What to Expect at our office

“The doctor of the future will give no medicine, but will interest his patients in the care of the human frame, in diet and in the prevention and cause of disease.” - Thomas A. Edison

---

O'Hara Chiropractic Office Procedures:

• Consultation
• Examination
• Analyzing Your Nervous System
• Palpation of Spine
• Onsite X-Rays
• Adjustments
• Extremity Adjustments
• Care for the Whole Family

---

Initial Visit
Although no two people are the same, each patient’s initial visit will include some basic steps: consultation, examination and x-rays followed by a thorough and unhurried explanation and discussion of all test results and health goals. Dr. O'Hara will then provide necessary adjustments. An initial visit takes about one hour.

---

Consultation
Your consultation, health history and concerns will not be rushed. The consultation is comprehensive and addresses concerns of all bodily functions as we see your body not as parts but as a dynamic and holistic system. We don’t just focus on the diagnosis; we focus on you and your health.

---

Examination
Range of Motion studies are included in the examination process. These studies are done to determine the state of vertebral discs, supporting ligaments and muscle conditions. This application of chiropractic addresses loss of joint integrity between vertebra which can interfere with the delicate nerve fibers. Decreased range of motion is a common finding for those who are subluxated. Differences in height between the ears, shoulders and hips, as well as posture and walking stride, are used to confirm x-ray and other diagnostic findings.

 

---

Analyzing Your Nervous System
Since you can have interference in the nervous system and not feel pain, we use methods outside of patient feedback to analyze the nervous system. The Delta-T and Nervoscope are instruments that detect even the slightest temperature changes along the spine. These temperature changes and graph patterns are indicative of subluxations and are checked on every patient, every visit. These instruments simply feel like two fingers running gently down your back.

---

Palpation of the Spine
The art of chiropractic utilizes touch in determining subtle changing in the spine such as alignment and tissue changes.

Both static and motion palpation are utilized in Gonstead chiropractic to precisely pinpoint problematic areas of the spine. Static palpation is the “hands on” part of the examination. This will indicate changes in contour, tone, texture and temperature of the patient’s spine. Motion palpation is used to determine fixations (or “stuck joints”) and their lack of motion.

 

---

Onsite X-Rays
If necessary, full-spine x-rays are taken in our office for your convenience. Careful analysis of these x-rays allows the doctor to be as specific as possible and to tailor each adjustment for the individual patient. These x-rays are unique in that they include a full-spinal contour representation for posture analysis while the patient is standing (weight bearing). The uniqueness of this x-ray analysis is tailored to spinal corrections through adjustments and goes beyond the traditional medical application of x-rays (fractures, tumors, etc.)

 

---

Adjustments
The Gonstead technique is a gentle and comprehensive system of analyzing and adjusting the spine by hand. The goal of a Gonstead adjustment is to be as specific, precise and accurate as possible, addressing only the problem areas (areas of subluxation).

​Great care is taken to ensure a bio-mechanically correct position and precise thrust to provide the most accurate and effective adjustment possible.

---

Extremity Adjustments
In addition to correcting misalignments of the spine, we also adjust misalignments of extremities — everything from shoulders, elbows, wrists to knees and ankles, making chiropractic very popular among athletes.

 

---

Family Care
Children can be checked for subluxations as soon as they are born, allowing them to grow to their full potential. It is important for everyone in the family to have his or her spine checked for subluxation.

Corrections to the spine and human frame are made more quickly and easily the sooner one begins chiropractic care. Think about how easy it is to correct the angle of a tree trunk when its first been planted vs. years later; the same is true with the spine.

---

For more information, contact O'Hara Chiropractic Office in Waterloo for more details.