Before you arrive
There is not much to do. Booking online takes about a minute and you can pick a time that suits rather than waiting on the phone.
- Wear something you can move in. The examination involves movement, so comfortable clothing helps.
- Bring any imaging or reports you already have. If you have had X-rays, a CT or an MRI, bring the report: it saves repeating things.
- Bring your health fund card. All funds can be claimed on the spot.
- Allow a few extra minutes to park. There are two hours of free undercover parking beneath West Village. Take the lift to Level 1 of The Eaves; we are Suite 3.
What the examination involves
Our starting question is not only what hurts. It is how is this spine moving, and how has it been loaded over time?
Joints adapt to how they are loaded. Load them well and they hold up. Load them poorly, awkwardly, repeatedly, for years, and they change shape in response. That process is gradual and usually quiet, which is why the first sign of it is often pain that seems to arrive out of nowhere after a decade of nothing.
So the examination looks at movement quality across the whole spine, not only the segment that is complaining. Sometimes that explains why the same shoulder keeps flaring, or why a back that was fine for fifteen years is not anymore.
Will I be treated on the day?
Sometimes. It depends entirely on what we find and on whether you are comfortable going ahead once it has been explained. If we think imaging or a referral should come first, we will say so rather than treating for the sake of treating.
Where treatment does start on the day, it might involve chiropractic adjustment, and depending on the presentation it may later include cold laser therapy, a course of spinal decompression, or PowerPlate work for loading and strengthening. Not everyone needs all four: most people need one or two.
Fees and health funds
Fees are shown when you book online. All health funds can be claimed on the spot through our HICAPS terminal, so you only pay the gap on the day. We are a registered provider for WorkCover Queensland and the Department of Veterans’ Affairs; if you are claiming through either, let the front desk know when you book and they will sort out the paperwork.
If it is not us, we will say so
Part of the first visit is working out whether what you have is something chiropractic can help with. If it is not — or if something in the examination suggests you should be seen by a GP, a specialist or an emergency department — you will get a clear explanation and a specific recommendation about who to see instead.
When to seek urgent care instead
Book with a doctor or go to an emergency department rather than waiting for a chiropractic appointment if you have any of the following:
- Loss of bladder or bowel control, or numbness around the groin or inner thighs
- Progressive weakness in a leg or arm
- Severe pain following significant trauma, such as a fall or a car accident
- Unexplained weight loss, fever, or night pain that will not settle with position change
These are uncommon, but they matter more than any appointment.