First Chiropractic Adjustment? Here’s Everything You Need to Know

If you’re considering chiropractic care, you might wonder what to expect during your first visit. Whether you’re dealing with back pain, headaches, or discomfort after an auto accident, chiropractic treatment can help restore mobility and relieve pain. Many patients find that their first chiropractic adjustment brings immediate relief. Still, the key to success is understanding what to expect during the process.

Our chiropractic office serves Denver, Arvada, and Wheat Ridge, Colorado. We specialize in helping people experience the benefits of chiropractic care. From your initial consultation to your first adjustment and beyond, we support your journey toward better health and wellness. In this post, we’ll walk you through what happens during your first chiropractor visit, what a chiropractic adjustment involves, and how our additional therapies, insurance plans, and free consultations make your path to healing easy and accessible.

Now, let’s explore what your first chiropractic adjustment and visit will look like and why so many people trust chiropractic care for long-term pain relief and recovery.

What to Expect During Your First Chiropractic Adjustment

Visiting a chiropractor for the first time can feel like a big step, but knowing what to expect can help ease any anxiety. We aim to ensure that your first visit to our Denver chiropractic office is informative and comfortable. Whether you’re coming in with chronic pain, an injury from an auto accident, or another health issue, we’re here to guide you through the process.

Consultation: Understanding Your Health Concerns

Your first visit will begin with a consultation. During this time, we’ll sit down with you to discuss your specific concerns and health goals. Are you experiencing chronic back pain? Has an injury from an auto accident left you feeling stiff and sore? Are you dealing with headaches or sciatica? Whatever the reason for your visit, this is your time to share the details.

We’ll ask you questions about:

• The nature of your pain. When did it start? Is it constant or intermittent?
• Any accidents or injuries you may have experienced.
• Lifestyle choices, including work habits, physical activity, and stress levels.
• What previous treatments or therapies have you tried, and how effective were they?

This consultation lets us understand your unique needs and determine whether chiropractic care is the right approach. It’s also an excellent opportunity to ask any questions about chiropractic care, especially if it is new to you.

Examination: Assessing Your Condition

Once we understand your health concerns, we’ll proceed to a thorough physical examination. This step is crucial to pinpointing the root cause of your discomfort and creating a personalized treatment plan. Our comprehensive approach ensures that no aspect of your health is overlooked, giving you confidence in our ability to help you.

During the examination, we may:

• Test your range of motion to see how easily you can move certain joints or muscles.
• Check your reflexes and muscle strength to assess the health of your nervous system.
• Palpate (feel) your spine and surrounding areas to identify any areas of misalignment or tension.

Depending on your symptoms, we may also take digital X-rays to get a clearer picture of what’s happening inside your body. This is especially important if your pain is related to trauma, such as an auto accident, or if we suspect a potential disc issue that could be causing pain to radiate from your spine. X-rays can help us rule out fractures, dislocations, or other serious problems, ensuring we provide the most accurate and effective care possible.

Diagnosis and Discussion

After the exam and any necessary imaging, we’ll sit down with you again to discuss our findings. At this point, we’ll provide a clear diagnosis and explain what’s happening in your body that may be causing your symptoms. We’ll also discuss how chiropractic care can help and whether additional therapies (like acupuncture or dry needling) may complement your treatment.

If chiropractic care suits you, we’ll outline a treatment plan tailored to your needs. This might include a series of chiropractic adjustments, and depending on your condition, we may recommend starting right away.

Your first chiropractor visit is about understanding your health and creating a roadmap for recovery. By the end of your visit, you’ll have a clear idea of what’s going on and be empowered to make decisions about your care. You’ll also likely feel a sense of relief, knowing you’re on the path to healing.

What is a First Chiropractic Adjustment?

Now that you know what to expect during your first chiropractor visit, let’s dive into the heart of chiropractic care: the adjustment. A chiropractic adjustment, sometimes called spinal manipulation, is a controlled force applied to a joint, typically in your spine. The goal is to improve alignment, relieve pain, and restore normal function to your body.

