Initial assessment
Usually patients arriving at the practice are greeted by Rachel. If you are a new patient then there will be some paperwork to complete before you go through to see Francis, our chiropractor. Normally the initial consultation with Francis will last from forty-five minutes to an hour. During this time, with your permission, he will take a history and perform a physical examination in order to assess your presenting complaint and general health status.
Consent
Following initial assessment, Francis will share findings with you. The likely benefits and risks of different management options will be discussed in order to help you make an informed choice. Francis will be happy to respond to questions that you may have, so please don't be afraid to ask. Before any treatment is given Francis will ask for your consent.
Treatment
Treatment may be offered as part of the first appointment, but this will depend on the findings of assessment. Sometimes further information or investigations are required before treatment begins. Sometimes it becomes clear during assessment that chiropractic is not the best option for care and that another avenue may be more appropriate.
Follow-up treatment visits are normally twenty to thirty minutes in length. In order to help with your condition a variety of different approaches may be taken, which might, for example, include the use of manual therapies (treatments given by hand), the prescription of exercises, and advice on self-help. The management strategies employed emphasise movement, taking a mechanical or functional view of the body.
Most conditions require a course of treatments. Some patients find that they benefit from periodic ‘maintenance’ treatments, but for others these are not necessary.
Please be aware
You may be asked to remove some items of clothing during appointments in order to properly examine and/or treat you. Please tell us if you are uncomfortable about this. We are able to offer a private area for changing and a gown to wear. You may wish to bring a pair of shorts with you for your appointments.
Like other forms of treatment, chiropractic can have side-effects. Following treatment some patients experience a temporary increase in pain, some experience stiffness or tiredness. Serious complications are very rare, but they do occur. A link between manipulation of the neck and stroke has been reported in scientific literature.
Putting you first
At Furness Chiropractic our primary purpose is to help you feel better. We try to keep in mind how we like to be treated and apply that understanding to our practice. In accordance with the standards expected of chiropractors by the General Chiropractic Council, the UK's chiropractic regulator, we aim to:
Put the health interests of patients first
Act with honesty and integrity
Provide a high standard of clinical care
Establish and maintain appropriate professional relationships
Provide accurate, relevant and clear information to enable decisions to be made by patients
Communicate effectively
Continue to learn, recognizing and working within the limits of our knowledge and skills
Respect patient confidentiality