Any visit at Agape Chiropractic Hong Kong will start with a diagnosis. An accurate diagnosis is the first step to getting safe and effective treatment.
Most diagnoses are made during the first consultation interview, which is a key moment in the patient's care. A good chiropractor should guide you by asking specific questions that will help identify the possible origin of your pain.
Those are common questions that will help your chiropractor formulate diagnostic hypotheses.
Where does it hurt?
How did it happen?
When and how did it start?
Are your symptoms progressing over time?
Is your pain radiating down your arm or leg?
Is your pain worse with movement or rest? Is it worse at night?
We will also ask about the impact of such symptoms on your daily life and activities (work, sports, leisure etc.).
Patient Examination
After completing your history, you will undergo a physical and neuro-orthopedic examination:
We typically start with a neurological examination to detect the possible presence of neurological deficits (for example, muscle weakness in the leg/foot in the context of sciatic pain), which are potential indicators of severity.
We then perform an orthopedic and palpatory examination to identify the involved structure(s).
In certain cases, we may also need to investigate further and carry out additional examinations (X-ray, MRI, blood test) to have all the necessary information to be able to best help our patients.
Chiropractic Treatment
Finally, patients receive treatment if indicated! Indeed, following the interview and physical examination, different situations may arise:
Sometimes chiropractic treatment is not indicated. For example, a patient suffering from low back pain and sciatica, and who has significant neurological deficits on examination, a foot drop or bowel/bladder dysfunction, may need immediate referral to an orthopedist to discuss a possible surgical intervention.
Occasionally, the treatment is contraindicated. This is for example a patient who presents with pain in the musculoskeletal system that shouldn't be treated by a chiropractor. For example, spinal pain caused by fractures, dislocations, cancer, or infections.
Fortunately, many other cases can be helped with chiropractic treatment. After carrying out all necessary tests, if the condition allows safe and painless manual treatments and physical interventions, our chiropractors will discuss the different treatment options. They will discuss the benefits and risks of such interventions, and will work with you to initiate a trial of care that is aligned with your needs and preferences. We use different tools depending on your problem, these include manual therapy, chiropractic spinal manipulation, spinal flexion-distraction, electrical muscle stimulation, extracorporeal shockwave therapy, ultrasound therapy and rehabilitation. We believe that the best chiropractor is the one that works hand in hand with you, and that offers a range of treatment options to best help you, while always ensuring your safety first.
