If you are suffering from chronic pain, you may be planning to visit a chiropractor in the hopes of finding a solution and some relief.

Chiropractors can be an incredibly valuable asset, but in order for them to help, it's helpful to know what to expect the first time you walk through the door.

Otherwise—as if the idea of visiting an alternative care specialist was not intimidating enough—you may get quite a shock when you are finally ushered into the treatment room.

Your chiropractor may begin asking you a lot of questions about the medical problem you are experiencing, yet rather than limiting you to just a few words, she or he probably may encourage you to speak at length about the way it feels, what else you might be experiencing, and several other facts that may relate to your medical issue.

It could be very refreshing to find someone there who wants to treat you as a whole person and not simply a problem area. And this is what you should expect.

The next aspect of your first chiropractic visit is usually the physical examination, which may be somewhat different than what you might have expected.

Here are the facts that will help you feel right at ease with the exam:

Unlike many physicians, your chiropractor will not order a host of lab tests and poke you with needles and other gadgets. Additionally, she or he will not subject you to a “one size fits all” general health exam.

Instead, the questions you answered earlier on during the fact-finding stage of your chiropractic visit serves as the basis on which to decide what kind of examination might be right for you.

Generally speaking, your chiropractor will probably gently touch the affected area and any other areas that you may have complained about.

An examination of the spine will reveal if there are any problems that may be contributing to your feelings of ill health.

And in some cases, an x-ray may be ordered to give the chiropractor further insight into any structural issues that you might be encountering.

Your chiropractor may also ask you to perform certain exercises, such as walking on a treadmill to observe your gait, jumping up and down to see how you land on your feet and whether or not you favor one foot over the other. They may also have you raise your hands above your head to see how your shoulders are aligned.

These exercises depend on the questions that you answered earlier, but your chiropractor will not ask you to do anything that may aggravate any health conditions you have.

If you believe that a test may be painful to you, this is a good time to mention it to the practitioner, especially if you forgot to mention it during the initial interview.

As you can see, visiting a chiropractor is more than just talking about a problem. It also involves a real hands-on approach. Your chiropractor understands that each patient is different and knows that a “one size fits all” diagnosis – just like a “one size fits all” examination – is not something to aspire to.