Your First Visit...

Health History
Chiropractic is probably best known for its great success in treating back and neck pain. However, the scope of Chiropractic extends far beyond these complaints. Therefore we want to know about all the conditions or symptoms that you currently have. The slightest misalignment of your spine can put pressure on your nerves, which may contribute to the creation of symptoms or a health condition. Chiropractic is very effective in the treatment of musculoskeletal conditions such as headaches, joint pain, back pain, whiplash, carpal tunnel syndrome, numbness, and chronic pain.
Therefore on your first visit, you will be asked to fill out a health history form to help us better understand the nature of your condition.

Consultation
Prior to the consultation the Dr. Marsh will review your case history. During the consultation the he will ask you a number of questions regarding your condition, if you have received information from others, and what are your current symptoms. It is important during the consultation that the Doctor gets a thorough understanding of your condition. It is also important to understand what health care goals the patient has regarding their care. Do you simply want symptom relief? Do you want reconstructive care to improve the injury as much as possible and stabilize it? Or do you want to improve your overall health as much as possible in order to PREVENT problems from happening in the future? We mayalso ask if you want help with you diet, and exercise programs. Once we know what your needs are we can then proceed to the next step.

Examination
During the examination the Doctor will assess not only the causes of your complaints, but the condition of your health in general. Our intention is to treat your body as a whole, not just as a set of symptoms. During this process we often discover under laying problems that may have not yet shown up as symptoms. Some of the tests may be familiar to you such as checking your reflexes and ranges of motion. Other tests are specific to Orthopedic specialist, and neurologists. None of the tests involves much discomfort to the patient, and have been utilized by medical specialist for many years.

X-ray
Our x-ray equipment is state of the art, it automatically measures your body, and determines all the necessary factors with a hi-tech computer. This keeps your exposure to an absolute minimum. Many Chiropractors x-ray every patient. However we prefer to x-ray only when the patients condition meets the strict guidelines set up by the California Radiological Health branch.

Some doctors who lack the skills in orthopedic and neurological testing feel "That to see is to know, & while not to see is to guess" and thus they X-ray every patient. *Please know we will not guess about your health, and if there is any unanswered questions on your health, we have a strong referral base with all of San Diego's top medcial specialists. *Please note: Pregnant women or very young children cannot safely be examined via X-rays.

Report Of Findings
Is where we discuss the steps necessary to correct your condition and reach your health care goals. Dr. Marsh will explain to you the proposed treatment schedule and explain the reasons behind our approach to treating your condition. He will also discuss your other health care goals and show you how we can help you achieve them.

Adjustment / Treatment
The Chiropractic adjustment is the method with which we realign the bones, thereby relieving the stress and begin restoring normal function. Dr. Marsh adjusts almost all of our new patients within their first few visits allowing the healing process to begin immediately. Also, to make the adjustment easier and last longer he often utilizes physical therapy modalities prior to loosen or relax your muscles. With over 9 years of private practice experience He has treated thousands of patients of all ages and a multitude of conditions. He has have literally given thousands of adjustments over the years. With this experience we are confident that he will be able to provide you and your family with the best that Chiropractic has to offer. Keep in mind that of all our therapies it is the adjustment that really counts and he has the experience to get you the results that you are looking for.

The poping noise
There are many people out there who will attempt make noises with your spine and simulate a chiropractor. Some people will even try to manipulate themselves, others will have a friend pop their back and we have even had patients tell us that they would have their wife or small child walk on their back to pop it. All with the best of intentions I'm sure. However we have seen many injuries from these well intended practices, some of which even include broken ribs. So , please don't ever do this, as it can be very dangerous. There are also massage therapists that will attempt to pop your back as well. I do not recommend this either. We are firm believers in massage and prescribe it on a daily basis. However these therapists should not be doing adjustments on the spine, and especially on the neck.

Many physical therapists and medical doctors are starting to attempt to manipulate the spine as well. There are also a number of various alternative health care folk that will attempt move the spine as well. However no one is more qualified to give a Chiropractic adjustment than a Chiropractor. We have more education, more practice and much more experience than anyone.
So I ask you if someone is going to be adjusting your spine, don't you want the most qualified expert there is available? Of course you would. So when you want to get an adjustment go to the experts.