Basic Training

Over the last 30 years, Richmond Chiropractor Dr. McLelland has developed a very unique and effective approach to helping patients achieve their own health goals. Helping patient's define those goals is the first step. Asking the right questions to help patients identify exactly how healthy they want to be. What one person wants or defines as health is very different from another persons. Some people want to exercise every day, others 3x per week, 1x per week, once a month, or even never. Some people want to be vegetarians or vegans. Some want supplements and other do not. Some want prescription medications and others would not touch them. We take the time and ask the right questions so the patient can explain to us exactly what they want from the care we offer.

It can be challenging figuring out exactly what patients want. As you can see from the deficit of hair on Dr. McLelland's head.

Chiropractic Centers of Short Pump provides a full spectrum of care for each patients wants and needs. These fall into one of three types of patients. We respect patient's desires and provide the highest quality care possible based upon what they want. Treating and managing back pain, neck pain, disk problems, sciatica and numerous other spine pathologies is what a Chiropractor specializes in, however, we are more accurately defined as Spinal Health Experts, not spinal disease experts.

Generally, if a patients condition is within the scope of practice and we can help them, we follow a short term treatment plan based upon published guidelines for the management of musculo-skeletal pain. Usually we schedule an initial treatment plan for no longer that 12 sessions. The goals of course are to reduce the pain as fast as possible. Frequency of this care is determined by the underlying condition. During this basic training program, we help patients learn about how the spine functions, ages and how to take care of it, just like any other body part. Our goal is to get patients comfortable with understanding why their spine feels and functions the way it does today, as well as how to improve the condition on their own as much as possible. We provide specific home therapy and exercise instruction as well as tips on daily habits that would improve the condition of the spine over the long term.

Once basic training is completed, we expect each patient to be competent in understanding how their spine functions and how to take care of it. We then expect patients to choose for themselves how healthy they want their spine to be. As long as the patients goals and expectations match with the treatment they wish to receive, everyone is happy. If the patient's expectations do not match their plan for care, we let them know and still provide them the care they wish to receive.

1) Pain management.

Patients that fall into this category are episodic, symptomatic patients that want to call or show up for treatment only when they feel pain. These patients, despite their intentions, are typically in our office much more often over the long run than other types of patients. Ultimately falling into the chronic pain syndrome category. These patients suffer from chronic pain syndromes and require ongoing regular palliative care to reduce symptoms but are never completely pain free. As long as a patient has completed Basic Training, we provide this type of care for them if it is what they want.

2) Conditioning or improving patients.

These patients want to be in better shape than they are now. They do not define health by the amount of pain they are in. These patients want to improve the strength, conditioning, flexibility, balance and overall health of their spines. Just like going to the gym, it is not about how much pain they are in, it is about improving function and performing at a higher physical level. This is the type of care Tiger Woods, Emmit Smith, Aaron Rogers, Evander Holifield and Jerry Rice choose.

3) Maintenance or Supportive patients.

These patients have reached their goals and are content with where they are in health. They want to try to maintain and slow the degenerative process of spinal decay (Degenerative Arthritis) down and avoid any prolonged pain or disability that often comes from spinal neglect.

Regardless of which type of care a patient wants, as long as they have completed Basic Training, we feel that the patient should have developed an understanding of spinal hygiene and should choose to take responsibility for their own spinal health. We provide whatever type of care they competently choose.

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