How to Choose the Best Chiropractor in Bay City Michigan

choosing a chiropractor, best chiropractor bay city, chiropractor near me

How To Choose The Best Chiropractor in Bay City

The chiropractic profession is one that comprises a wide variety of techniques and practices, which may seem a challenge for you to select the best chiropractor in Bay City. When choosing a chiropractor, consider having a rapport with the chiropractor to know their level of expertise in the profession.

Steps To Take When Choosing A Chiropractor In Bay City

There are several steps that you can take to choose the best chiropractor in Bay City. They include the following:

Get recommendations from a good chiropractor or primary care physician.

Getting a recommendation from a reputable chiropractor or health care professional may be a good way to start. They may be able to give you a recommendation to a trustworthy colleague or other experienced chiropractors. You may also ask friends, neighbors, and co-workers for recommendations. Still, you do need to be cautious with accepting all recommendations because some people's idea of the best chiropractor may be different from others. Make sure you are choosing an evidence-based chiropractor. Recall that we started out by mentioning the wide variety of techniques and practices. One that knows when he/she should refer cases to a medical colleague. Make sure you do not choose a chiropractor that claims to help everything in your body from adjusting your spine. Research and evidence simply do not support these claims. However, there are countless papers supporting the use of spinal manipulative therapy, exercise, and soft tissue treatment to address acute and chronic pain.

Interviewing A Chiropractor:

Before you begin any treatment, it is wise to request a consultation or do a telephone interview to know more about the clinic, the chiropractor, and the technique used. In most cases, the chiropractor may ask you for a personal consultation so you can discuss it further.

You may carry out background research on chiropractors.

To find the best chiropractors in Bay City, you may decide to do research yourself. In this day and age of the internet, performing a Google search on the chiropractor in Bay City can give you a lot of information. Do they have great reviews? What are the reviewers saying about the office specifically? Additionally, you may want to find out if the chiropractor has any disciplinary actions taken against them. You may be able to get this information from your state's chiropractic licensing board on the state's website.

Questions to ask when searching for the best chiropractors in Bay City·

Is the chiropractor friendly and courteous?
Do you feel comfortable when talking with the chiropractor?
Is the chiropractor someone that listens to patient's complaints properly?
Is the chiropractor active in the community and active in giving back?
What kind of education has the chiropractor undergone? Are they actively learning and progressing?
Is there anyone else in your town that can compare?

At Lake Effect Chiropractic, we want to be your Bay City Chiropractor. As a result of our efforts, we have combined various services and providers all under one roof. We offer chiropractic care combined with soft tissue treatment and rehabilitative exercises.

There are 3 fundamental aspects of care you deserve as the patient:

Comprehensive Evaluation and Assessment
Conservative Treatment Options
Prevention Training

1. Comprehensive Evaluation and Assessment

Quite often we hear of patients who received chiropractic care and did not receive any form of informative conversation about their pain or situation, nor an exam to determine a diagnosis. They were simply ushered into a room, asked where it hurts and treated. Another scenario is a patient presents to their primary care physician or specialist and they are given a proper history and consultation, but a very basic, low-level musculoskeletal exam. There may be a few orthopedic tests, a referral diagnostic imaging, a suggestion of rest and finally prescribe you some medication to help “manage” your condition. Many times, the doctor doesn’t assess the muscle tissue, joint function and/or the movement of the patient. As chiropractors we are joint specialists and movement specialists. You have to move for many, many more years, let us keep you moving!

As a patient it is important to understand what you should expect from a comprehensive evaluation and assessment. Your evaluation and assessment should provide you with a working diagnosis and the potential indirect causes of the pain or injury. The diagnosis should be specific and clearly communicated.

In order to determine an appropriate working diagnosis a comprehensive evaluation should include, but is not limited to:

A thorough History & Consultation
Muscle and Joint Palpation/Testing.
Gait Analysis (if necessary)
Functional Assessment: Assessing weakness, tightness, faulty movement patterns.
Orthopedic Exams, Range of Motion, Neurological testing as needed.

When an in-depth evaluation and assessment is performed it provides the doctor with the information required to determine the appropriate plan of care. This allows for an informed decision regarding which conservative treatment options are best suited for your individual case.

2. Conservative Treatment Options

Everyone deserves to have an all-inclusive, hands-on approach to their pain or injury. Most patients respond best to a specific, unique combination of therapies. This may include 1.muscle therapy, 2. joint manipulation, 3. rehab exercises, and 4. advice on how to train and prevent further injury. You may not need both muscle therapy and chiropractic joint manipulation for all pain or injuries, but many will optimally benefit from all four angles of care.

Conservative treatment should not be a “one size fits all” approach. With multiple therapies available, each targeting a different tissue, it is important that your care plan is individualized based on the findings from your comprehensive assessment.

3. Prevention Training

Although sometimes unavoidable, there is nothing more frustrating than the return of the pain or injury. There are many potential factors that can contribute to re-aggravation of your injury or symptoms. These include; over-use strain from work, life or sport, not following the prescribed exercises, or the lack of injury prevention training from your healthcare provider. As an informed patient, these are a sample of some prevention options you should expect instructions on.

Activities of Daily Living Advice: Many activities we do in our daily life cause physical strain when performed improperly.
Return to Work/Sport Advice: Proper time frame for return and potential modifications.
Body Awareness and Preparation: Proper lifting, bending, posture, etc.
Corrective Exercises: Core or joint stability exercises.
Desk Ergonomics Tips: Helping position your work area for success.
Proper Equipment recommendations: Proper running shoes for a runner.
Skills/Technique Training: Techniques for your golf swing from a teaching professional.

Let’s Review,

There are many potential limitations when seeking chiropractic care for musculoskeletal pain or injury. The first step is being an informed patient, and understanding what quality care should look like. We hope you can be an informed patient when seeing care from any health professional.

All conservative treatment options should be explained and discussed, offering you a chance to ask any questions you might have and provide clarity regarding your plan. You should expect to receive advice regarding preventative care for your injury, so once you are out of pain, you can avoid re-injury or aggravations.

If you are looking for chiropractic care in the Bay City, MI area one of our doctors would be happy to give you a full consultation and exam, explain your diagnosis, discuss your treatment options and begin the healing process with you.