Macquarie Chiropractic Clinic

Welcome to Macquarie Chiropractic Clinic

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Dr. Donald McDowall and Dr. Dorothy Marshall are the resident Chiropractors providing a service that uses many of the chiropractic methods that can be assessed by improved muscle strength, joint movement, less pain and improved reflexes.

Originally located in the suburb of Macquarie, our clinic is now located a few minutes from the Westfield Plaza, Belconnen. Free parking is available front and rear of the clinic.


Your First Visit

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If this is your first visit the doctor will chat to you about your condition to identify the treatment necessary.

The first thing a chiropractor normally does is ask you about your overall health and any complaints about which you are concerned. The doctor will also ask about your family history, dietary habits, other care you may have had (chiropractic, osteopathic, medical, etc.), your job, and other questions designed to help determine the nature of your illness and the best way to go about treating the problem. We have prepared a questionnaire that helps give us some of this information.

These questionnaires help the Doctors understand your body better and the conditions you are experiencing. We know they are tedious and at times repetitive but are invaluable as we try to understand the cause of your problems. Please complete them as accurately as you can. Our receptionists will help you if necessary.

A physical examination will be performed in accordance with your doctor's clinical judgement, which may include x-rays, laboratory analysis and other diagnostic procedures. In addition, a careful spinal examination and analysis will be performed to detect any structural abnormalities which may be affecting or causing your condition. All of these elements are important components of your total health profile, and vital to the doctor of chiropractic in evaluating your problem.


Testing

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The doctor may then do some further testing to pinpoint specific problems. The testing is generally painless and consists of studying the movement of your joints including your spine. Using the skills of Manual Muscle Testing our Doctors are able to evaluate control and movement restrictions of your muscles. Various Nerve Reflex tests are used as well as Posture Analysis. General skills of Physical Diagnoses include locating the cause of your pain or discomfort are included. We are interested in why your structure is out of balance.


Treatment

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Once all of that is completed and the doctor has identifed the treatment regime with you, then (if necessary) an adjustment is made.

An "adjustment," as doctors of chiropractic use the term, means the specific manipulation of vertebrae which have abnormal movement patterns or fail to function normally. Doctors of chiropractic spend years learning motion palpation (the art of examining by movement or touch) and other forms of spinal examining procedures, so that they can administer specific and appropriate spinal adjustments.

Once the doctor has identified the problem, he/she will begin care by way of these adjustments or "manipulations." Particular attention will be paid to that area of your spine where a spinal derangement or "subluxation" has been detected. The adjustment is usually given by hand or "activator" type instruments, and consists of applying pressure to the areas of the spine that are out of alignment or that do not move properly within their normal range of motion.

Doctors of chiropractic use many sophisticated and varied techniques, and the specific procedure to be used will be determined and explained completely to you following a careful evaluation of your radiographs and physical findings.

Under normal circumstances, adjustments don't hurt. The patient may experience a minor amount of discomfort during the adjustment which lasts only seconds. Adjustments or manipulations are extremely safe. The risk factor is estimated to be in excess of 1 million to 1.


The Treatment Room

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You will be asked to come into an Examination and Treatment room that is equipped with a special table to help the Doctor.

The doctor uses the special characteristics of this table to help them maximise your comfort and make the treatment as efficient and effective as possible. By the way you may be asked to lie face down, face up or sit on the table, depending on what the doctor may need to do.