Evaluation + Assessment >>>>
Quality evaluation and assessment is our goal for every patient!
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The strength of our approach to orthopedic care focuses on not only the specific area of injury or condition, but expanding to include adjacent areas that may have been affected. It’s part of what differentiates us from other medical disciplines. For example, a patient that presents to us with knee injury after running may also have issues with an ankle, hip, and/or low back and thoracic spine. Chiropractic orthopedists often work with extremity conditions, such as ankle or knee pain, and are unique in that we assess and treat the whole system.
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With that said, open and honest communication is how we begin out patient relationships. We want to fully understand the chief issue our patient is having but also their previous history, pre-existing conditions/complications, and treatment concerns, etc. in order to get a more complete picture of the problem at hand. What patients share with us is essential to an accurate diagnosis.
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Next, we’ll perform the physical exam and functional assessment to collect the objective data. After checking vital signs such as blood pressure and pulse, we typically examine range of motion, neurologic function, vascular and strength function, perform orthopedic testing, palpation evaluation (using hands to challenging joint motion) as well as assess the patients movement patterns. For instance, there may be motor changes we can detect in a challenge test that a patient might not necessarily notice on their own. We may also include a gait analysis, specific physical therapy testing, perform detailed neurological testing, or attain imaging tests such as MRI, x-ray or ultrasound. This depends upon the condition and the severity though most patients don’t require imaging. We utilize additional testing only when medically necessary for the individual patient’s case to confirm a diagnosis or rule out a larger issue. We thoroughly discuss the diagnosis, review the treatment options (our treatment and other treatment that we can refer patients to) and answer any questions.
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Dr. Huffman's dedication to quality evaluation and assessment means that many patients see us for an opinion on their case without necessarily seeing us for their treatment. Either way, we do our best to get patients the right treatment for their condition. If we decide, through this process, that a short trial of conservative treatment is the best care to accomplish the goal, we make every effort to begin treatment on the first visit.
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If you have any questions or concerns or just want more information, please call ChiroMedica any time!
