Our first question is whether we are the best team for your healthcare journey, and how to best help- if we feel we aren't, we will find someone who is the best for you.

Our thorough initial consultation and examination process is to find the underlying cause of what is really going on, to work out how to get you feeling and moving better in the short term, and get the problem resolved so this doesn't have to keep happening. Have a read of the process here:

www.ascensionchiropractic.com.au/chiropractic

Chiropractic is remarkably safe, for all ages. Before we commence care, we take an in depth health history and conduct a thorough examination to first work out whether you are a candidate for chiropractic care, and can safely be adjusted. Our approach is tailored to your needs; how your spine and nervous system is function, how you are able to move, even how much pain and dysfunction you are in on the day. We commonly modify our adjustment approach so you get the best adjustment for your body, every time. This may be using different chiropractic adjusting instruments, using a special table with moving parts to help the adjustment, or getting you adjusted in different positions, from lying, to seated or even standing, so it is both safe, comfortable and effective.

Absolutely-bring them all in! Our office is set up to not only welcome children, but to make your time here feels like home.

The office layout is semi-open plan, so you can always keep an eye on them during an adjustment. We have a great kids play area with books, toys, and colouring sheets.

For the new mums- we have a dedicated mothers lounge with comfy couches, a change table equipped with spare nappies and wipes, a phone charger and it is right opposite our kitchenette, where you can help yourself to a cuppa.

Worst case scenario? All our staff love kids, and can keep an eye on them, from cuddling an unsettled baby, to building a toy block tower with your toddler whilst you relax and get adjusted.

Babies and kids aren't just 'little adults'; their whole nervous systems are different so we need to change our approach. Chiropractic care for babies and kids is very gentle and remarkably safe- our approach is based on their age and development of their milestones, and we commonly utilise adjusting instruments to make the process even gentler.

The more 'hands on' based adjustment vou associate with adul chiropractic care doesn't happen til later in life, when their nervous system has matured and developed little more.

Regardless, we'll always explain the process with you, and you as a parent has the final say on what you choose for your child.

That is largely dependant on how long the problem has been there. A mother bringing in her newborn baby after a stressful birth would generally need a less chiropractic care than a 60 year old bricklayer who has worked a manual job all his life.

The scans (and x-rays if required) help inform us how long has the problem been there (and the underlying issue generally has been there longer than the pain itself), and our recommendation for care (how long it will take, the frequency of visits each week) is based on those test results, AND your goals to get you back to health in the quickest time possible.

Weekly or fortnightly is a great frequency once your initial problem is resolved. When we meet people, most of the time we are dealing with long standing issues- many years of repeated stress, lack of normal movement, poor sustained postures, and that creates a habit. To restore function and get you feeling the best to enjoy life, it takes creating newer habits- less stress, better movement, improving posture, all which takes time and repetition. If we don’t get the frequency right, it can be one step forward, one step back, and we don’t get the sustained change.

Think of it like learning a new skill; the more you practice, the faster the habit forms. Playing the piano for the first time means slow, clunky key tapping. Once muscle memory kicks in, you can play faster and smoother. Your body changing and adapting to chiropractic care is similar; allowing the muscles, ligaments and tendons to hold you in place more effectively, for longer.

Half-way through your care plan we do a check-in visit, and at the end of the plan we have a full re-assessment. Measuring positive change is both subjective (how you feel you are doing) as well as objecting (what we are testing). Objective tests include our chiropractic, orthopaedic and neurological physical exam, as well as the INSiGHT scans. These test let us measure your function and how well your body is healing, and not just relying on symptoms.

After the initial consultation (where we deep dive discover what is going on) and the report visit (where we let you know what’s been found, and make a plan to correct it), the adjustments visits make up the bulk of your care plan. On the outset, they make look very similar; we check in to see if anything is new or different, we do a few objective tests, get you adjusted and make any recommendations we need. We adjust based on what we find on the day; in the initial stage of care, as we are repatterning and introducing new postures and habits, there may be similar adjustments on each visit, but as your body changes, so should the adjustments.

Generally no, for a few reasons.

The purpose of the first visit is to gather information, to find out how to best help, and then review the information- to go over your nervous system scans, x-rays they were taken, and your consultation and examination information. That allows us to create a custom care plan for you, and importantly present it all to you, answer your questions, and if you choose to start care, we can begin after we have presented our findings to you.It allows us to be more thorough, more certain, and outline the plan for you, getting you from where you are currently, to where you want to be, health wise.

The exceptions are people directly transferring from another chiropractor, people in severe pain, where we may be able to start some care on the day to ease the tension, or in the case of infants, to help calm a stressed nervous system as soon as possible, to help both them and their parents!

Absolutely- we don’t routinely prescribe every stretch, exercise, detox and nutrition plan from the very beginning for a few reasons- for most people, it is too much, all at once, and can be overwhelming to start too many new habits. But your spine and nervous system is the foundation of your body- out focus is getting that working well FIRST and building upon it with lifestyle changes once the foundation is stronger.

The best advice is the common sense approach- 30 minutes of gentle movement every day, 2-3L of water, getting sunshine and reducing screen time, all of which helps ease the stress response on the body. Starting there is paramount, before we add more in through the course of your care plan.

For those super keen people though, we have some great free resources to check out- stretches/exercises etc. Check them out here: ascensionchiropractic.com.au/resources