Improvement; How Dr. Nicholas LaHood, D.C. measures patients improvement
Improvement; How the Dr. LaHood measures patients improvement.
Improvement is a basic concept that every patient is striving for. Improvement in range of motion, improvement in strength, improvement in nerve function and improvement in the pain levels. This is what most patients are looking for when they come in to see me, a change in how they they feel. Most all of my patient want to reduce their back pain naturally. Most patient want to reduce neck pain with out medications. It is normal to want to be as healthy as possible. From time to time some patients may wonder if the treatment is actually making them healthier.
Clinically, I will start every patient out with an initial examination to see what areas of the spine need improvement and obtain a diagnosis. For example, if the patients chief complaint is sciatic pain or lower back pain or neck pain, or even headaches we can help. I will examine the patient to identify the root cause of the condition if is in relation to a spinal nerve irritation. The patient will be put through range of motion testing, orthopedic testing and neurologic testing. This will give myself, the doctor a understanding of the severity of the condition and if it is related to a misalignment of the spine. If so I will then order an image of the area with a x-ray or MRI. Comparing the images to the exam findings puts all the peices together and the patient will have a perfect understanding what the diagnosis is and a recommended course of care or treatment plan.
The doctor now has two