1. What are the hours your office is open?

2. What is my first visit like?

A. On your first visit to our office you will be greeted cordially and asked to complete a few health information forms. These forms give me vital information regarding your past and present health history so that I can give you the best care possible. It only takes a few minutes to complete.

For those patients who have suffered auto or work related injuries please be sure to bring the accident report with you (if it has been completed),
and any auto insurance information you have. ( Claim number, name and address of your company, and telephone number). There will be an additional form to complete in the case of an auto accident. But, again, it is easy to fill out.

Any other health insurance information is normally given to the office during this visit so it can be determined what type of coverage you have.

After we have established your health history, I will sit down with you and ask specific questions regarding your current health issue.
Samples of questions to think about would be on a scale of 1-10, 10 being the worst possible pain, how would you rate your pain today. What type of pain do you have, sharp, achy, muscular; where is the pain located; are there any movements or activities that increase the pain, or for that matter, make the pain go away; what type of treatment have you used so far for this condition, etc. Please be prepared to answer these questions as they help me determine the type of examination needed in
your case.

We then perform a physical examination. Height, weight, blood pressure, pulse maybe taken, along with other standard testing. The area in question will be examined with certain orthopedic/neurological tests performed. In some cases we will have xrays taken at Brattleboro
Memorial Hospital. If you have reasonably current xrays of the injured area, please bring them with you. In some cases these xrays can be used rather than taking new ones.

We try to relieve your pain as soon as possible and after we have determined the cause of your problem we will begin treatment.

To see what we may do during treatment goto the Treatments and Services section.

3. Why do I have to go so frequently for treatment? Is it really necessary?

A. In a chiropractor's office we treat mostly injuries and structural related problems. It takes time for soft tissues to heal. A swollen sciatic nerve injury can take up to six weeks to heal. Many structural problems have been that way for a long time. If you weigh 100 lbs the weight distribution should be 50-50 but many people are walking around with weight distribution at 60-40. It has often taken years to get the body this way and it will take at least weeks and sometimes months in severe cases to restore propper joint and muscle balance.

Another way to look at it is to use an analogy. If you had an infection
and visited your MD there is a chance he would prescribe an antibiotic to
fight the infection. That prescription might need to be taken twice a day for 14 days. In that 14 day time period you received 28 treatments. It doesn't seem like it because you only had one actual visit to the office. In chiropractic, the treatment is given in the office, not at home and not out of a bottle. So, if you were to receive treatment two times per week for four weeks, while it may seem like a lot of treatment, you were actually treated less than in the medical analogy given above.

4. It seems like once you start going to a chiropractor you have to go forever!

A. When treatment for the first episode to our office ends we give a patient a choice. Many problems we see are chronic meaning they will come back again at some time in the future. It is less likely if you have preventive maintenance. So we tell patients you can call us when it acts up again and we go through maybe 5-8 visits again or we can put you on a preventive maintenace program such as once a month and try to prevent it. The choice is up to you.

Many patients CHOOSE to receive chiropractic throughout their
lives because they see the improvements in their lifestyle and health. Let s face it, our society is geared towards fast food, fast cars, immediate gratification. It is no wonder that people also want fast healthcare.

Let's give you another analogy that may help. Diabetics and those with
allergies sometimes need medication every day or every week of their life!!!

In some cases patients with significant structural problems need structural support for long periods of time and perhaps the rest of their life. While these types of problems are not an everyday occurance in my office, they do happen. Most people who come to my office for care for longer periods of time simply like the way they feel and choose to utilize chiropractic treatment more thoroughly than others.

5. Chiropractic is not accepted by the medical profession. My doctor doesn't want me to utilize chiropractic.

A. While this situation was very common when I first started practicing over
twenty six years ago, there are occasionally patients who tell me this even today. It is unfortunate that this occurs. We have many patients referred to us by medical doctors. Over the years we have even had many medical doctors, nurses and physical therapists as patients. I even had one medical doctor who wrote a book and said I was often her primary care provider. I send patient to Brattleboro Hospital for lab tests and x-rays and in general we have a good working and referring relationship with most medical doctors in the area.

6. Chiropractors are not "real" doctors.

A. Chiropractors are not medical doctors and have chosen not to be. We purposely do not want to use drugs and surgery although there is a time for them. The law of the state of Vermont recognizes chiropractors as chiropractic physicians with the licensed ability to use natural methods in the diagnosis and treatment of human ailments.

7. How much education and credentialing do chiropractors have?

A. Education: Chiropractor must have at least two years of core subjects although most have four year undergraduate degrees. Chiropractic education consists of 5 academic years, one of which is a supervised internship. The basic science education of chiropractors is comparable to that of medical doctors. In fact, we spend more time on anatomy, neurology, and orthopedics than medical students spend on these subjects.

Testing: In Vermont, Chiropractors are required to pass a National
Board Exam made up of four tests taken over a three-year period, as well
as a state law exam.

Advanced: The instrument we use is called an Activator instrument. The organization who oversees the training in this instrument gives written and practical exams on a basic and advanced proficiency levels and require at least one seminar a year.

Continuing Education: The state of Vermont requires 24 hours of classroom study in order to maintain a licence.

8. How long has chiropractic been around?

A. The first chiropractic adjustment was given in 1895. Millions of people have had great results with this natural, gentle, effective care. It has been accepted by academics, medical doctors, insurance companies and government agencies.

9. How much research has been done on chiropractic and spinal manipulation?

A. There are literally dozens of studies that demonstrate the benefits of spinal manipulation and chiropractic. Many have been done by medical researchers or under the auspices of governments.
Clinical studies show that chiropractic works. It is the preferred treatment for most low back pain, and there is substantial evidence for the treatment of many other conditions.