What should I expect on my first visit?
We are often asked this question by our new patients. So, this page should help to provide you with an overview of what to expect on your first visit to our office.
Book a Appointment
We encourage all of our patients to call ahead or e-mail us in order to schedule an appointment. This will help ensure the doctor has sufficient time to assist you and our other patients.
What to Bring & Wear
Please bring a list of any medications you are taking and any x-ray, CT scan, ultrasound or MRI reports you have available. We recommend wearing some comfortable or loose fitting clothing for the assessment or treatments. Please ensure the area to be examined is clean and bathed. You should also bring any insurance information you have available especially if your injury was related to a car accident or workplace injury.
Arrival & Greeting
We would kindly ask you to arrive on time for your scheduled appointment. Upon your arrival, you will be warmly greeted by Dr. Nyman and his reception staff. Please let us know if you have any special needs for assistance when you arrive. After being greeted, our staff will help you complete some paperwork that we require to register you as our patient.
Our staff will be glad to explain our fees and how you may be able to claim all or a portion of your fees through your extended health benefits.
Initial Consultation
The main focus of the first visit is for you to get to know Dr. Nyman and, more importantly, for Dr. Nyman to get to know you and your health concerns/goals.
After you have completed your paperwork, Dr. Nyman will sit down with you personally to interactively discuss the reason for your visit (e.g. "My back is sore"). This is called the "Consultation," "Interview" or "History Taking." You will be asked specific questions about your current condition, your overall health, your work, your day-to-day activities, your health/recovery goals and other pertinent details about your life and health.
Physical Examination
Following the Consultation, Dr. Nyman will conduct a thorough physical examination. He will test specific muscles, bones, joints and nerves for function and/or dysfunction. This will help to determine the nature of your problem.
Occasionally, x-rays or other investigations may be required to confirm a diagnosis or eliminate diagnostic possibilities. If this applies to you, Dr. Nyman will discuss it with you.
Report of Findings & Informed Consent
Following the consultation and examination, Dr. Nyman will sit down with you and review all the major findings. This is really an interactive teaching time to help you understand the cause and nature of your health concerns. Models or anatomical drawings are often used to show you exactly where you need help. You will also have an opportunity to ask the doctor any follow-up questions that may arise.
Once the doctor has explained his assessment of your condition, he will inform you about treatment options. This will include what you can do for yourself, as well as what the doctor can do for you.
It is important to discuss the anticipated benefits of the treatment, any risks associated with the treatment, alternatives to the proposed treatment, and other relevant details concerning the treatment. Once the doctor has explained the proposed treatment to your satisfaction, he will ask you for your informed consent to treatment.
First Treatment
Often the first treatment can be done on the same day of the initial visit. Occasionally, the need for further investigation or other factors may require that no treatment be delivered on the first visit. Dr. Nyman will make every effort to ensure that your treatment is comfortable. He will ask you to provide constant feedback during the treatments so that he can gauge your tolerance to the treatment.
Treatments techniques vary from person to person and injury to injury. Dr. Nyman is well trained in a variety of techniques that range from "very gentle" to more robust. Together, a comfortable starting point will be selected. Dr. Nyman will then periodically adjust the therapy to suit your needs. Exercises and stretches are often prescribed to maximize your recovery, prevent recurrences and optimize your functional well-being.
End of the First Visit
At the end of the first visit, we will help you to book any follow-up appointments that you require. We will also accept your payment for the first visit. Please note that we accept payment by cash, debit, Visa and Mastercard. If a third party insurer is covering the cost of your treatments (e.g. auto insurance or workplace insurance), we will help set-up your claim so that we can bill your insurance company directly.
At present, we cannot submit claims directly to your extended health benefits carrier, such as you might typically be able to do when visiting your dentist's office. However, we will gladly provide you with a statement for your paid visits that you may submit to your private insurance company for any available reimbursement. Most of our patients are able to submit claims and receive reimbursement from their insurer within a matter of days.