Robert L. Ammirati, D.C. treats the person, not the symptoms. The first appointment usually takes about an hour. You will fill out some paperwork and Dr. Ammirati will do a history and exam and then you will get treatment. Depending on the problem Dr. A will probably show you some exercises and tell you some things you can do at home to improve your condition.
That’s the basic overview. What that means is that you and Dr. A will talk for about 20-30 minutes so he has a good understanding of what is actually going on with this pain and if there is any other pain that needs to be addressed. It also helps to get an idea of your life– work, hobbies, sports, diet, general health– because this contributes to how your body is feeling. We, as humans, hold stress in different parts of our bodies. We can “fix” the pain (or try to), but it will come back if the general state is not addressed.
Treatment varies depending on what you tolerate, and what is being addressed. Treatment might consist of: ultrasound (for inflammation relief), deep tissue massage (not a full-on massage, but just enough to release some of the muscle tension to make the adjustment more effective), adjustments, and some neuromuscular reeducation for long-term pain relief.
You do not want to make doctor’s visits part of your life. The goal is to assist YOU in healing yourself. This is very possible and it happens all the time.