If you’re searching for a chiropractor in Ormond Beach, Florida, you probably have plenty of options to choose from. But how do you know which chiropractic office is the right fit for you or your family?
Not every chiropractic office approaches care the same way.
Chiropractors may use different techniques, examination procedures, technologies, and approaches to care. Some primarily focus on helping people with a specific complaint, while others also offer ongoing family wellness care. Some regularly care for infants, children, and pregnant patients, while others primarily work with adults.
Whether you’re looking for help with neck or back discomfort, searching for prenatal or pediatric chiropractic care, or simply looking for a more proactive approach to your family’s wellness, asking a few questions before choosing a chiropractor can help you make a more informed decision.
Here are eight things to consider when choosing a chiropractor in Ormond Beach.
1. What Is the Chiropractor’s Approach to Care?
One of the first things to understand is how the chiropractor approaches patient care.
Some chiropractic offices primarily focus on the area where you’re experiencing discomfort. Others take a broader approach that considers how your spine, movement, posture, lifestyle, and nervous system may be functioning together.
At New Journey Chiropractic, we take a neurologically focused approach to chiropractic care.
Your nervous system plays an important role in how your body receives information, responds to its environment, coordinates movement, and adapts to everyday physical and emotional stress.
That’s why our evaluations look beyond simply asking, “Where does it hurt?”
We want to understand the bigger picture.
2. Does the Chiropractor Regularly Care for People Like You?
Different stages of life come with different needs.
The chiropractic care appropriate for an adult isn’t necessarily the same care that would be appropriate during pregnancy, for an infant, or for a growing child.
If you’re pregnant, ask whether the chiropractor has experience caring for pregnant patients and whether they have additional training in prenatal chiropractic techniques.
At New Journey Chiropractic, prenatal chiropractic care includes the Webster Technique, a specific chiropractic analysis and technique commonly used when caring for pregnant patients.
If you’re searching for a pediatric chiropractor in Ormond Beach, ask about the chiropractor’s pediatric education and experience as well.
Pediatric chiropractic adjustments aren’t simply adult adjustments performed on smaller bodies. Examination, positioning, technique, and the amount of force used should all be appropriate for a child’s age, size, development, and individual needs.
For infants, chiropractic adjustments can be remarkably gentle and specific.
3. What Happens During the First Chiropractic Visit?
Before scheduling an appointment, find out what you can expect during your first visit.
A thorough chiropractic evaluation should begin with getting to know you.
Your chiropractor may ask about your current concerns, health history, previous injuries, work, lifestyle, activity level, sleep, posture, and other factors that may be relevant to your health.
For pediatric patients, the conversation may include pregnancy, birth, feeding, developmental milestones, sleep, and other age-appropriate information.
An examination can then help your chiropractor gather more objective information and determine whether chiropractic care is appropriate.
At New Journey Chiropractic, we may incorporate INSiGHT neurological scans into our evaluation process. Depending on the patient’s age, history, examination findings, and clinical need, X-rays may also be recommended when appropriate.
The goal isn’t to assume that everyone needs the same thing.
It’s to gather the information needed to make individualized recommendations.
4. Will the Chiropractor Explain What They Find?
You should understand what is happening with your care.
After your evaluation, your chiropractor should be able to explain what was found, what those findings may mean, and why a particular approach to care is being recommended.
You should also have an opportunity to ask questions.
At New Journey Chiropractic, patient education is an important part of our approach because we want patients—and parents—to understand the recommendations we’re making.
You should never feel uncomfortable asking:
Why are you recommending this?
What are you looking for?
How will we know if things are changing?
What are my options?
Being informed allows you to participate in decisions about your own healthcare or your child’s care.
5. Are Chiropractic Adjustments Personalized?
There isn’t one chiropractic adjustment that is appropriate for every person.
Consider how different the needs of a newborn, a 10-year-old, a pregnant patient, an athlete, someone who works at a computer all day, and an older adult can be.
Chiropractic care should reflect those differences.
Technique, positioning, and the amount of force used can be modified according to factors such as age, health history, examination findings, pregnancy, development, comfort, and individual needs.
This is particularly important when you’re looking for chiropractic care for multiple members of your family.
