“Why Have I Never Had an Exam Like This Before?”

 

“Why Have I Never Had an Exam Like This Before?”

It’s a question I’ve heard dozens of times from new patients at Connect.

But recently, it hit different.

My Own Experience in the System

For those of you who don’t know, I still play rugby. And with rugby comes the occasional injury. Usually I just roll with it—aches and pains are part of the game.

But a few months ago, I hurt my right pinky. Nothing major… or so I thought.

Because I wanted to be smart and get it checked out, I decided to go through my insurance. That kicked off the typical process:
ER visit → referrals → imaging → consults.

Let me be clear—it wasn’t that the care was bad.
It wasn’t that the providers didn’t care.
And it definitely wasn’t a misdiagnosis.

The problem?
The system itself.

After my ER visit, it took nearly a month to get in for an orthopedic consult.

Even then, the first step was a phone call with a general practitioner, who didn’t really want to refer me forward. I had to convince them just to get in with ortho.

Finally Seeing a Specialist

The orthopedic doc? Great guy. Knew his stuff. But completely slammed with patients.

We glanced at my x-rays… quickly.
He asked a couple questions.
Gave me one PT visit.
Said I seemed “smart enough” to figure the rest out.
And scheduled a follow-up—for six weeks later.

I told him I’d already been dealing with this for a month.
That I work with my hands.
That I needed more direction.

His reply?

“Oh… okay, let’s bump the follow-up to two weeks instead.”

I Felt Unheard — and I’m a Healthcare Provider

I left that appointment feeling what many of you have told me before:

• Unseen.
• Unheard.
• Rushed through.
• Confused on next steps.

So, like most people do when they’re frustrated—I started venting to friends and patients.

And guess what?

Almost every single one had a similar story.

No movement assessments.
No hands-on exams.
Just a quick consult and a generic sheet of PT exercises.

And that’s when someone looked at me and said:

“Why have I never had an exam like this before?”

Why Connect Rehab Chiropractic & Performance Exists

Honestly, I didn’t have a great answer.

But here’s my best guess:

The system is overwhelmed. Most providers are doing their best—but with limited time, limited tools, and too many patients to truly dig deep.

That’s why I started Connect Rehab Chiropractic & Performance.

To be different.
To give people what I wish I had gotten.
To be the place people go when they want to stop guessing and start understanding.

Here’s what we do at Connect:

See you as a whole person—not just a symptom.
Listen to your story—without rushing you out the door.
Do a full-body assessment—so we don’t miss the real root cause.
Create a custom plan—because cookie-cutter doesn’t cut it.

If You’re Tired of Surface-Level Care

If you’ve been told “just do some PT” without a thorough exam...
If you’ve walked out of appointments feeling like no one actually heard you...
If you’re stuck in a cycle of band-aid solutions…

We built Connect for you.

Click here to book a free Discovery Call and finally feel seen, heard, and guided toward real answers.