Measured First, So It Can Be Checked Later
Most chiropractic care is aimed at how you feel. That matters, and sometimes it is all you need. Structural correction asks a different question first: what is this spine measurably doing, and is that changing? This page is about the second half of that question.
At our Greensburg chiropractic office the examination records a baseline: posture plotted in millimeters against reference values, orthopedic, neurological and functional testing, and standing spinal X-rays only when clinically indicated. Without a baseline, "better" is an impression. With one, it is a number that either moved or did not.
How We Know Whether Care Is Working
Two kinds of evidence are kept side by side, and neither is allowed to stand in for the other.
What you report
Pain, stiffness, what you can and cannot do, how long relief lasts, recorded on the same scales each time so the comparison is fair.
What we measure
The same posture measurements, functional tests and reference values as at baseline, and a comparative film only when it is clinically warranted.
When the two disagree, that is information, and it is discussed openly rather than smoothed over.
Progress Examinations at Set Points
Progress examinations are written into the plan before care begins, at the Patient Recommendation Conference: the separate visit where your findings, our recommendations, the proposed plan and the fees are explained before you agree to anything. You know in advance when the checks fall.
Each one repeats the baseline measurements and reviews the result with you; the plan is then confirmed, adjusted or stopped on what the comparison shows.
Comparative Imaging, Only When It Earns Its Place
A repeat X-ray is not routine. It is taken when a measured alignment finding was part of the original recommendation, enough time has passed for a meaningful comparison, and the result would change what happens next. Otherwise posture and functional measurements carry the review, and the reason and the fee are explained before any comparative film is taken.
When the Measurements Do Not Change
Sometimes they do not. The research library sets out what the published evidence does and does not show, and it does not show measured change in every patient. A plan that is not producing measured change is not continued unchanged; the options are reviewed with you: a revised plan, a pause, a different kind of evaluation, or stopping.
Documented examples of measured change are on the results page: individual records, not predictions.
How Reduced Frequency or Discharge Is Decided
The decision comes from the findings and your goals, not a calendar. When the measurements have reached what the plan set out to achieve, or have stopped changing, we recommend discharge with a home program or a reduced frequency with a clear purpose. The purpose, the alternatives and the frequency are explained, and the choice is yours. Nobody is placed on an open-ended schedule by default.
Condition Pages Worth Reading Before You Visit
Findings where the measurement itself is what is tracked.
- Loss of lordosis
a flattened curve measured in degrees at baseline and at each review
- Anterior Head Syndrome
head position ahead of the shoulders, measured in millimeters so change can be shown
- Scoliosis
a curve measured and monitored over time, with honest guidance on what care can change
- Neck pain
the neck curve is a finding we track, not a diagnosis we assume
- Low back pain
several possible causes; progress is judged on what you report and what we measure
The only office
Phone
724-672-3794Parking and access
Free on-site parking. The entrance is step-free.
Visits by appointment only
Every visit is scheduled in advance. We do not publish drive times; plan the trip as you would any appointment in Greensburg.
Before Any of This: The Consultation
The first step is a Complimentary Structural Consultation with Dr. Gareth Bury, DC: a private, 15-minute conversation about your concerns and goals. Dr. Bury is a Palmer College of Chiropractic graduate with more than eight years in Westmoreland County. It is not an examination. If an examination is appropriate, the New Patient Structural Examination is a separate paid service with the fee explained first; when scheduling and clinical circumstances allow it can follow on the same day.
Dr. Bury personally provides every visit, including each progress examination, so the person comparing your measurements is the person who took them.
Questions From Murrysville Patients
Is there an Optimus office in Murrysville?
No. The only office is at 593 Rugh Street in Greensburg. Visits are by appointment, parking is free and on site, and the entrance is step-free.
How often are progress examinations done?
At set points agreed with you before care begins. The interval depends on the findings and the plan, and it is written into your recommendations at the Patient Recommendation Conference rather than decided as you go.
Will I have X-rays taken again to check progress?
Only when clinically warranted, under the conditions described above. Posture measurements and functional testing are repeated at every progress examination; imaging is not.
What if I feel better but the measurements have not changed?
Then we say exactly that. Feeling better is a real and welcome outcome and it is recorded, but it is not treated as evidence of structural change when the measurements show none, and the plan is revisited with you.
Who decides when care finishes?
You do, with a clear recommendation from us. Discharge or a reduced frequency is proposed when the findings and your goals support it, with the purpose, alternatives and frequency explained. There is no default ongoing schedule.
Start With a Conversation
If you want care that can show its own progress, the complimentary structural consultation is where to begin. It is a conversation, not a commitment.
The initial structural consultation is complimentary and carries no obligation. It does not include the comprehensive examination, diagnostic imaging or treatment, which are paid services, and imaging is performed only when it is clinically warranted. We are primarily a direct-pay practice and accept HSA and FSA payments. Fees and the care we recommend are explained before you agree to anything. See what to expect on your first visit.
Or call 724-672-3794