Well I have been back to the clinic for over a month now. AND I AM SO EXCITED!! It has been so great to help people in real life. I have felt so spoiled to be able to see people in the flesh although only half of their face but hey I will take it! And it has truly made me feel so grateful to do what I do.
So what does being a chiro in this age of a pandemic look like?
Well I thought I would walk you through a day so you can have a better understanding of what coming in to the clinic these days entails.
The practitioner experience:
Before heading to the clinic I have to do a pre screen to confirm I do not have any COVID symptoms.
I wear a mask in to the clinic. When I arrive the first thing I do is sanitize my hands. From there I change in to clinic clothes and a surgical mask. Using the appropriate donning protocols.
I then go to set up my work space for the day which includes sanitizing everything.
When my first patient arrives I got to the front to escort them to the treatment area.
Treatment takes place. And when we are done I wash my hands and again sanitize everything. Before going to get my next patient. We have 15mins between patient in order to give us ample time to sanitize everything.
Before I leave the clinic for the day I sanitize my work area. I then change out of clinic clothes to leave the clinic (this is true as well if I pop out during the day as well). I also use proper doffing protocols to remove surgical mask and put my cloth mask back on. When I get home the clinic clothes are washed immediately.
The patient experience:
As the patient you will have to fill out COVID symptoms pre screen as well confirming you do not have any symptoms.
Then you must wear a mask while in the clinic. We ask that you come alone to the clinic as to minimize the number of people in the clinic at once. As well as to arrive only 2-4mins before your appointment time.
As soon as you walk in there is a hand sensitization station–> use it!
From there you will wait in the waiting area physically distanced from other people until your practitioner comes to grab you. You will then head to the treatment area. That as above has been sanitized fully by the clinician. The clinician will ask you again if you have any COVID symptoms in order to document it in their notes.
Treatment takes place as normal + a mask.
After your appointment you can pay at the front desk (which has a plexiglass screen up) or you can give us your credit card number and the front desk will charge it, e-transfer is also an option.
You can book your next appointment at the front or you can use the online booking system from home.
If you are still not feeling comfortable coming in to the clinic, I am still offering virtual chiro care on Thursdays. There is no need to not seek care at this point in time. Let me help you. The bonus of it is it opens up my available to all of Ontario!
I hope to continue to offer virtual chiropractic care as I think it can be a very useful tool for:
-check in and injury updates
-active care progressions
-at home self care
-assessing work from home stations and other aggravating activities of daily living
-running gait assessments (especially for those not in the city)
Please feel free to shoot me an email brittany@therunnersacademy.com with any questions or concerns you may have. And if you would like to book a virtual session. You can also check out the brand new website and book online: https://therunnersacademy.com/.
So, in closing it is different. I certainly never thought I would be treating as a chiropractor in a surgical mask. But I am beyond grateful to be able to be back at the clinic to do my best to help you run and feel your best!!
Toronto Running Chiro 