Mirabilia Bodyworks – Dr. Dawn Runge, DC, MsN

New Patient information

What is a New Patient Exam or Re-Exam Visit Like?

You will meet Dr. Dawn in the lobby of Source Point Wellness. First, she will review your New Patient Form and confirm details or ask for any clarification. Next, she will start the Physical Exam. Basic health markers like blood pressure come first, then inspection/observation: looking over the body and posture for anything related to your pain or discomfort. After that, she will conduct a Physical Exam that helps to pinpoint the area and cause of your pain or concerns. This may include things like watching you walk, moving the area of complaint and trying to lightly reproduce the pain, or checking strength level.

The combination of your personal history and your Physical Exam helps the doctor narrow down a likely diagnosis, which then forms your Treatment Plan. For most people, this is a simple plan and treatment begins next. In some cases, an exact diagnosis isn’t possible, but needs additional testing or imaging (xrays, MRI) or your condition is deemed emergency or of concern and you’d be referred to your primary physician or emergency room. In other cases, you may need follow-up medical care, but Dr. Dawn will be able to treat some of your symptoms the same day with chiropractic or bodywork. After your exam, Dr. Dawn will give explain her recommended treatment, and with your consent, will proceed with treatment immediately after.

What is Chiropractic Manipulation Therapy Like? What is that Popping Sound?

Treatment consists of a possibility of multiple things, but as a chiropractor, each visit requires an Adjustment, also called Chiropractic Manipulation Therapy (CMT). Simply put, when our daily activities or bodily injury/trauma causes spasming or shortening of muscles or joints, the bones that are part of the joint can lock in. The joints are wet/have fluid inside, so it creates a vacuum-like environment, which can be hard to try and release on your own. Think of a suction cup on a wet shower door. If you quickly pull the suction cup down- you might hear a loud sound, but neither the door nor suction cup are damaged. The sound is air/fluid moving back into the suctioned space. The same thing happens in adjustment. When you hear a “pop” or a “crack”, nothing is happening to your bones or ligaments or muscles. Rather, it is joint fluid returning to the joint to keep it lubricated when the seal is released with a light, quick, movement. For certain people, a “cracking” adjustment isn’t appropriate due to their medical or personal history. Dr. Dawn has several tools for gentle, non-invasive adjustments to achieve the same results as a traditional adjustment.

In addition to an Adjustment, and based on your diagnoses as well as health goals, you’ll have between 20 minutes of additional work for a 1 hr new patient/30 minute follow up appt. If you have nutritional or lifestyle questions, you can use this time as well. If Dr. Dawn recommends strengthening a certain area to help with healing or preventing injury, she will guide you through exercises.

In total, Dr. Dawn will be with you for an hour for a new visit. Re-exams (every 6 months or with a new complaint, or if Dr. hasn’t seen you in more than 3 months) are similar, except you’ll only need to update Dr. Dawn on any new personal health history and will focus on a current complaint.

Follow up visits are 30 minutes, unless you book additional time as an add-on, such as a 1 hour visit, in which time additional muscle work would be continued.

What is a Follow-Up Visit Like?

Should you have a chronic issue, or a significant acute (new/active) issue, you may need more than one visit with Dr. Dawn Since your exam is already done and your treatment plan already made, the after visits for the same complaint are follow-ups and are 30 minutes, focusing on treatment. You’ll give Dr. Runge-Simonoff a quick update on pain, changes, and how well you’ve been following recommendations. Most musculoskeletal problems heal in about 6 weeks, so its usually good to at least do a visit 6 weeks after your issue to see how well you have healed.

For chronic issues, or for people who have continuous strain on their bodies (sit at a desk all day with poor ergonomic environment, travel frequently, carries young children etc.) it is recommended to pre-schedule visits once per every 1-3 months. By spreading out your care, you can prevent injuries or spasms that can put you out for days or cause severe pain for weeks. Checking in continuously helps me to find problems before you know they are there, in many cases- so we can fix them before they become very painful.