QUESTIONS ABOUT CHIROPRACTIC SERVICES?
What should I expect on my first visit?
Congratulations on taking this first step to improving your musculoskeletal health, and welcome to the Aculas family. Your body is going to thank you! Your initial visit is an important one because this is where we will get to know you, your condition, and decide how we can best tackle your issue together.
This appointment will consist of an in-depth assessment conducted with the goal of identifying the affected joints, damaged tissues, and functional limitations provoking or contributing to your pain. Examinations will include evidence-based procedures such as thorough palpation of the area of complaint, orthopedic and neurological examinations, and joint range of motion assessments.
Once we complete the initial assessment, your provider will use hands-on, verbal, and visual aids to explain what we found and how we plan to treat it, including what therapies we intend to use during treatment. Bring ALL the questions! We love patient education and will happily answer any questions you may have prior to or during treatment.
I've completed my first visit. What's next?
Never-ending treatment plans? NOT HERE. Our goal is always to help you resolve your pain or complaint as quickly and efficiently as possible. Every person and every injury is different, so that time frame looks different for everyone. The phase of care you enter after your new patient assessment, either maintenance or functional care, will depend on your exam findings and goals for treatment.
MAINTENANCE CARE: Oftentimes, patients come in without an injury or complaint, and are interested in receiving maintenance or routine chiropractic care. These types of visits usually consist of spinal and/or extremity adjustments and sometimes take-home exercises. This type of appointment is ideal for patients without an active injury who prefer a shorter visit time, usually about 10-15 minutes. The frequency of visits is completely dependent on each patient's preference but is recommended at least once per month.
FUNCTIONAL CARE: For patients with active complaints or injuries, care will be initially be focused on the reduction& elimination of your pain. Initial treatments can include adjustments, rehabilitative exercises, and other therapies aimed at improving the quality of the soft tissue and joints. Once your pain is resolved, care will focus on maintaining your progress both through treatment in the office and teaching you how to manage your condition at the gym, on your walks, or just at home while doing your daily stretches.
According to the research, it takes approximately 4-6 weeks to begin making meaningful tissue changes in the rehabilitation process. Because of this, you can expect to be seen for 2-4 weeks in your initial treatment plan. This is about the length of time it takes for us to know if your condition can be resolved conservatively with chiropractic care, or if an outside referral to another type of specialist is necessary. As always, education is very important in our office so we'll revisit your short & long term goals often in order to help get you back to living your best life as quickly as possible!
Where is your office located?
Aculas is situated off of 110th St and Lamar in the heart of Overland Park. We are in the business park located across the street from Diagnostic Imaging center and down the road from the OP Convention Center.
Do you take x-rays?
We do not perform imaging (i.e. X-rays, MRIs, CT scans, etc.) in office, but if deemed necessary, we will refer you to a trusted facility for these services. If you have past imaging results, please bring those documents (reports, images, etc) with you to your initial visit. These can help us create a more complete picture of your health history & current condition and be better equipped to assist you in resolving your complaints.
How do I know if chiropractic care can actually help me?
Regardless of your age, activity level, or previous experience with chiropractic, conservative care can be beneficial for YOU. Drs. Clark and Dolan are both certified and experienced in multiple adjusting, screening, and treatment techniques. This allows us to cater to any population, ranging in age from brand new babies to 100 years old! Your provider will conduct a thorough exam to get a full picture of your current and past health history, and then create a unique treatment plan that is safe and effective for you.