Many people who visit the Cleveland University-Kansas City Chiropractic Health Center have received treatment from a doctor of chiropractic before, and they may have a good understanding of what we do. But those who are unfamiliar may have questions. That’s okay! We appreciate the opportunity to educate the public about the many benefits of chiropractic care. To aid in the educational process, some of the most common inquiries are provided here to help you better understand what we do.
Please be thorough, as the information you provide is important in the diagnosis and treatment of your complaint. If you have any questions or would like to schedule an appointment, please call our office at 913-234-0700.
Your doctor of chiropractic focuses on maintaining proper spinal function and its relationship to the nervous system and good health. When the spinal segments or other joints lose their normal function, joint degeneration and nervous system irritation may result. The doctor of chiropractic seeks to restore joint function by performing careful spinal adjustments, which improve joint motion and allow the nervous system to function properly, assisting the body to heal itself naturally — without drugs or surgery.
Depending on your clinical presentation, your chiropractic intern, in consultation with a licensed doctor of chiropractic on the Cleveland University faculty, will determine if X-rays are necessary. When needed, X-rays are a valuable tool for determining indications for care or referral.
A thorough patient history and physical examination are essential to arriving at an accurate diagnosis and a meaningful treatment plan. You will receive a comprehensive examination as part of your experience in our Health Center. Because the Health Center is a teaching clinic, this may take somewhat longer than a typical doctor’s visit. Depending on your health care needs, a physical can take as little as one hour or extend beyond two hours. However, you will be provided with detailed information about your health status, and our interns will receive vital clinical education as a result of this experience.
Each patient is unique. If chiropractic care is indicated, your intern will work with an experienced clinician to design a treatment plan based on your concerns, patient history and current diagnosis. We’ll provide you with a report that explains our findings and, if needed, recommend a suggested frequency and duration of care. Most uncomplicated musculoskeletal conditions respond quickly to chiropractic care.
We manage a variety of common conditions including:
Because our chiropractic Health Center is a teaching clinic, we seek to provide a progressive, educational environment where our chiropractic interns can learn as they offer exceptional treatment to patients just like you. By entrusting us with your care, you are assisting our interns as they develop the skills that will help them serve people throughout their chiropractic career.
While your participation in this learning process is much appreciated, it does require that we adhere to a schedule that is somewhat different from other health care providers. During your first meeting, your intern will gather your complete health history to gain more insight into your condition, conduct a comprehensive physical and compile all of the findings.
Based on what is learned from your physical examination and your health history, your intern will then consult with one of the licensed doctors of chiropractic on our staff to determine if our services can be of assistance to you. If the doctor and intern believe that you could benefit from care offered at the health center, they will schedule a second appointment with you to share their findings and present a treatment plan for you. You will also have an opportunity to meet with our billing staff to discuss any insurance or payment options you may have. That is typically all that will take place on your first visit.
During your second visit, you will learn more about the condition of your health and you will have an opportunity to respond to the findings, and ask any questions you may have. Your intern will outline your current status, what treatment is recommended, the estimated length of that treatment and the anticipated cost to achieve the desired results.
If you choose to move forward with a plan for care, your treatment can usually begin that day. Depending on your condition, this may involve chiropractic adjustments, adjunctive therapies, soft tissue work, or the implementation of a restorative exercise routine. Based on the reaction of your body to the initial treatment, your plan may be modified accordingly to help you achieve more favorable results.
After your first treatment, your intern will usually follow up to determine your status and to schedule an additional appointment, if needed.
If it is determined that another visit to the health center is necessary, you will adhere to your original plan for care and your progress will be revisited when you return.
If you begin to notice improvement, your schedule may be modified to speed your path to recovery, and to also help you maintain your optimum health moving forward.
Those who are in pain when they arrive at the Health Center are seeking a solution for their discomfort. Our interns are committed to finding relief for that pain as quickly as possible, and consequently, Relief Care is the first phase of treatment.
As with many conditions, there can be underlying problems that are unknown until the pain presents itself. In some cases, it can be days or weeks after the initial cause of the problem before pain develops and therefore it may take some time, and multiple visits with your intern to help you achieve complete relief.
Our foremost concern in the Health Center is to eliminate pain and restore the body back to health. However, when the function of a body has been compromised, a complete recovery takes time.
Corrective Care is the second phase of treatment that allows for the muscles and tissues of the affected area to heal completely over time, restoring the body back to its natural state. Depending on your condition, this may take an extended time as your body rebuilds strength in the affected area and reduces the chance for re-injury.
This may include treatment from one of our interns or perhaps just stretching and exercising the areas. Our interns, under the direction of our doctors, are qualified to provide home recommendations.
After the body has completely healed, we advocate occasional chiropractic care to prevent additional health problems in the future. These routine treatments are part of a third phase of treatment called Wellness Care that is part of an overall, whole-body commitment to good health.
These treatments, along with exercise and proper nutrition are what pave the road to good health. In addition, being attentive to the ongoing care of your body will help you to avoid many of the ailments others may experience and allow you to continue with many of the things in life you enjoy.
