The Healing Experience
If you are unsure whether to start your care with physiotherapy or chiropractic, please send us an E-mail or give us a call. Our staff members are well-trained to inform you which care is most appropriate for you!
We want to make sure that your first visit is smooth and stress-free. On your first appointment, the practitioner will greet you and start by conducting a medical interview to investigate the cause of your injury. Subsequently, he or she will follow it with a physical exam. Particular attention is given to the areas of complaint. However, your practitioner can also screen for other secondary abnormalities caused by the original complaint. For example, your chiropractor or physiotherapist may conduct routine physical exams, which include 8 parts: (1) Vitals, (2) Observation, (3) Gait Analysis, if applicable, (4) Ranges of Motion, (5) Palpation, (6) Orthopedic tests, per area of complaint, (7) Neurological Tests, and (8) Advanced Neurological Tests, if applicable.
We do not begin treatment until a clear diagnosis is made. If a diagnosis is concluded on your first visit, treatments may begin immediately on the same visit. If the diagnosis is not conclusive, we will follow up with your family doctor or hospital to request any additional reports done in the past to understand your case better. If you are assessed by a chiropractor, he/she will send you a requisition form to complete a few X-rays images prior to treatment to rule out many differential diagnoses especially if the case is complex. All X-rays are performed independently at any Canadian Diagnostic Network laboratory branch in Ottawa. X-Rays fees are covered by OHIP.
Chiropractic or physiotherapy: which one first?
It all depends on the nature of your injuries, your chief complaints and stage of healing!
All new patients are encouraged to begin their care with a chiropractor if they have sustained a very recent injury. Our Ottawa chiropractors studied 8 years of theory, internship and residency. They are able to diagnose and order X-Rays to rule out fractures or serious injuries. Furthermore, all practitioners at Kent Chiro-Med Wellness Clinic share one common goal: to reduce your pain first. When your pain subsides, you will be co-managed with one of our physiotherapists for strengthening and rehabilitation.
Report Findings and Education
Once a diagnosis is made, your practitioner will sit down with you and help you understand your condition. We take patient education very seriously. Your practitioner will then provide you with the treatment plan that enables you to get better. This is also an opportunity to ask questions.
Preventative Care can be provided by all of our practitioners. The primary goal of this phase is to avoid or mitigate the consequences of illnesses and sports/work-related strain.
Attending your appointments is important to ensure that the treatments are effective. Should you cancel your appointment, we require a 24 hours notice to avoid a $25 cancellation fee. Maintaining your healing progress for a better life: Choose Preventative Care!
Our chiropractors and physiotherapists understand that not all pain resolve completely – especially if the early injury was chronic, severe and debilitating to start with. A few musculoskeletal conditions are notoriously known to reoccur when exposed to environmental stress such the physical demands of your job, sitting or standing for too long, or the gradual increase in athletic performance.
By coming at least once a month for your preventative care, you are receiving a lot of benefits such as
- Ensuring that the pain does not get come back or worsen.
- Saving money as it is cost effective to prevent an injury than to treat it again when it flares up with severe pain
- Benefiting from your practitioner’s advice on how to integrate more activities into your sedentary lifestyle.
- Helping you with your specific athletic goals and monitoring your progress