What to Expect at Your First Chiropractic Visit in Bee Cave

If you're getting ready for your first chiropractic visit, you probably have a few questions. Will you get adjusted right away? What happens during the exam? And how do you know what's actually causing the problem?

At Elite Wellness Chiropractic in Bee Cave, the first visit is focused on finding answers. Whether you're dealing with back pain, headaches, posture problems, or stiffness that keeps returning, Dr. Mikala Booher, DC, takes the time to understand what is going on before recommending care.

Your appointment includes a health consultation, detailed examination, posture assessment, and digital X-rays. By the end of the process, you'll have a clearer understanding of what may be contributing to your symptoms and what the next steps look like.

Key Takeaways

• The first visit is focused on finding answers: Your consultation, examination, posture assessment, and digital X-rays help Dr. Mikala Booher, DC, understand what may be contributing to your symptoms.
• No adjustments are performed during Visit One: Before recommending care, we gather the information needed to fully evaluate your condition.
• You'll leave with a clearer understanding of what's going on: The Report of Findings (Visit Two) explains what was discovered and what options may be available moving forward.
• The New Patient Experience costs $60: This includes your consultation, examination, posture assessment, and required digital X-rays.
• Cash payments: We typically do not accept insurance.

Typical Procedures

At Elite Wellness Chiropractic, we want you to feel comfortable and relaxed the moment you arrive. Expect a warm welcome and an in-depth conversation about your health history and why you’re here. Following that, we’ll do a check-up where we look closely at your overall health to figure out the best way to help you feel your best. This includes digital X-rays to look at your spinal health. Once we’ve reviewed all the information, we’ll create a personalized care plan just for you.

What do I Need to Bring

Wear comfortable clothing that allows you to move easily during your examination and posture assessment.

Before your appointment, complete any paperwork that was sent to you and bring a list of any medications you currently take. Having that information upfront helps Dr. Mikala Booher get a more complete picture of your health history and current concerns.

Your First Chiropractic Visit: What to Expect

Walking into your first chiropractic appointment can feel a little intimidating when you don't know what to expect. That's why we take the time to explain each step of the process and answer your questions along the way.

Your first visit is focused on understanding your health history, evaluating how your body moves, and identifying factors that may be contributing to your symptoms. 

Here's what that process looks like:

Health Consultation

We'll start by talking about what brought you in, how long it's been bothering you, and what you've already tried. We'll also review your health history and discuss what you'd like to get back to doing comfortably, whether that's sitting through a workday, exercising, or simply getting through the day without pain.

Physical Exam & Posture Assessment

Next, we'll evaluate how your body stands and moves. Posture changes, uneven movement patterns, and areas of stress can provide important clues about why pain keeps returning. We also take digital X-rays to get a clearer look at your spine and identify issues that can't be seen during a physical examination alone.

Diagnostic X-Rays

Some problems are easy to spot during an examination. Others are not. Digital X-rays help us see what's happening beneath the surface, so recommendations are based on a complete picture rather than guesswork.

Please note: Digital X-rays are required for all adult patients, except for pregnant women and children under five years old.

Image - Patient lying on a spinal decompression table during a treatment session at Thrive Wellness.

Potential Costs

Elite Wellness Chiropractor is a cash-only service. We sort out your payment at the time of service, which makes the billing process much easier.

• Visit 1: The New Patient Experience ($60). Includes your consultation, examination, posture assessment, and digital X-rays. The first visit is focused on gathering information, so no adjustments are performed at this appointment.
• Visit 2: Report of Findings (Included). During your Report of Findings, Dr. Mikala Booher will review the results from your examination and X-rays, explain what was found, and discuss your care recommendations. If you choose to move forward with a corrective care plan, your first adjustment is performed during this visit.

How to Prepare for Your Chiropractic Appointment

We want you to get the most out of your visit and help you feel as calm and relaxed as possible. Here are a few quick tips to help you prepare for your upcoming session:

• Arrive a little early: Arriving a few minutes early gives you time to complete any remaining paperwork and ask questions before your appointment begins.
• Be ready to discuss your health history: Think about any past injuries, surgeries, health conditions, or changes you've noticed over time. A fall from years ago, a previous car accident, or an old sports injury can sometimes provide important clues about what's happening today.
• Consider your health goals: It also helps to think about what you'd like to get back to doing comfortably. That might be exercising, playing with your kids, sitting through a workday without pain, or getting through daily activities with less stiffness and discomfort.

Why Your First Chiropractic Visit Matters

If you've been dealing with pain for a while, there's a good chance you've already tried a few things to get through the day. Maybe you've been stretching at home, taking Advil, using a heating pad before bed, getting regular massages, or simply avoiding activities that seem to make things worse. Sometimes those things help for a while. Sometimes they don't. Either way, it can be frustrating when the same problem keeps coming back.

That's why the first visit is so important. Before recommending any care, Dr. Mikala Booher takes the time to understand what may be driving the problem in the first place. Through your consultation, examination, posture assessment, and digital X-rays, we gather the information needed to identify issues your body may have been compensating for over time.

The goal isn't simply to cover up the symptoms for a few days. It's to understand why the problem keeps returning and whether there are underlying structural issues that need to be addressed.

