Five Questions Worth Asking Before Any Appointment

There is an odd politeness that takes over in a treatment room. We nod, we agree, we leave with something we did not ask for. A handful of questions, asked early, changes that entirely.

The five

• What are you going to do, in order?
• How long will it take, and how long until I see a difference?
• What could go wrong, and how common is that?
• What should I do — and avoid — afterwards?
• What would you recommend instead, if this is not right for me?

None of them are confrontational. All of them are the sort of thing a confident practitioner answers easily, because they have thought about it already.

Ask before you are in the chair

It is far easier to change your mind standing up than lying down with your hair already wet. The questions work best in the consultation, not halfway through.

Anyone who is put out by a straightforward question has told you something useful.

Write down the answers

Not for them — for you, next time. The details you forget between appointments are usually the ones that would have made the second visit better than the first.