What Happens During a Chiropractic Adjustment?

Your first chiropractic adjustment will follow a thorough consultation and exam. Here’s what you can expect during the actual adjustment:

• You’ll be positioned on a specialized chiropractic table designed to allow the chiropractor to adjust specific areas of your spine.
• The chiropractor will use their hands, or sometimes an instrument, to apply a quick, controlled force to a joint in your spine. This force is carefully applied to ensure the safety and comfort of the patient. The chiropractor’s expertise and experience guide the adjustment process, ensuring it is effective and safe. You may hear a “popping” or “cracking” sound, which is perfectly normal. This sound is caused by gas bubbles being released from the joint as it is adjusted, similar to cracking your knuckles.

Most people feel relief right after the adjustment. However, the experience can vary depending on your condition and the severity of the misalignment.

Benefits of a Chiropractic Adjustment

Chiropractic adjustments have become a popular treatment for a variety of conditions, offering several benefits:

• Pain Relief: Many patients report immediate or near-immediate relief from back pain, neck pain, and headaches after their first adjustment.
• Improved Mobility: Adjustments can help restore motion in joints that have become stiff or immobile due to injury or chronic issues.
• Non-invasive: Chiropractic care is a natural, non-invasive treatment option that doesn’t involve medication or surgery.
• Improved Posture: Regular adjustments can help improve posture, especially if poor posture contributes to your discomfort.

Potential Downsides and Risks of a Chiropractic Adjustment

While chiropractic adjustments are safe and effective, some people may experience adverse effects when beginning their care. These risks are minimal, and our experienced chiropractors will always prioritize your safety and comfort during your treatment.

• Soreness: After your first chiropractic adjustment, you might experience mild soreness or stiffness in the treated area. This usually fades within a day or two, similar to how you might feel after a workout.
• Not a Quick Fix: Your Chiropractic care may require multiple sessions to achieve long-term results. Some conditions, particularly chronic or severe issues, may take weeks or even months to improve significantly. An accurate comparison would be people who are trying to lose weight or get in shape for a 10k. It takes time to change our physiology.
• Not for Everyone: Chiropractic adjustments may not be suitable for certain conditions, such as severe osteoporosis, spinal fractures, or inflammatory arthritis. However, during your initial exam and consultation, we’ll assess whether chiropractic care fits your specific condition.

Common Concerns About the First Chiropractic Adjustment

For many first-time patients, the idea of a chiropractic adjustment can be a bit intimidating. If you’re feeling nervous about the process, you’re not alone! Here are a few common concerns we often hear:

• “Will it hurt?” Chiropractic adjustments shouldn’t hurt. You might feel pressure or a slight popping sensation, but most patients talk about how good the adjustment feels rather than mentioning any discomfort.
• “Is it safe?” Yes, chiropractic care is generally considered safe for most people. Our office takes every precaution, especially during your first visit, to ensure that chiropractic adjustments are performed safely and effectively based on your individual condition.
• “What if I don’t hear the ‘crack’?” Not every adjustment will produce the popping sound, and that’s perfectly fine. The effectiveness of the treatment isn’t dependent on the sound—it’s all about realigning the joints.

Your first chiropractic adjustment is an important step on your road to better health. While it may feel a little unfamiliar initially, most patients find it a comfortable and beneficial experience. Now that you understand what a chiropractic adjustment involves let’s talk about the additional treatment options available at our office that can complement your chiropractic care.

Additional Treatment Options Available at Our Office

In addition to chiropractic adjustments, our office in Denver, Arvada, and Wheat Ridge offers a variety of complementary treatments designed to enhance your overall health and well-being. These therapies can be particularly beneficial if you’re dealing with chronic pain, recovering from an injury, or looking for a holistic approach to wellness. Let’s explore our additional services and how they can support your recovery.

Acupuncture

Acupuncture is an ancient Chinese medicine practice that involves inserting thin needles into specific points on the body to stimulate healing and relieve pain. By targeting energy pathways, acupuncture helps to restore balance and promote natural healing.

