Using Telehealth for Your Chiropractic Needs
Using telehealth for your chiropractic needs can seem paradoxical at first. Chiropractors are very hands-on, so how can they help you using telemedicine? In reality, hands-on care is only one point of the chiropractic appointment. Read on to learn more about how chiropractors can still help you achieve your health goals using telemedicine.
How Telehealth Works
Telehealth, also called telemedicine, usually works by connecting the provider to the patient over the internet. Using internet software like Doxy, providers can see their patient while their patient stays in their own home for one on one consultations, exams, etc. It is similar to walking into the doctor’s office but from the comfort of your own home.
How Chiropractors Use Telehealth
In a traditional, in-person chiropractic appointment, you sit down with your practitioner and discuss your symptoms, history, and goals. Your provider may then diagnose your ailments and help you with an alignment and physiotherapy.
In a telehealth appointment, your symptoms, history, and goals are still discussed. The chiropractor can visibly see pain and loss of function or swelling. This discussion may also include details about your everyday life, like your nutrition and physical activity. If x-rays or MRI’s are needed to get further details about your condition, images can be requested for further review. The subjective (the things told to the doctor) and the objective findings (observations and tests done by the doctor) usually is enough to formulate a plan of action for your care.
Treatment per health care professional varies, but Dr. Ashley Dixon, DC, Owner of Dixon Chiropractic in Plantation, FL has perfected telehealth with amazing results. After your diagnosis is determined, she will provide the patient with a possible mechanism of injury and lifestyle changes to avoid reinjury. At home therapy may consist of purchasing safe and affordable rehabilitation equipment to keep as well as rehabilitative home exercises to strengthen the area of injury or rebuilding the surrounding musculatures.
Benefits of Telehealth
Due to COVID-19, Telehealth has become a fantastic way for people to receive care if they cannot physically come into the office because they self-quarantining or are high risk. It allows people to stay in their own homes, avoiding contagion from others, while receiving the support they need. Telehealth has also become a major source of health care for patients that have no transportation and due to this low overhead type oh healthcare, a patient can see a doctor at a low cost.
Who Benefits the Most From Telehealth
While telehealth can help anyone regardless of the age or condition, the population that benefits the most is someone suffering from chronic pain. Chronic pain is typically pain that is on-going or ‘comes and goes’ for 3 weeks or longer. Telehealth is designed to give patients with chronic conditions the tools to use at home to maintain their condition while still being under the supervision of a physician without the constant doctor appointments.
Acute pain patients can also be given benefit from immediate telehealth care. For patients that will be referred for hands on care, Dr. Ashley Dixon, DC has office hours where adjustments, therapies, and acupuncture can be performed for pain relief. If you are unsure whether you should go see a chiropractor, free consultations can be conducted via telehealth that saves you time and money. Dr. Ashley Dixon, DC currently conducts telemedicine throughout the State of Florida and in office visits in Plantation, FL. Feel free to call in today to see how telehealth chiropractic can help you. Call or Text 954-372-7795.
