What Should You Expect?

   Expect a Great Experience!

We understand that most of our new patients are going to be in pain when they meet us for the first time.  It’s hard to be in a good mood when you are in pain and it can be flat out be depressing, especially if you’ve been dealing with chronic pain.  Our goal…is to make each expeience in our office as pleasant as possible for all of our patients.   To do this, we have instituted some policies and proceedures that are fairly uncommon in most chiropractic offices.

For starters, you don’t need an appointment. Our patients can walk in whenever we’re open and Dr. Uhlmansiek, D.C. will be here for their convenience.  Sure, without a schedule, you may have a short 5-10 minute wait before you can see the doctor, but wait times longer than 10-minutes (even during peak hours) are uncommon.  

We do accept some insurances, and our participation with plans varies from time to time, but insurance coverage isn’t needed to receive care.  We have established a fee schedule that is reasonable and affordable regardless of insurance coverage.  

Your First Visit – An Overview

During your first visit, if you’ve never been to a chiropractor before, Dr. Uhlmansiek, D.C. will explain exactly what it is that a chiropractor does, why they do it and how it could benefit you.  He will also try to answer any questions you have before any treatment is rendered.

Your First Visit – Step by Step

Intake Forms

The first step to becoming a practice member is the thorough completion of necessary intake forms.  These are important because they provide the doctor with important information about your health history and information your current state of health.

If you would like to save time on your first visit, you can click on the links below and print off the forms and fill them out at home before you come into the office.  This will save you about 15 minutes on your first visit time.  If you don’t have time to do this or you don’t have access to a computer or printer, it’s no problem.  You can always fill them out when you get here.

HIPAA Notice of Privacy Practices

New Patient Intake Form

Consultation and Examination 

The most important step in becoming a practice member is your initial consultation with Dr. Ray Uhlmansiek, D.C.  During the consultation, you will discuss your health concerns, goals for your care and potential treatment options.  If you have a problem that chiropractic care could help, then we will probably be able to accept you as a patient.  If not, we will be happy to help direct you to the appropriate health care provider.

After your consultation, with your permission, Dr. Uhlmansiek, D.C. will perform an initial physical examination consisting of a static postural exam, orthopedic, neurological and chiropractic assessments.   Many of these assessments are unique to the chiropractic profession and allow doctors of chiropractic to uncover health problems in individuals that may have been previously undetected by other healthcare professionals – such as The Vertebral Subluxation Complex. 

X-Rays – If Clinically Necessary 

After your examination, Dr. Uhlmansiek, D.C. may determine that x-rays of your spine are needed.  If so, he will perform any x-ray studies that are required and that we can perform in house.   

X-rays are not needed for every person or every condition.  The need for x-rays will be determined on a case-by-case basis and the reason for the tests will be explained to you before they are performed.

Any x-rays that are taken in our office will be sent to a licensed radiologist for interpretation.

Report of Findings

After your examination, Dr. Uhlmansiek, D.C. will go over his initial findings with you.  Most patients find it amazing at how much information they can learn about their health from just one visit to a chiropractor.

After Dr. Uhlmansiek, D.C. has as explained the findings to you, he will make recommendations for your initial treatment.  If appropriate you will be given your first chiropractic adjustment in our office.  Sometimes, the adjustment is not recommended, but that is not always the case.

Your Initial Treatment – The Chiropractic Adjustment

The Chiropractic Adjustment is a form of physical manipulation that is unique to the chiropractic profession.

Although practitioners from other health care fields can perform “manipulations,” only chiropractors are trained and licensed to locate, analyze and correct the vertebral subluxation.

What is a Vertebral Subluxation and why should you care?  Well the definition as adopted by the American Association of Chiropractic Colleges reads as follows:

“Subluxation is a complex of functional and/or structural and/or pathological articular changes that compromise neural integrity

and may influence organ system function and general health.”

What does that mean for the average person?  It means – in layman’s terms – that if the joints of the spine become misaligned, this misalignment can interfere with how the brain communicates with the body via the spinal cord and nerves, which leads to malfunction of normal body systems and/or processes.  Which in turn, causes poor health.

The method of application of the chiropractic adjustment can vary widely from chiropractor to chiropractor, however, the intent of the adjustment remains the same.

The intent is to affect the neurophysiology of a vertebral motion segment and the associated tissues.

In other words:

The adjustment is designed to help restore normal joint and nerve function in a subluxated segment of the spine.

This is important because when a joint or vertebral segment becomes “subluxated” the joint loses proper motion and hence, proper function. When this happens, the end result is a negative impact on your health.

Dr. Uhlmansiek, D.C. is skilled in a variety of chiropractic adjusting techniques; ranging from the traditional high velocity, low amplitude methods (most commonly associated with chiropractic) to extremely light force and more neurologically based adjustments performed either by hand or by the implementation of highly specialized instruments. This wide range of skill sets allows nearly all patients who seek us out, to find just the right type of adjustments for them!

Scheduling Your Follow up Appointment

At the end of your first visit, you will be given our New Practice Member Information Packet for you to take home and review.  The concept of chiropractic is so foreign to most people that they rarely remember the details after their first visit.  We find that this packet really helps people make healthy, informed decisions about their health.

You will also be given the opportunity to schedule a follow up appointment.  Dr. Uhlmansiek, D.C. usually recommends seeing his patients the day after or within 2-3 days after the first visit for a follow up.

During your follow up, Dr. Uhlmansiek, D.C. will try to answer any new questions you might have about your health or your chiropractic care.  Depending on how well you responded to your first visit, Dr. Uhlmansiek, D.C. may recommend a short trial period of care to help get you relief as quickly as possible.  Everyone responds differently to care and Dr. Uhlmansiek, D.C. taylors each patient’s careplan to his or her needs. 

Call us today!

 859-525-1695