The Chiropractic Diagnostic Process, Including X-Ray Imaging, at Advantage Healthcare of Spartanburg
At Advantage Healthcare we operate from the belief that precise diagnosis of your individual condition forms the basis for successful chiropractic treatment. The first objective of our practice requires us to identify the underlying cause of your pain or discomfort when you seek our help.
Our diagnostic process is a comprehensive journey that combines conversation, hands-on examination, and advanced technology when necessary. It’s designed to ensure you are a candidate for our care and to build a treatment plan that is specific, safe, and effective for you.
Step 1: The Conversation – Your Detailed Health History
Before we ever perform a physical test, we listen. Your initial consultation is the foundation of your care. We’ll discuss:
- Your chief complaint: Where does it hurt? What does the pain feel like?
- How it started: Was it a specific injury, or did it come on gradually?
- What makes it better or worse: How do daily activities like sitting, sleeping, or walking affect it?
- Your overall health history: Past injuries, surgeries, and general health goals.
This information helps us piece together the puzzle of your condition and identify any "red flags" that might require further medical investigation.
Step 2: The Hands-On Physical & Neurological Examination
Next, we perform a thorough physical exam to objectively assess your body’s function. This typically includes:
Postural Analysis: We observe your standing and sitting posture to identify imbalances, such as a tilted pelvis or elevated shoulder.
Think of your posture as the blueprint of your body. Just like a house with a tilted foundation can develop cracks in the walls, a body with poor posture can lead to pain in your neck, back, and joints.
What we’re doing: We’ll simply ask you to stand naturally. With a trained eye, we’ll gently look for the subtle clues your posture reveals. Is one shoulder higher than the other? Is your head drifting forward as you stare at a screen all day? Is your pelvis tilted, perhaps making one leg seem shorter?
In layman's terms: We’re not judging your posture! We’re using it as a map. These imbalances tell us where your body might be overworking certain muscles and straining your joints, which guides us directly to the source of your discomfort.
Chiropractic Palpation: We use our hands to feel for muscle spasms, tension, and areas of tenderness along your spine and joints.
This is the art of using our hands to feel what’s happening beneath the surface. It’s like being a detective searching for clues that an X-ray can’t show.
What we’re doing: We’ll use our fingertips to gently feel the muscles and tissues along your spine and around the painful area. We’re searching for three key things:
In other words: We’re finding the "hot spots." Your body often guards a hurt joint by tightening the muscles around it. By finding these specific areas of tension and tenderness, we know exactly where to focus your care.
This is the art of using our hands to feel what’s happening beneath the surface. It’s like being a detective searching for clues that an X-ray can’t show.
What we’re doing: We’ll use our fingertips to gently feel the muscles and tissues along your spine and around the painful area. We’re searching for three key things:
- Tension: Ropes of tightness or hard, rigid muscles that refuse to relax.
- Tenderness: Specific spots that "glisten" or flinch with light pressure, telling us exactly where the problem is.
- Temperature & Texture: Subtle changes in warmth or swelling that can indicate inflammation.
In other words: We’re finding the "hot spots." Your body often guards a hurt joint by tightening the muscles around it. By finding these specific areas of tension and tenderness, we know exactly where to focus your care.
Range of Motion Testing: We measure how far you can comfortably and safely move your neck, back, or other affected areas.
How far can you comfortably turn your head to check your blind spot? Or bend over to tie your shoes? Your "Range of Motion" is a direct measure of how freely and fully your joints are moving.
What we’re doing: We’ll gently guide you through movements—like bending forward, backward, or side-to-side—and ask you to do the same on your own. We’re noting not just how far you can move, but the quality of the movement. Is it smooth, or is it hesitant and painful? Does one side move differently than the other?
To say simply: We’re identifying the "sticky" joints. If your neck only rotates 45 degrees to the right but 80 degrees to the left, that’s a clear sign that something is stuck or irritated on the right side. This gives us a clear before-and-after benchmark to measure your progress.
Orthopedic and Neurological Tests: We perform specific tests to check the health of your nerves, joints, and discs. This helps us rule out conditions like a pinched nerve or disc injury and confirms that chiropractic care is the right approach for you.
These are specific, gentle movements we perform to help your body pinpoint the exact source of the problem. They are designed to stress specific structures—like a nerve or a spinal disc—just enough to see if it’s the true culprit.
What we’re doing (with examples):
- For Sciatica: We might slowly raise your leg while you’re lying down. If this recreates the shooting pain down your leg, it strongly suggests a nerve is being compressed.
- For a Pinched Nerve in the Neck: We might gently tilt and compress your head. If this sends a buzz or pain down your arm, we know which nerve pathway is affected.
- For Joint Pain: We might have you twist and bend in a specific way. If that causes a familiar, sharp pain in your lower back, it points directly to a jammed spinal joint.
In human terms: Think of it like a mechanic testing parts to find a faulty one. By performing these specific tests, your body gives us a "yes" or "no" answer. A positive test confirms our suspicions and ensures we aren’t just guessing. It’s a crucial step in ruling out serious conditions and making sure you’re in the right place for care.
The Role of X-Rays in Your Chiropractic Care
One of the most common questions we hear is, “Will I need an X-ray?”
The answer is: only if it’s clinically necessary.
We do not take X-rays of every patient. Our philosophy is to minimize your exposure to radiation while maximizing the information we need to provide the best care.
We do not take X-rays of every patient. Our philosophy is to minimize your exposure to radiation while maximizing the information we need to provide the best care.
- We may recommend X-rays if:
- You have experienced significant trauma, such as a car accident or a fall.
- Your pain is severe, chronic, or has not improved with previous care.
- Our examination suggests the possibility of an underlying condition like a fracture, arthritis, or bone disease.
- We need a detailed view of your spinal alignment to guide a specific, tailored adjustment technique.
When we do take X-rays, we analyze them for much more than just broken bones. We look at spinal curves, disc health, joint spacing, and alignment to understand the biomechanical forces contributing to your pain. This allows us to deliver the most precise and effective adjustments possible.
Why This Thorough Approach Matters to Us and Your Chiropractic Treatments?
At Advantage Healthcare of Spartanburg Chiropractic clinic , we believe you deserve more than a quick crack and sent out the door. By combining your story with the story your body tells us through these exams, we can build a complete picture of your health.
This comprehensive approach allows us to create a care plan that is unique to you—designed to not only relieve your immediate pain but to restore your body’s natural function and resilience for the long haul.>
Ready to let us listen to your body’s story? Schedule your initial examination with us today, and let’s start you on the path to healing.
Pulling It All Together: Your Report of Findings
After we have completed our diagnostics, we schedule a dedicated Report of Findings appointment. This is one of the most important steps in your journey with us.
During this session, our chiropractor will:
- Clearly explain what we found during your history and examination.
- Show you any X-rays (if taken) and explain what they mean in simple terms.
- Provide a specific diagnosis for your condition.
- Present a customized treatment plan tailored to your goals, including the types of adjustments and therapies we recommend, and the anticipated length of care.
- Answer all of your questions so you feel completely confident and informed moving forward.
- Because... Your Health is Our Priority
From the moment you walk in, our diagnostic process is designed with one thing in mind: your well-being. By taking the time to thoroughly understand your body, we can ensure that the care you receive at Advantage Healthcare of Spartanburg and our Chiropractor Dr. Ven Korikov, DC is not only effective but also safe and personalized to your unique needs.
If you’re ready to get to the root of your pain, contact us today to schedule your initial consultation.