• How It Helps: Acupuncture is highly effective for managing pain, stress, and inflammation. It’s often used to treat conditions like headaches, muscle pain, and even anxiety or digestive issues.
• When to Consider It: Acupuncture can complement chiropractic care, especially if your pain or discomfort is linked to muscle tension, inflammation, or stress. Many patients combine both treatments to experience more comprehensive relief.

Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy (BHRT)

Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy (BHRT) balances hormones that may be causing fatigue, mood swings, weight gain, or other health issues. This treatment uses hormones chemically identical to those produced by your body, making it a safe and natural option for addressing hormonal imbalances.

• How It Helps: BHRT can alleviate symptoms of menopause, andropause, and other hormone-related issues, helping you feel more energized and balanced.
• When to Consider It: If you’re experiencing symptoms of hormonal imbalance, BHRT can be an excellent complement to chiropractic care. It helps support your body’s overall functioning, improving your response to chiropractic adjustments.

Dry Needling

Dry needling is a modern therapeutic technique that uses thin needles to target muscle trigger points (tight knots of muscle that cause pain). Unlike acupuncture, which is based on energy pathways, dry needling focuses specifically on muscle tension and pain relief.

• How It Helps: Dry needling can reduce muscle tightness, increase blood flow, and relieve pain in problem areas such as the neck, shoulders, or lower back.
• When to Consider It: Dry needling can effectively supplement chiropractic adjustments for chronic muscle pain or stiffness, especially for those suffering from sciatica or chronic neck pain.

Electroacupuncture

Electroacupuncture is a variation of traditional acupuncture that uses small electrical currents to enhance the effects of the needles. By adding electricity to the acupuncture needles, electroacupuncture relieves deeper muscle spasms.

• How It Helps: This therapy is particularly beneficial for conditions that involve nerve pain, inflammation, or chronic discomfort, as the electrical stimulation can enhance healing and improve circulation.
• When to Consider It: Electroacupuncture can be helpful for patients with more severe or chronic conditions, especially when acupuncture or chiropractic adjustments alone don’t provide enough relief.

Low-Level Laser Therapy

Low-level laser therapy (LLLT), also known as cold laser therapy, is a non-invasive treatment that uses light to stimulate healing at a cellular level. It is widely used to reduce pain, inflammation, and muscle spasms while accelerating tissue repair.

• How It Helps: LLLT can help reduce inflammation, improve circulation, and promote healing in soft tissues. It’s often used for conditions like arthritis, tendonitis, and sports injuries.
• When to Consider It: This therapy benefits acute or chronic injuries, such as sprains, strains, or joint pain. It works well alongside chiropractic adjustments to speed up recovery and reduce inflammation.

Shockwave Therapy

Shockwave therapy uses sound waves to promote healing and reduce pain, particularly in soft tissues like muscles and tendons. It’s an excellent option for treating chronic pain or injuries that haven’t responded well to other therapies.

• How It Helps: This therapy is particularly effective for conditions such as plantar fasciitis, tennis elbow, and tendonitis. The sound waves break down scar tissue, stimulate blood flow, and accelerate healing.
• When to Consider It: Shockwave therapy is ideal for patients dealing with chronic pain, particularly if they have not responded to other treatments. It can be used in combination with chiropractic adjustments to enhance recovery.

These additional treatments can provide a comprehensive approach to health and wellness when used alongside chiropractic care. Whether recovering from an injury, managing chronic pain, or seeking holistic solutions, we offer a range of therapies that work together to optimize your healing.

Insurance and Discounts for Your First Chiropractic Adjustment

We understand that navigating healthcare costs can be overwhelming, so we aim to make your experience as stress-free as possible. Whether you have insurance or not, our office offers several options to help make chiropractic care and additional therapies affordable and accessible.

