to practice giving you complete peace of mind that you are in capable hands.

2. What should your chiropractor do? Case  history, exam, x-rays, report and re-examination.

When you first see a chiropractor they should try to learn all about why you have sought their advice, the first way they should do this is by taking your case history. This is an opportunity for you to tell your story, giving as much detail as possible about your condition including information about where your pain is, how and when it began and in what way it is preventing you from living life as you might like to. Everyone has their own unique motive for visiting a chiropractor to seek help, this is the time for the chiropractor to discover yours. After the case history a thorough examination should be performed involving tests of your joints, muscles and nerves to establish what might be causing your condition. Chiropractors are trained to both take and read X-Rays and will often have X-Ray equipment in their practice. It might be appropriate for X-Rays to be taken in order to help make an accurate diagnosis of your condition. Each case must be judged on its merrits and it certainly should not be standard proceedure to X-Ray every patient.

In the event that X-Rays were taken the chiropractor will want to closely inspect them. In this instance you will be scheduled to return to the practice a day or so later for a report of findings. This is one of the most important parts of the patients initial contact with the chiropractor and it can be very useful to attend your report of findings with a spouse, friend or loved one since there will typically be quite a lot of information given and four ears are always better than two! During your report the chiropractor will explain what is wrong, why it is wrong and what they propose by way of treatment to help you. This should be written down and you should have a copy of these recommendations to take away.

Ask questions about anything you do not understand, the chiropractor should regularly ask you whether you have any questions and you should feel entirely satisfied at the end of your report that you know what’s wrong, why it’s wrong and what can be done about it.

Don’t start treatment until you are sure that you are in full possession of the facts of your case and that your chiropractor has a clear plan of action that will be reviewed at regular (at least monthly) re-examinations where the improvements in your condition can be measured and demonstrated.

3. How long should the chiropractor take to consult with, examine and treat me?

A typical case history, physical and X-Ray examination can be carried out in approximately 40-50 minutes, some cases are relatively staightforward and others rather more involved so these times can vary but most patients have a bit of a story to tell about their condition and a thorough examination cannot and should not be rushed. If you feel that your chiropractor is skimping on this area of your care then walk away and find another practitioner. This is the most crucial part of the chiropractor/patient interaction, failure to accurately diagnose your condition will lead to a poor outcome, it must be done properly.

Treatment times will vary depending on the type of techniques a chiropractor chooses to use.  So 10-15 minute treatment times are the norm. It does not take long to perform chiropractic adjustments and simple exercises are usually quick and easy to learn so you need not waste lots of time getting the help you need. During treatment visits you should be in and out of the chiropractors office reasonably quickly.

4. How much treatment will I need? Patch care, fix care and maintenance care.

Most chiropractors will recommend a course of treatment to their patients because the bone, nerve and muscle tissues of the body take time to heal and it has been found that this healing is best served by short, regular treatments with the aim of carefully guiding a healing process.

Most patients want to get out of pain as quickly as possible so that they can get on with their normal lives and this should be the first priority for your chiropractor. Many patients however, present with conditions that have been troubling them over many months or years and these type of chronic conditions don’t heal quickly. So rather than just patch you up and send you away once the pain is gone, your chiropractor should offer you the chance to really fix your problem with good strengthening exercises and maintain your new found health and improved condition with maintenance care. This should all be explained in the clear report of findings you would have following your initial consultation and you should be provided with a written copy of the treatment plan.

5. What if chiropractic is not appropriate for me? in house referral.

After the chiropractor has analysed the results of your consultation/examination they should know what is wrong and whether your condition is something they will be able to treat. In some cases a patient may have a condition that is not appropriate for chiropractic care and referral to another practitioner is necessary. It might be that you need referring back to your GP, your chiropractor will usually call the doctor or write a letter in this instance.

Some clinics have a number of practitioners from different disciplines working in the same building. At Winchester Sports & Spine for instance we have physiotherapists, acupuncturists, podiatrists and massage therapists working alongside the chiropractors making referral to a more appropriate specialist very easy.

6. How quickly will I get better?

Your chiropractor should give you an indication of this during your report of findings appointment. It is entirely dependent upon the type and severity of your condition as well as how long you have been suffering. In recent (acute) injuries it is a little easier to tell you what the recovery time is likely to be. In long standing and repetitive conditions it can be harder to give a definitive answer to this question. Beware anyone issuing promises and guarantees! As with many areas in life there are no guarantees when dealing with the healing process, your body will heal as fast as it can and your pain levels will change accordingly.

7. Do chiropractors only treat backs?

No, chiropractors treat joint, muscle and nerve conditions that can cause you pain anywhere in the body. Sometimes the pain in your back can even come from joint, muscle or nerve dysfunction elsewhere in the spine or from an extremity (arm/leg). Treatment of sports and repetitive strain injuries is commonplace in most chiropractors’ offices, neck pain, shoulder and arm pain, tennis/golfers elbow, hip pain, knee conditions and pains in the feet all respond well to the correct type of chiropractic adjustments. Remember your chiropractor should always thoroughly assess your condition, explain what is wrong and set out a plan to treat you. AND if they cannot treat your condition, should refer you to someone who can.

8. Does the chiropractor specialise in a specific area? Sports injury, pregnancy, children, long term pain.

Some chiropractors have particular interest and post graduate training in the treatment of specific conditions or groups of patients. Never be shy about asking for evidence of specialist knowledge and experience of treating certain types of condition, if your chiropractor doesn’t have the knowledge or experience you require they may know of a colleague who does.

At Winchester Sports & Spine we are very happy to treat sports people at all levels of ability and have trained in exercise rehabilitation. We have practitioners trained in the treatment of pregnant women and babies/children as well as being very keen to see patients suffering jaw and cranial joint problems.

 

9. How much does chiropractic cost?

Choosing your chiropractor can be based on a number of factors, getting a referral from a friend or relative is preferable because they will be able to tell you good things about the chiropractor you are going to see inspiring confidence that they will help you too. Cost is a consideration for most of us and you could do a ring round to find out what the ‘going rate’ is in your area. At Winchester Sports and Spine we offer X-Rays (if they are appropriate) as part of our examination AT NO EXTRA COST because we do not want cost to be a barrier to obtaining important clinical information, this makes our consultation excellent value when compared to other clinics. We charge a going rate for treatment in our area and run regular promotions via the local press and on our web site (sign up below) which can make accessing care very affordable.

10. Do you charge extra for X-rays?

At Winchester Sports and Spine we do not charge new patients or existing patients with a new condition/injury a fee for taking X-Rays for the reasons mentioned above. Most clinics however will charge a fee of between £50-£150 for X-Rays.

Two bonus questions.

1. How can I book an appointment at Winchester Sports and Spine?

Call 01962 843242 and speak to one of our friendly receptionists, Janet, Fiona or Judith mentioning that you have read this report.

2. How do I get regular updates packed with useful information and special offers from the clinic?

Click on this link to receive our monthly newsletter THE BACK PAGE which will keep you entertained and informed.