What to Expect at Your First Chiropractic Visit

Step 1: Paperwork and your health history

Your first chiropractic visit can feel intimidating when you do not know what is coming. At The Spine and Wellness Center we have welcomed patients from across Coral Springs and Parkland since 2005, and our goal on day one is simple: understand your problem, rule out anything that needs a different kind of care, and measure enough to build a plan that fits your body and your goals.

It starts with intake forms covering your medical history, current symptoms, medications, past injuries and what you hope to achieve. You can save time by completing our new patient forms online before you arrive. Bring a photo ID and your insurance card so our front desk can verify your benefits; we accept most major plans. If you have recent imaging or reports, bring those too.

Plan on about 45–60 minutes. Wear comfortable clothing you can move in. If you are coming in after a car accident or a work injury, let the front desk know when you book — the paperwork is slightly different, and same-day appointments are usually available.

Step 2: The conversation

Dr. Jared Cohen, DC will sit down with you before anyone touches your spine. This consultation matters as much as any test. The story of how your pain started, what makes it worse or better, how it affects sleep, work and the things you love, and what you have already tried guides everything that follows. We also ask what ‘better’ looks like to you — a pain-free commute, a full round of golf, picking up a grandchild — because that becomes the target the plan is built toward.

This is also where we screen for red flags: symptoms that point to something a chiropractor should not treat first, such as unexplained weight loss, fever with back pain, progressive weakness or changes in bladder or bowel control. When those are present we refer you promptly rather than proceed.

Step 3: The hands-on exam

Next comes the physical exam. Dr. Cohen evaluates your posture, spinal alignment and range of motion, palpates the spine to find restricted or tender segments, checks muscle tone and reflexes, and performs orthopedic and neurological tests to pinpoint whether nerves, joints, discs or muscles are involved. If you have leg or arm symptoms, this is where we work out whether they start in the spine or out in the limb.

What we are looking for:

• Areas of restricted joint motion or misalignment
• Muscle imbalances, guarding and trigger points
• Nerve irritation or referred-pain patterns
• Posture and gait issues contributing to your symptoms
• Anything that needs imaging or a referral before we proceed

Nothing in the exam should hurt beyond a brief reproduction of your familiar symptom. Tell us if something does; that is information too.

Step 4: Objective scans and imaging

We make the invisible visible. A MyoVision surface EMG scan measures muscle activity along the spine, showing where muscles are working overtime to guard a problem; a thermal scan shows the pattern of nerve-related temperature differences. When the feet or the way you walk are part of the story, a GaitScan maps how your foot loads through each step. These are painless and take a few minutes each.

Digital X-rays are taken when indicated — for example after an injury, with significant arthritis, or when the exam suggests a structural change we need to see before treating. Not everyone needs them, and we do not take them by default. The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health notes that a thorough history and exam is central to safe, effective chiropractic care; the scans and imaging simply let us measure change over time instead of guessing.

The scans also give us your baseline. At each re-evaluation we compare you to your own starting point, which is how you and we both know the plan is working.

Step 5: Your report of findings and plan (visit two)

We do not treat on the first chiropractic visit. Once the history, exam, scans and any imaging are in, Dr. Cohen reviews everything and you return for a report of findings. You see your scans and X-rays, learn in plain English what is driving your problem, and get a specific plan: which phase of the 4R Method you start in, how often you will come, for how long, and what you will do at home. Treatment begins at this visit.

Depending on your findings, the plan may combine specific adjustments, non-surgical spinal decompression, soft-tissue therapy, laser or red light, and rehabilitation — you can read how the pieces fit in why physical therapy and chiropractic work better together and drug-free pain relief options. If your problem is not something we should treat, you will hear that too, along with where to go.

Some patients worry about the adjustment itself. Techniques range from traditional manual adjustments to gentle instrument and drop-table methods, and we match the technique to you. Most people feel relief and looseness afterward; mild soreness, like after a new workout, is common for a day. The benefits build with consistency — see the benefits of regular chiropractic adjustments.

How to prepare for your first chiropractic visit

• Complete the new patient forms online and bring ID and your insurance card.
• Bring any recent imaging, reports or a list of medications.
• Wear comfortable clothing; avoid dresses and restrictive belts.
• Jot down when the problem started, what changes it and what you have tried.
• Write down your goals and your questions — there is time for both.
• Arrive 10 minutes early if you are finishing paperwork in the office.

Ready to start? Book your spine assessment online or call the office. Everything you have read here is exactly what happens when you walk in.

Serving new patients across North Broward

Our clinic at 5675 Coral Ridge Drive, Coral Springs, FL 33076 serves Coral Springs, Parkland, Coconut Creek, Margate, Boca Raton, Tamarac, Pompano Beach and Deerfield Beach. Same-day appointments are usually available — call (954) 341-2256 or book online. Most patients from Parkland and Coral Springs are here in under 15 minutes.

Medically reviewed by Dr. Jared Cohen, DC — Co-Founder & Clinical Director, The Spine and Wellness Center. Last reviewed October 2026.

Frequently asked questions