Frequently Asked Questions & Answers
As a new patient, your first appointment will be for a full assessment. This includes a consultation, a physical examination (covering a series of tests) and a diagnosis if applicable. This can take up to an hour. If the diagnosis is something that chiropractic can help with, we can then book you in for treatment. If we find that your condition would not be improved with chiropractic treatment, then we will tell you and refer you to either the correct health professional, or provide lifestyle / exercise advice if appropriate.
Cleobury Chiropractic is located on the High Street of Cleobury Mortimer, where there is free parking on both sides of the road. There is also a free car park just a few metres away at the back of the Talbot Hotel. Have a look at the ‘Find Us’ section for more details.
If you are able to wear loose fitting clothing that doesn’t limit your mobility (leggings and a T-shirt, for example), then you will not need to get undressed. There are occasions, however, when your chiropractor may need to get down to skin (for example when checking the extent of numbness, or when using massage to ease muscle tension). There are gowns available for this purpose.
This can vary with each patient, often depending on how long a particular problem has been going on. As a general rule, you should see a significant improvement after 3 treatments (sometimes less). If there is not a significant improvement at this stage, we will usually refer on, either back to the GP or for an x-ray or scan if applicable for further investigations. We will never keep you coming back time after time if there is no improvement.
If you have access to any medical records, test results or scan reports, it would be useful to bring these with you to your first appointment. Sometimes it is also useful to bring your prescription with you if you take a number of different medications.
No. If an area is already tender, then let the chiropractor know and they will adjust the technique to make sure that you can remain comfortable. There are a number of different styles of chiropractic, but here at Cleobury Chiropractic we use McTimoney Chiropractic, which is a British method that is particularly gentle and does not involve audible manipulation. It’s important to note that methods that use ‘clicking’ / ‘popping’ are no less effective or more effective – just a different technique.
Chiropractic is recognised as being very safe when performed by a qualified, registered chiropractor. This means that they have the training to accurately diagnose and only treat patients when it is safe to do so. The treatment itself does involve manipulation of some of the body’s joints and muscles, and as such you may feel slightly achy for the first 12 to 24 hrs while your body becomes used to the change.
Yes, of course. If a patient is under 16 years old, then a parent or guardian must be present for the appointment. But you may choose to bring someone with you at any age, if this puts you at ease, or perhaps you have difficulty with language or remembering some of your medical history.
No. Prevention is better than cure (and often cheaper!). Many people benefit from a chiropractic ‘MOT’ once or twice a year, dependant on their level of daily physical stresses and strains, in order to keep bigger problems at bay.
In the UK, it is illegal to use the title ‘chiropractor’ unless they have qualified as such from a recognised educational institution, maintain a minimum of 30 hrs of Continuous Professional Development (CPD) every year to keep up to date, and are registered with the General Chiropractic Council (GCC). The GCC is the regulatory body for chiropractors: much like the GMC is for doctors. Chiropractic degrees in the UK involve 4 to 5 years of study before they can apply for registration.
