“I felt seen, understood and cared for…”
It can be exciting and a little nerve wracking visiting a new office. Congratulations on taking the first step toward amazing health! Scroll down the page to see exactly what you can expect when you visit Elevate Women’s Health Centre for the first time. If you already know this is the place for you, just click the blue button below to get started!
What to expect
before you arrive
As soon as your appointment is booked (whether we do it or you do it online), you should receive an email with a link to complete your new patient application. Please complete it before your appointment. Wear comfy clothes, and if you have long hair, please tie it up. With babies, please dress them in onesies with crotch domes or pants that can be taken off easily. I look forward to seeing you!
first visit
On your first visit, you will meet with Dr. Dingman to discuss your health history. This is your time to tell her everything you’d like her to know about your health and ask any questions you want! If you and the doctor both feel like it’s a good fit, she will perform an examination of your spine and nervous system. This involves an assessment of your spine as well as functional, neurological and structural testing. X-rays may be ordered so we can see what’s REALLY going on inside! An adjustment may or may not be done on your first visit depending on your and the doctor’s goals.
second visit
On your next visit, Dr. Dingman will go over your examination findings and specific recommendations for care. She will walk you through what will be involved with your care and answer any questions you have. You will usually receive lots of options for things you can do at home to complement the adjustments you receive in office. If you didn’t get adjusted on your first visit, you will receive your first adjustment!
FAQs
-
Chiropractic is founded upon the vitalistic principle that the body is a self-healing organism. You were designed to heal! Your body wants to heal and generally knows how to do it pretty well; sometimes it just needs a reminder of what it already knows.
Chiropractors locate, analyze, and adjust the subluxated (misaligned) areas of the spine to achieve optimal nervous system function. This is what nudges the brain to reboot the healing program you were born with.
The objective of the adjustment is to reduce stress on the nervous system caused by spinal joint and cranial misalignments. If the joints aren’t moving normally, the brain and body can’t communicate properly at that level! Chiropractic adjustments normalize joint function, reduce nervous system interference and allow the body to perform and heal optimally.
-
An adjustment will not typically hurt. EWHC is known for its gentle, precise and effective approach to care. Because we see so many babies and children, we’ve had to be!
Some patients may experience stiffness or soreness after the first adjustment, kind of like how you feel after a workout at the gym. When we correct subluxations (misalignments) that have been present for months or even years, your body may rebel a little. This won’t last long, and before you know it, you’ll be feeling better than ever!
-
No. And yes. Your care is ALWAYS your choice.
That being said, as long as life is putting stress on you and your spine, you will need to do something about it!
Chiropractic is a lifestyle choice. It’s a habit that is a foundation of health and wellness. Just like eating healthy, exercising and brushing your teeth, your body needs it with some amount of regularity. Regardless of what brought you through the doors of our office, we will always recommend some schedule of regular, consistent wellness care.
Most of the patients in our office are not in pain. They have completed some form of acute care and choose to continue with wellness care. When patients see how great they feel after getting adjusted, they generally want to continue to stay healthy for life.
-
The number and frequency of adjustments vary from person to person. The results of your chiropractic examination will help Dr. Dingman determine how extensive the problem is. Factors such as your overall level of health, your lifestyle habits, your age and the length of time you’ve had the issue help determine the length and frequency of your care program.
Each person receives recommendations for care that are specific to them. You will have more adjustments in the early days / weeks of your care plan, and those will taper as your nervous system heals.
As supporting muscles and ligaments heal, visits become less frequent. We re-test periodically to make sure you don’t just feel better, but are better.
All aspects of your care will be explained to you in detail before begin. You will have the opportunity to ask questions and decide how you would like to proceed.
-
We will send you a digital receipt for you to claim your visit from your insurance company right away, but EWHC does not bill insurance directly.
We do not believe it is in your best interest to allow third parties to dictate your care or cap your visits at a certain number based on coverage. We will recommend a number of visits based solely on your case history and health goals!
-
The nervous system is the foundation for all systems in the body. It runs the show! Babies are often born with subluxations, which are spinal joints that aren’t moving properly and are not allowing the brain and body to communicate quite normally. This will affect optimal growth and development.
Adjusting babies and children is gentle and very specific to the stage of development of their spines. It helps their young brains control growth and development optimally.
Dr. Dingman is certified in pediatric and pregnancy care through the ICPA and has been adjusting kids and babies since 2000!
-
Absolutely! We believe that families who get adjusted together get healthy together. You will see lots of parents and kids getting adjusted at EWHC. Dr. Dingman will help you select a time when you can all come for your initial visits together. Or you can schedule yourselves using our online booking system.
Ready To Start?
“Dr. Shawna Dingman has been an absolute pleasure to receive chiropractic care from over the years throughout pregnancy and postpartum. I have recommended her to family, friends and also bring my children to her clinic. She brings a caring and gentle approach, and very knowledgeable about the health care field.”
Ashley, Port Perry