If you've just been injured or have been dealing with an ongoing pain or injury, it can be confusing to who to schedule with to get an appointment. Do you go to your Primary Care? Orthopedist? Neurologist? Chiropractor? For some, it can be hard to determine who to go to so let's make it easy.
One of the BIGGEST things we tell patients is that as Chiropractors in the state of Florida, our scope of practice deems us as Primary Care Physicians. What that means is that there is no referral required to see a Chiropractor, we can refer you to other providers when deemed necessary, and we can write you a prescription for imaging (x-ray, MRI, CT, ultrasound) if needed. Fun fact, we can even give patients a script for blood work!
This is important because it takes away the middle man and jumping through hoops conventional healthcare requires. Let's say you hurt your knee playing pickleball or working out. You have a swollen knee and can barely move it. Well, conventional healthcare would have you go to your primary care just for them to tell you to go to the orthopedist who would then refer you for an MRI or X-ray. If no surgery is needed then you would be referred for physical therapy. Well now you just wasted 2-3 weeks of your life (assuming they fit you in easily) and you've wasted quality time to start the rehab process.
Let's say you hurt your knee and then immediately scheduled at Strength & Spine (AKA Chiropractic office). Well, if we evaluated you and then determined you need imaging we would write the script and wait for the results. If we couldn't help, we'd refer you to the exact doctor you need to go to. But here is the DIFFERENCE. If we deemed it safe to treat after the imaging or that imaging wasn't necessary, guess what? WE GO STRAIGHT TO TREATMENT.
No fluff. No unnecessary waiting or unnecessary imaging. That's what WE care about. Helping the patient as much as possible, as fast as we can.
So next time you think you broke your ankle, tore your ACL, or have a sports hernia think of us. Because we can help and we will help by giving you the script for the appropriate imaging or referring you to a specialist as needed.
For example, we had a patient (who we will name Patient to protect their info) who recently was told they tore their ACL. They contacted us in hopes of being referred for an orthopedic consult. Patient stated he couldn't get in for 2 weeks but he also couldn't walk. Then he wanted to get an MRI. He thought he couldn't get an MRI unless he went to his PCP or ortho. After telling him we could write the script, he came in for an evaluation and it was provided.
HOWEVER, the patient was informed that we do not think it was a full ACL tear and that depending on the results of the MRI, he may not need to go to the orthopedist. Because grade 1 and 2 ACL sprains are very treatable with physiotherapy, we felt comfortable telling the patient he may not even need to waste his time unless it was fully torn.
To make things better, we were right. It wasn't fully torn. AND we were able to rehab immediately after we found that out.
So yes. The next time you have a sports or fitness-related injury your Chiropractor should be one of the first people you go to to avoid the middle man and unfortunate BS conventional healthcare will put you through.
Dr. Cameron Gholampour DC, MS, CCSP
International Certified Sports Chiropractor
Strength & Spine Chiropractic