Insurance Providers We Accept

If you have health insurance, we are proud to be in-network providers for several major insurance companies, including:

• Aetna
• CIGNA
• Humana
• Medicare
• United Healthcare
• The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)

By being an in-network provider, we help ensure that you can take full advantage of your insurance benefits, potentially lowering the cost of your care. When you schedule your first chiropractic visit, our office will work with you to verify your coverage and explain any out-of-pocket costs based on your plan.

Discounts for Self-Pay and High-Deductible Plans

We offer discounted fees for patients without insurance or those with high-deductible health plans to make Chiropractic care more affordable. We believe everyone deserves access to high-quality healthcare, and we work with you to create a payment plan that fits your budget. Chiropractic care, acupuncture, and other therapies should never be out of reach because of cost concerns.

By offering discounted rates for those without insurance, we ensure that finances will ensure you receive the care you need to address your pain or health issues.

Free Consultation for New Patients

Unsure if chiropractic care is right for you? We offer free consultations for all new patients. This allows you to sit down with one of our chiropractors to discuss your health concerns, ask questions, and determine whether chiropractic care or any of our other therapies could be the solution you’ve been looking for.

During your free consultation, we’ll:

• Review your medical history and symptoms
• Discuss your health goals and concerns
• Conduct an initial assessment to determine whether chiropractic care can help
• Explain your treatment options and answer any questions

There’s no obligation to commit to any treatment during this consultation. It’s simply an opportunity to explore your options and learn more about how we can help you feel better. Our goal is to ensure that you feel confident and comfortable with your care plan, whatever that may be.

Auto Accident Patients

If you’ve been involved in an auto accident, chiropractic care can be crucial to your recovery. Our office has extensive experience working with auto accident patients, helping them address common issues such as whiplash, neck pain, and back injuries. We will work with your auto insurance company to ensure you receive the care you need without financial worry.

Whether you have insurance or are looking for affordable self-pay options, our office is dedicated to making your experience seamless and worry-free. Plus, with our free consultation offer, there’s no reason to delay finding out how chiropractic care can benefit you. Now, let’s discuss some common conditions we treat and how chiropractic care can help.

Common Chiropractic Conditions We Treat

Chiropractic care is a highly versatile treatment option that can address many conditions. Whether you’re dealing with pain from an auto accident, a chronic condition, or day-to-day discomfort, chiropractic adjustments and our other therapies can help restore your quality of life. Below are some of the most common conditions we treat in our Denver, Arvada, and Wheat Ridge patients.

Back Pain

Back pain is one of the most common reasons people seek chiropractic care, and we see excellent results in this area. Whether your back pain stems from poor posture, a sports injury, or years of wear and tear, chiropractic adjustments can realign your spine, reduce inflammation, and relieve pressure on nerves.

• Common Causes: Muscle strain, herniated discs, sciatica, arthritis, poor posture
• How Chiropractic Helps: By restoring alignment in the spine, we reduce pressure on nerves and improve the mobility of the joints and muscles. Many patients experience significant relief from back pain after their first chiropractic adjustment.

Neck Pain and Whiplash

Neck pain, especially after an auto accident, is another condition commonly treated with chiropractic care. Whiplash is a type of neck injury that often occurs after a car accident, where the neck is suddenly jerked back and forth. This can lead to muscle strain, misalignment in the spine, and lingering pain.

• Common Causes: Auto accidents, poor posture (e.g., “text neck”), muscle strain, sleeping in an awkward position
• How Chiropractic Helps: Chiropractic adjustments can help relieve tension and restore mobility to the neck by realigning the vertebrae and easing pressure on the surrounding muscles and nerves. For whiplash, chiropractic care can help reduce inflammation and accelerate healing.

Headaches and Migraines

Chronic headaches or migraines can severely impact daily life, and many patients don’t realize that chiropractic care can offer relief. Tension headaches, often caused by stress or muscle tension in the neck, and migraines that stem from spinal misalignments are conditions that can improve with chiropractic treatment.

• Common Causes: Tension, spinal misalignment, stress, neck strain, dehydration
• How Chiropractic Helps: Chiropractic care can alleviate the pressure and tension that often lead to headaches by adjusting the spine and reducing tension in the neck. Many patients experience fewer and less severe headaches after consistent chiropractic care.

