Your First Visit

No. At Hands On Wellness, we believe that proper alignment includes all of your body’s joints, from the foundation of your feet to the ends of your fingers. Please ask the doctor for more details!

No, but you may choose to. A majority of conditions resolve in only weeks or months. However, once we have resolved your initial problem, you can benefit from occasional treatments. Because Chiropractic looks beyond symptoms and examines how you function, most patients benefit from regular treatments to prevent problems and optimize health and wellness. So even though there is no requirement for you to “see us for the rest of your life”, we certainly hope you will consider it.

Similar to dentistry, there are benefits to receiving care before the problem occurs and/or after it is fixed. We will discuss with you our clinical recommendations and then you decide how long to continue care. We will always respect whatever decision you make for your own health. Please note in cases where you are being seen purely for the maintenance of health, certain insurances (like Medicare) won’t cover those services.

Absolutely. From the day we are born, our spine and nervious system are subjected to stress. That means children, as well as adults, may have joint dysfunction and nerve interference affecting the proper functioning of their bodies.

Children respond very quickly to treatment and we are trained in gentle, child-friendly techniques. Correcting something problematic in its early stages means better health and function in later life. We hope you will choose to share Chiropractic care with your entire family!

There are a few procedures which may cause discomfort. For example, the muscle work we perform targets the area in the muscle which is the tightest, so it may be uncomfortable or painful when we apply pressure there. Patients usually say “that hurts so good,” since the sensation feels useful, like you experience when someone rubs your tight shoulder muscles. We counsel our patients to let us know if the sensation is too uncomfortable so we may stop or alter our technique immediately.

Most adjustments are relatively comfortable and many are completely pain free, except in cases where the joint is very fixated or inflamed. Certain techniques can result in a “popping” sound when performed. This sound is nothing more than nitrogen gas being released in the joint space. It does not cause pain, but is disconcerting to some patients. We have training in many different techniques and will use whichever best suites you. We want you to get the best possible results with the least possible discomfort. We take pride in seeing our patients leave our office with a much bigger smile on their face than when they walked in.

Most of the side effects are short lived and are not serious. Post treatment soreness or stiffness is not uncommon, especially the first or second treatment, and rarely last more than a day or two. After all, we are making changes to your musculoskeletal system and your body may temporarily perceive this as disturbing.

We recommend you take it easy the day of your adjustment and let your body relax. Walking immediately after an adjustment is recommended in most cases. After receiving a lot of muscle work, it is important to drink some extra water to flush out released waste products, thereby avoiding what some people experience as a toxic feeling, much like a hangover. For a list of rare potential complications, see our informed consent sheet located on the back of the intake form. We will happily discuss any concerns you might have in our office or over the phone. Statistically speaking, Chiropractic treatment is one of the safest forms of health care available.

Statistically speaking, Chiropractic is one of the safest forms of healthcare available. It is drug-free and non-invasive.