New Patient Center

We look forward to seeing you.


WELCOME TO A HEALTHIER LIFESTYLE


Welcome to the new patient center for Family Chiropractic Wellness Center!

We understand that arriving at a chiropractic office for the first time can be nerve racking. If you’ve never experienced chiropractic care before, you may not know what to expect when you come to our Stockton chiropractic office for the first time. Filling out paperwork, learning new faces, and getting to know your way around the office can be an overwhelming experience.

That’s why at Family Chiropractic Wellness Center our aim is to remove any unnecessary stress or tension and make you feel comfortable during your visit with our chiropractor.

In this area of the website, you will be able to take care of the items necessary for your chiropractic visit prior to arriving, in the comfort of your own home. If you have any questions at any time, please don’t hesitate to contact our Stockton chiropractic office at 209-937-4111!

WHAT TO EXPECT

Laying the foundation for total health

In some ways, one could say that chiropractic care is a bit like building a house – certain things have to happen in a particular order in order for everything to stand strong and work together correctly. When building a house, if you tried to build your walls before you had a solid foundation, your walls would be weak and eventually may even collapse. If you tried to build your roof before the walls were ready, you would run into the same problem. These concepts apply to your body as well, and chiropractic care addresses many common reasons why people experience pain and other health issues. If something is not right with your body’s foundation than that needs to be addressed before true health can be achieved. With chiropractic care, your body has to go through a particular plan of care in order to repair itself correctly and fully. There are three general phases of chiropractic care . . .

Your First Visit


Patient Forms

Upon entering our office, our receptionist will welcome you as a member of our family.  We will request that you complete our patient forms located in the New Patient Center. This paperwork provides us with your health history and information on your condition.

Consultation

Next, you will have a consultation with Dr. Rick Bonar to discuss your health-related problems, concerns, and potential treatment options. This initial visit is designed for Dr. Rick Bonar to learn more about you, your condition, and expectations to determine how chiropractic care can meet your goals.

Examination

After your consultation, Dr. Rick Bonar will perform a complete chiropractic examination testing your reflexes and flexibility. Other standard neurological, orthopedic, postural, and physical tests will be performed as well. However, nothing will be done in our office without your consent.

X-Ray Studies

Depending on your specific condition, we may take X-rays as well. X-rays help us develop the most effective treatment plan for you, and alert us of any serious spinal conditions. Most people are amazed once they see their X-rays up close. In some cases, they can even identify their misalignments and degeneration themselves.

Report of Findings

Once the information is collected  and examinations are performed, Dr. Rick Bonar will give you a detailed report of all findings and answer any questions including:

  1. How can you help me?
  2. How often do I need to come in?
  3. What will my treatment cost?

After reviewing your health history,  goals, and examining your spine and X-rays, Dr. Rick Bonar will discuss recommendations and notify you if your condition requires care with other providers.   Dr. Rick Bonar will provide the best treatment and wellness program for your needs.

Treatment

At the conclusion of this initial appointment, you can choose to experience your first treatment. This may include spinal adjustments, physical therapy, and/or soft tissue massage. Treatment is interactive, so you can express concerns about the different styles of treatment anytime.

Wellness Program

Prior to leaving, the doctor will suggest a  wellness program to incorporate outside of treatment.  If you are in pain when you first come into our office this may include ice or heat application instructions, certain activities or positions to avoid, and at home exercises and/or stretches. If you desire,  our wellness team will work with you also to create healthy habits and routines for your lifestyle. Every person is unique, therefore everyone requires a  customized wellness plan. The purpose of our wellness program is for you to achieve good spinal alignment, have a  healthy diet, exercise, and maintain a positive mental state.

Phase 1: Relief Care

Many people go to a chiropractor because they are in pain. In this first phase of care, the main goal is to reduce your symptoms. Sometimes this will require daily visits, or two to three visits per week for a time.

Most people are under the assumption that if they don’t feel any pain that there is nothing wrong with them – that they are healthy. Unfortunately, pain is a very poor indicator of health. In fact, pain and other symptoms frequently only appear after a disease or other condition has become advanced.

For example, consider a cavity in your tooth. Does it hurt when it first develops or only after it has become serious? How about heart disease? Regardless of whether you are talking about cancer, heart disease, diabetes, stress or problems with the spine, pain is usually the last thing to appear. When you begin chiropractic care, pain is also the first symptom to disappear, even though much of the underlying condition remains.

If you are in pain when you come into our Stockton chiropractic office, our first objective is to help you reduce pain and start feeling better as soon as possible. Depending on the severity of the underlying condition which is causing your pain, it is typical for a patient to need chiropractic care or adjustments 2-3 times per week for 4-12 weeks.

 

Phase 2: Corrective/Restorative Care

During the corrective phase of chiropractic care, muscles and other tissues are allowed to heal more completely, which helps prevent further injury or pain. The goal of corrective or restorative chiropractic care is to help bring your body back to 100% functioning. It is typical to need chiropractic care or adjustments about 4-8 times per month for 6-24 months, depending on your overall health and the severity of your problem.

Most chiropractors regard the elimination of symptoms as the easiest part of a persons care. If all that the chiropractor does is to reduce the pain and stop there, the chances of the condition recurring are much greater. In order to prevent a rapid recurrence of symptoms, it is necessary to continue receiving care even though your symptoms are gone.

During the correction / restorative phase of your care, you will not have to receive adjustments as often as you did during the first phase of care and, depending on your particular circumstances, you may begin doing exercises and stretches either at the center or at home to help accelerate your healing.

Do not be discouraged if you have mild flare-ups of your symptoms on occasion. This is normal. Flare-ups are bound to occur during this phase because your body has not fully healed. Depending on the severity of your injury or condition and how long you have been suffering from it, this phase of your care may last anywhere from a few months to a couple of years.

 

Phase 3: Wellness Care

Once your body has fully healed and you are no longer experiencing back pain or other pain symptoms, it is important to come in for periodic chiropractic adjustments to avoid further problems in the future. Usually, this phase of chiropractic care only requires a quick visit to the chiropractor 1-4 times per month, based on your lifestyle and goals.

Just like continuing an exercise program and eating well in order to sustain the benefits of exercise and proper diet, it is necessary to continue chiropractic care to ensure the health of your musculoskeletal system.

When you make routine chiropractic care a part of your lifestyle, you avoid many of the aches and pains that so many people suffer through, your joints will last longer and you will be able to engage in more of the activities you love.