What Influences Patient Satisfaction in Chiropractic Care?

A 2025 national survey found that patient satisfaction had less to do with the treatment itself and more to do with the overall experience. People reported higher satisfaction when they felt listened to during their examination, understood their care recommendations, and were involved in decisions about their treatment.

At Elite Wellness Chiropractic, we believe good care starts with good communication. That's why your first visit is focused on understanding your concerns, answering your questions, and helping you understand what we find during the examination process.

Understanding Your Pain, Movement, and Goals

Image - Dr. Mikala Booher performing a chiropractic adjustment on a patient lying face down on a treatment table.

Every patient walks through the door with a different story. Some are dealing with neck pain that makes it difficult to work at a computer. Others have lower back pain that flares up every time they exercise, travel, or spend too much time sitting.

During your consultation and examination, we look at more than just where it hurts. We want to understand how the problem is affecting your daily life, what movements aggravate it, and whether there are patterns that may point to an underlying cause.

We also talk about what you would like to accomplish. For some people, that's getting through the workday without pain. For others, it's returning to the gym, playing with their kids, or training for their next race. Those goals help guide the recommendations we make moving forward!

What Happens During Visit One

Visit one is about gathering information. Think of it like putting together the pieces of a puzzle. Your symptoms are only one piece. How you move, how you stand, your health history, and what shows up on your X-rays all help us understand the bigger picture. 

The Physical Exam and Posture Assessment

A posture assessment is a bit like checking the alignment on a car. If one area is off, extra stress often shows up somewhere else. During the examination, we'll look at how your body stands, moves, and compensates throughout the day.

Sometimes the area that hurts isn't the area causing the problem. The goal is to identify patterns that may be placing unnecessary stress on your joints, muscles, and spine.

X-Rays as Part of the New Patient Process

An examination can tell us a lot, but it doesn't show everything. X-rays give us another piece of the puzzle by showing the structure of the spine and areas that can't be evaluated from the outside.

It's similar to renovating a house. You can see the paint, flooring, and cabinets, but you don't know what is happening behind the walls until you take a closer look. X-rays help us understand what may be contributing to the problem before recommendations are made.

Why X-Rays Are Part of the Process

X-rays are very important for identifying structural issues within the spine and surrounding areas. They help your chiropractor have a complete understanding of your condition and decide the best plan of action.

What Happens During Visit Two

By the time you return for Visit Two, all of the information from your consultation, examination, posture assessment, and X-rays has been reviewed.

This appointment is focused on answers. Dr. Mikala Booher, DC, will walk you through the findings, explain what was discovered, and show you how those findings may relate to the symptoms you've been experiencing. Many patients say this is the point where things finally start to make sense.

You'll also have an opportunity to ask questions and discuss your options moving forward. If corrective care is recommended and you decide to move forward with a care plan, your first adjustment is performed during this visit.

Ready to Find Out Why the Problem Keeps Coming Back?

Feeling comfortable in your own body again can seem a long way off when you've been dealing with pain, stiffness, headaches, or recurring discomfort for months or even years. So many find themselves avoiding certain activities, changing their routines, or simply trying to push through the day.

Your first visit at Elite Wellness Chiropractic is designed to help you understand why you may be feeling the way you do. Through a detailed consultation, examination, posture assessment, and digital X-rays, Dr. Mikala Booher works to identify factors that may be contributing to the problem rather than simply focusing on the symptoms. 

Image - Dr. Mikala Booher performing a chiropractic adjustment to improve neck alignment and support healthy posture.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I Receive Treatment On The First Visit?

No. Your first visit is focused on gathering information through a consultation, examination, posture assessment, and digital X-rays. This allows Dr. Mikala Booher to fully review your case before making care recommendations. If you decide to move forward with a corrective care plan, your first adjustment is performed during Visit Two. 

Why Are X-Rays Required?

Some issues can be identified during a physical examination, while others cannot. Digital X-rays help Dr. Mikala Booher see the structure of your spine and identify problems that may not be visible from the outside. This information helps ensure recommendations are based on a complete picture rather than guesswork. 

What Should I Bring To My First Appointment?

Bring any completed paperwork, a list of current medications, and wear comfortable clothing that allows you to move easily during the examination. Having this information ready helps Dr. Mikala Booher get a clearer understanding of your health history and current concerns. 

How Long Does The First Visit Take?

Most first visits take between 60 and 90 minutes. This gives us enough time to review your health history, perform a detailed examination and posture assessment, take any necessary digital X-rays, and answer your questions along the way. 

Is This A Good Option If I Have Back Pain?

Finding the right chiropractic care can change everything when you are dealing with back pain. Your first visit to Elite Wellness Chiropractic in Bee Cave is designed to find the structural root cause of your discomfort. Instead of temporary relief, Dr. Mikala Booher focuses on long-term support so your body doesn't have to work around it anymore and can finally feel better.

How Does The Cash-Pay Model Work?

Elite Wellness Chiropractic is a cash-pay practice, which means payment is collected at the time of service. All costs are discussed upfront, so you'll know exactly what to expect before beginning care.