Ask whether the chiropractor adapts care to the individual or takes essentially the same approach with everyone.
6. Does the Chiropractor Look Beyond Symptoms?
Pain is one of the most common reasons people begin searching for a chiropractor.
Neck pain, back pain, headaches, shoulder discomfort, pregnancy-related discomfort, posture concerns, and other musculoskeletal complaints can all prompt someone to finally make that first appointment.
But symptoms are only one part of the conversation.
Your body is constantly adapting to physical, chemical, and emotional stress. Your nervous system is an important part of that process.
That’s one reason our approach at New Journey Chiropractic considers nervous system function alongside your history, examination, posture, movement, and individual health goals.
For some patients, the goal may initially be addressing a particular concern. Others come to us because they’re interested in taking a more proactive approach to their health.
7. Does the Chiropractor Offer Family Wellness Care?
Chiropractic care doesn’t always have to begin because something hurts.
Some families choose to make chiropractic care part of an ongoing wellness lifestyle.
Family wellness care takes a proactive approach while recognizing something important: every member of the family has different needs.
A pregnant mom is experiencing significant physical changes as her body adapts throughout pregnancy.
Babies and children are growing and developing.
Teens may be navigating sports, school, technology use, posture changes, and busy schedules.
Parents may be balancing work, exercise, repetitive activities, poor posture, stress, sleep challenges, and the physical demands of raising a family.
Grandparents may have entirely different mobility and wellness goals.
Every family member has a nervous system, but that doesn’t mean every family member should receive exactly the same chiropractic care.
At New Journey Chiropractic, we care for people through many stages of life – from pregnancy and infancy through childhood, adulthood, and ongoing family wellness care.
For some families, chiropractic begins because one person has a particular concern. Over time, they may decide to incorporate chiropractic into a broader wellness lifestyle that also includes healthy nutrition, regular movement, quality sleep, stress management, massage therapy, and other appropriate healthcare.
If you’re looking for a family chiropractor in Ormond Beach, consider asking whether the practice offers both problem-focused and ongoing wellness options so that care can evolve with your family’s needs and goals.
8. Do You Feel Comfortable With the Chiropractor and the Office?
Qualifications and techniques matter, but so does communication.
You should feel comfortable talking with your chiropractor and the office team.
Do they listen to your concerns?
Do they answer your questions?
Are recommendations explained clearly?
Do you understand what is being recommended and why?
Do you feel comfortable discussing your goals?
For parents, this is especially important. You should feel comfortable asking questions about anything being recommended for your baby or child.
A healthcare relationship should allow you to be an active participant in decisions about your care.
What About Chiropractic and Massage Therapy?
If you’re looking for a wellness practice rather than a single service, you may also want to consider what complementary services are available.
At New Journey Chiropractic, chiropractic care and massage therapy are both available in our Ormond Beach office.
While they are different services with different purposes, they can complement one another as part of an individual’s overall wellness routine.
Our massage therapy services include options such as therapeutic massage, relaxation massage, deep tissue techniques, sports massage, manual lymphatic drainage, and other approaches based on the individual and massage therapist.
Choosing a Chiropractor in Ormond Beach, Florida
There isn’t one chiropractic office that will be the right fit for every person—and that’s okay.
When you’re comparing chiropractors in Ormond Beach, look beyond simply choosing the closest office or the first result you see online.
Consider the chiropractor’s approach to care, education and experience, examination process, techniques, communication style, and whether the practice regularly cares for people with needs similar to yours.
If you’re looking for care for your entire family, also consider whether the practice can continue supporting your family as those needs change.
Most importantly, ask questions.
A good first chiropractic experience should help you better understand your health, your options, and what your next steps may look like.
Looking for a Family Chiropractor in Ormond Beach?
New Journey Chiropractic provides neurologically focused pediatric and family chiropractic care in Ormond Beach, Florida.
We care for infants, children, teens, pregnant and postpartum patients, adults, and families with an individualized approach based on each person’s age, needs, examination findings, and wellness goals.
Our office also offers massage therapy for individuals who would like to incorporate massage into their wellness routine.
If you’ve been searching for a chiropractor in Ormond Beach and would like to find out whether New Journey Chiropractic may be a good fit for you or your family, we’d love to meet you.