What to Expect at Active Life Chiropractic of Yakima

Chiropratic Visit time: Approximately 1 hour Arrival: Please arrive 15 minutes early The first visit with a doctor of chiropractic begins with paperwork. No one’s favorite but a necessary piece to ensure we understand as much about your health as possible.Next the doctor reviews the information and then brings you back to discuss what is written on your intake as well as ask additional clarifying questions. They will then explain the exam to you. You do not need to remove your clothes but comfortable clothes you can move in would be helpful! Some people do prefer to remove their shoes. The exam portion moves your joints around and tests your muscles to see where restrictions in movement are and which joints and soft tissues are affected. It also is designed to rule out or show evidence of issues or damaged areas within the spine and extremities. Your doctor will explain your findings and let you know how they can help. They will provide you opportunities for questions. Once questions have all been satisfied and consent is reached, treatment can begin. Treatments generally include some amount of soft tissue work to balance the soft tissues as well as chiropractic manipulation of the spine and/or extremity joints to increase motion and neurological input. After treatment recommendations such as massage, laser or exercises are provided.----Why we ask you to arrive early? You may notice that the check in time we give you isn’t the same as your appointment time listed on your reminder. We kindly ask that all patients arrive 10 minutes early for a very important reason – LIFE happens!We understand that things can pop up so arriving early helps ensure everything runs smooth for you and your provider. Here is why this time matters:It takes a few minutes to fill out your intake on the tablet and check for your copay or any additional paperwork needed for your appointment.Sometimes unexcpected delays like a need to use the restroom, road construction, a school zone etc the minutes can really add up. Even slight delays can eat into your time with us and we don’t want that.If you arrive 5-10 minutes late there may not be enough time for a thorough check in and treatment. It also leaves you stressed and frazzled. This could mean a re schedule and at the very least less available treatment time!----MassageTreatment with a massage therapist also begins with paperwork. This allows the therapist to get to know your health history a bit and review likes and dislikes you may have to ensure you get the most out of your massage appointment. We also like to know if you want to unload life’s stresses, conversate on a topic or have silence as you get treated. Once initial paperwork is reviewed the therapist will take you to their treatment space. They may need to ask followup questions for clarification. They will instruct you how they would like you to start the massage depending on the areas they are going to begin with. They will ask for questions and then leave the room for you to undress to your level of comfort and get onto the table. Table warmers and blankets are there for your comfort but sheets also assist the therapist in keeping you covered with exception of the part they are working on. Please remember this is your massage, you are in control. You can ask questions about treatment and techniques, ask the therapist to change their pressure and ultimately let them know if anything is uncomfortable. Soreness and pain are not the same so please let your therapist know if any pressure or area is too much. Soreness is common with manual therapies but pain should not be. Relief is common in the moment as well but continued care as therapist suggests is key to resolution. Recovery is to include increased hydration, great nutrition and maintaining mobility.

ChiropraticVisit time: Approximately 20 minutes Arrival: Please arrive 5 minutes early Follow up visits are your typical short chiropractic visits. We encourage you to arrive about 5 minutes early so that you have ample time to check in and be placed into a room. Additionally, if your care requires access to areas of the body that may be constricted by clothing (hips, knees, shoulders, etc) we encourage you to dress accordingly, or make certain you have time to change once at the office. At Active Life Chiropractic the doctors dedicate 15 minutes of care to each patient. During that time you will be quickly evaluated for progress and the areas needing care will be determined. Once care commences it will usually include both soft tissue manipulation and chiropractic adjustments. Occasionally, there is a need for ice or heat, either before or after the fifteen minute treatment session. This will be disclosed to you prior to your visit per your treatment plan if you will need additional treatment time.

Visit time: Approximately 45 minutes Arrival: Please arrive 10 minutes early Re-evaluation’s are used in order to track the progress of care. While, the doctors at Active Life Chiropractic always perform evaluations of the patient prior to care at each visit, they feel that a more in depth look at the patient’s condition is needed after a few visits to ensure that sufficient progress is being made. Re-evaluations are typically scheduled after 12 visits in dealing with the same problem, or after a patient has been away from care for more than three months. These visits will not be as time consuming as the first visit, but patients should be aware that these will likely take about 45 minutes to complete. In a re-evaluation as with the initial visit you will be evaluated, receive a diagnosis, have an opportunity to ask questions, receive a treatment plan, receive care, and be given exercises you will be expected to perform.

Visit time: Approximately 45 minutes Arrival: Please arrive 10 minutes early When a patient presents to our clinic with a new region of the body that is in need of care, we feel it is best that the patient have a full examination for this new area of complaint. This not only allows the doctors to determine the extent of the new injury, but provides the doctor with the information needed to ensure the most appropriate care is being given to the patient. These visits often take 45 minutes to complete, and are very similar to the patients initial visit at the clinic, except you will not likely have to fill out a full medical history form. As with the initial visit you will be evaluated, receive a diagnosis, have an opportunity to ask questions, receive a treatment plan, receive care, and be given exercises you will be expected to perform.