Sciatica

Sciatica is when pain radiates along the sciatic nerve, beginning in the lower back and running through the hips and into either leg. This pain can be sharp, shooting, or burning and is often caused by compression of the nerve, usually due to a herniated disc or spinal misalignment.

• Common Causes: Herniated discs, spinal stenosis, piriformis syndrome
• How Chiropractic Helps: Chiropractic adjustments can relieve the pressure on the sciatic nerve, reduce pain, and improve function in the lower back and legs. For many patients, chiropractic care provides significant relief from sciatica without the need for surgery or medication.

Auto Accident Injuries

If you’ve been in an auto accident, chiropractic care can be crucial to your recovery. Even low-speed collisions can result in significant injuries, such as whiplash, back pain, and soft tissue damage. Chiropractic care helps to restore alignment, reduce inflammation, and promote healing after an accident.

• Common Causes: Whiplash, sprains and strains, soft tissue injuries, disc injuries
• How Chiropractic Helps: Chiropractic adjustments help the body recover from the trauma of an auto accident by restoring proper alignment to the spine and supporting muscles. Together with therapies like acupuncture or dry needling, we can help reduce pain and inflammation and speed up healing.

Joint Pain and Arthritis

Arthritis and joint pain can make daily activities difficult and painful. Chiropractic care can help improve joint mobility, reduce inflammation, and relieve knee, shoulder, and hip pain.

• Common Causes: Osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, overuse injuries
• How Chiropractic Helps: Chiropractic adjustments improve the mobility of joints affected by arthritis, reducing stiffness and pain. By restoring proper alignment and improving function, chiropractic care can significantly improve the lives of patients with arthritis.

Whether you’re suffering from back pain, sciatica, or the aftereffects of an auto accident, chiropractic care offers a natural, non-invasive treatment option to help you feel better. Our office is equipped to handle various conditions, and we’ll work with you to create a personalized treatment plan that fits your needs.

Ready for Your First Chiropractic Adjustment?

If you’ve been living with pain—whether it’s in your back, neck, joints, or anywhere else—chiropractic care can help you find relief and get back to living your life to the fullest. Whether this is your first chiropractic adjustment or seeking a new approach after dealing with long-term pain, we’re here to support you every step of the way.

Our chiropractic office is conveniently located for patients in Denver, Arvada, and Wheat Ridge, Colorado. We offer a comprehensive range of services to address your unique needs, from chiropractic adjustments to advanced therapies like acupuncture, dry needling, and shockwave therapy. We provide a holistic approach to healing.

Why Schedule Your First Chiropractic Adjustment With Us?

• Personalized Care: Every patient receives a custom-tailored treatment plan designed specifically for their condition and health goals.
• In-Network Providers: We accept most major insurance plans, including Aetna, CIGNA, Humana, Medicare, United Healthcare, and the VA. We also offer discounted fees for those without insurance.
• Comprehensive Services: Besides chiropractic adjustments, we offer various complementary therapies to enhance your treatment and accelerate recovery.
• Auto Accident Experience: If you’ve been injured in an auto accident, we have the experience and expertise to help you recover fully.
• Free Consultation: If you’re unsure whether chiropractic care is right for you, take advantage of our free consultation. We’ll help you determine if chiropractic care or one of our other therapies can address your specific issue.

There’s no reason to continue living with pain or discomfort when safe, effective, and natural treatments are available. Contact us today to schedule your first visit and take the first step toward a healthier, pain-free life!

Schedule Your First Chiropractic Adjustment Today!

Doctor Doran has over 25 years of experience treating back pain, neck pain, and headaches. Schedule a free consultation at our affordable chiropractic clinic with the Chiropractor Denver seeks for fast, effective, and lasting pain relief. Let us help you get back to living your best life. Contact our friendly staff by phone at (303) 424-7171, stop by the office at 4704 Harlan Street, on the south side of I-70, or see pictures of our clean and modern office on our Google Business page.