What actually happens during my first visit?

Your initial consultation starts with detailed history-taking, followed by a thorough physical, neurological and orthopedic examination, your modesty is preserved throughout, and gowns are provided where necessary. If you have prior scans, X-rays, or specialist letters, bring them along; if further imaging is ever warranted, we can refer you locally. By the end of your visit, you'll leave with a clear explanation of what's going on and a considered plan forward. Treatment is usually provided on the initial consultation given the case is deemed within our scope of care.

How many sessions will I need before I notice a difference?

Every case is different, but as a general guide, most patients suffering from nerve pain notice a change in their symptoms within 6-10 visits. Once the nerve has been decompressed and the inflammation around the neural tissue is reduced, the body's own healing processes can start to work much more rapidly, which is often where patients notice the biggest shift. Longer-standing or chronic presentations understandably take more time, why nerve recovery takes time explains the biology behind this., as nerve damage typically can last for several months to, in some cases, years. We'll give you a specific timeframe once your assessment is complete.

How does chiropractic care help with nerve pain?

Nerve pain often stems from compression or irritation somewhere along the nerve's pathway, whether the irritation is to a joint, pressure, from a disc or tightened surrounding muscles. By identifying exactly where that irritation originates and combining manual therapy with functional rehabilitation and neural mobilisation, we aim to relieve pressure on the nerve and support its function returning to normal over time.

How is nerve pain actually diagnosed?

Diagnosis starts with a detailed history, followed by a hands-on neurological and orthopedic examination, testing reflexes, strength, sensation, and how your specific symptoms behave with movement and provocation. This is what actually localises where along the nerve's pathway the irritation is coming from. Imaging such as an MRI or ultrasound can be a useful part of the picture where it's clinically warranted, but it's used alongside the physical examination, not as a replacement for it, a scan on its own doesn't tell us how a nerve is actually functioning.

What kinds of nerve-related conditions do you see?

We see a wide range of nerve-related presentations, including sciatica, disc-related nerve pain, carpal tunnel syndrome, cubital and Guyon's canal syndrome, thoracic outlet syndrome, piriformis syndrome, meralgia paraesthetica, Morton's neuroma, and other peripheral nerve entrapments, alongside general spinal and postural presentations that irritate nerves indirectly. Every case starts with an assessment to confirm what's actually going on before any treatment plan is built.

Is chiropractic care safe for nerve pain?

For most nerve-related musculoskeletal presentations, chiropractic care is generally considered a safe, conservative option. Treatment is adapted to your specific presentation, including low-force techniques where a nerve is highly irritated or sensitised, and we screen for red flags that would need onward referral rather than conservative care. As with any treatment, individual suitability depends on your specific history and presentation, which is exactly what your initial assessment is for.

Are there symptoms that mean I should see a doctor urgently, not book a chiropractic appointment?

Yes. Most nerve pain responds well to conservative care, but a small number of symptoms and history factors warrant prompt medical attention rather than a routine booking, loss of bladder or bowel control, or numbness in the saddle area (the inner thighs, groin, or around the genitals), which can indicate cauda equina syndrome; progressive or rapidly worsening weakness; symptoms affecting both legs at once; fever alongside new or worsening pain; a current or previous history of cancer; a history of inflammatory arthritis alongside neck pain or new neurological symptoms; or unexplained, significant weight loss. If any of these apply to you, please see a GP or present to an emergency department rather than booking with us. We screen for these red flags as part of every initial assessment.

Do I need a referral from my GP to book an appointment?

No, our doors are open to everybody. Chiropractors are primary contact practitioners registered with AHPRA, so you can book directly.

Can you still help if I have osteoporosis, or I'm recovering from surgery?

Yes, in both cases. For osteoporosis or generally fragile bone density, we modify our approach with gentler soft tissue techniques, low-force mobilisation, and decompression therapy. For post-surgical cases, spinal fusion or micro discectomies, for example, we treat more delicately, with your surgeon's timeframe and any complications shaping the pace of your rehabilitation.

Can I claim private health insurance on the day, and what will it cover?

Yes, bring your physical or digital private health insurance card and we can process your rebate on the spot. Coverage varies significantly between insurers and the level of cover you've selected, so it's worth checking your Product Disclosure Statement or calling your fund directly if you want an exact figure before you visit.

Back to Clinical InsightsResearch & Evidence

MRI Doesn't Tell the Whole Story

Aret AboulianChiropractor

March 24, 2026•5 min read

A normal-looking scan doesn't rule out nerve pain, and a scary-looking one doesn't guarantee it. Here's what imaging can and can't tell you.

What an MRI Is Actually Good At

MRI is an excellent tool for what it's designed to do. But for full nerve pain diagnosis, structural imaging is only one part of the picture.'s designed to do: showing structure. Disc height, alignment, obvious compression, tumours, fractures, and other structural pathology are all things imaging can pick up reliably, and there are absolutely cases where a scan is essential, particularly when there are red flag symptoms like progressive weakness, loss of bladder or bowel control, or unexplained weight loss alongside pain.

For those situations, imaging isn't optional. It's part of ruling out anything genuinely serious before we move forward with conservative care.

What It Misses

Why sciatica is a symptom description, not a diagnosis, what an MRI can't't directly show is function, how a nerve is actually behaving when you move, how sensitised your nervous system currently is, or how much a particular structural finding is actually contributing to your symptoms versus simply being present. Two spines can look almost identical on a scan and produce two completely different clinical pictures.

This is why patients are sometimes told their scan is normal despite real symptoms, the research on asymptomatic disc findings confirms how common this gap is. 'your scan is normal' despite very real, very limiting symptoms, the mechanism may be more about nerve irritation, movement dysfunction, or sensitisation than about a structural abnormality large enough for imaging to flag.

Why Two People, Same Scan, Feel Completely Different

Pain is generated and modulated by the nervous system, which is why our neurological and orthopaedic assessment process looks beyond the scan., not purely by tissue damage. Someone with a relatively minor structural finding can have significant nerve sensitisation and disproportionate symptoms, while someone with a more significant structural finding can have very few symptoms at all. Neither scenario is unusual, and neither is a sign anything is 'wrong' with the patient, it's simply how pain physiology works.

A More Complete Picture

Good assessment combines imaging (where clinically warranted) with a hands-on neurological and orthopedic examination, testing how your body actually responds to specific movements, positions, and provocation tests. That combination tells us far more than a scan alone ever could, and it's the basis for a treatment plan that addresses what's actually happening, not just what shows up on a report.

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