Pain Medications: If you are taking anti-inflammatory medications such as Motrin, Advil, Aleve, or Celebrex, or narcotic medications such as Vicodin, MS Contin, Morphine, Percocet, etc. it would be best to stop taking them 2-7 days prior to your first visit. They interfere with the healing process with Prolotherapy. If you have been taking narcotic medications long term, you should discontinue them only under the guidance of a physician.

Test Results: if you have MRI, X-ray, or other pertinent lab reports, please bring them with you for your appointment.

All new patients must complete the online new patient packet. When you make your appointment you will then be asked to provide us with an email address. We will email you a user name and password to securely enter your new patient information. You may access the new patient packet from the following link. Just have your user name and password handy. And don’t forget your PIN number! You should have been provided this PIN number upon making your appointment.

New patients please login here
We must ask that you have this packet fully completed prior to coming to Caring Medical for your appointment. If you have trouble completing the packet, please contact us BEFORE your appointment. The schedule is very tight and we expect patients to come in with their New Patient forms completed in order to stay on schedule. Your cooperation is greatly appreciated.

While at Caring Medical

Arrival and Paperwork: Our office is in Suite 600 on the 6th floor of the Medical Arts Building in downtown Oak Park. Because we see patients from all over the world, we run a pretty tight schedule. Arriving on time, or even a little early, will help make your appointment run smoothly. If you experience an unavoidable delay, please notify the office so that we can determine if we can alter the schedule to accommodate your appointment. We will do everything in our power to see you at your appointment time. Our reception team will welcome you to the practice, take your photo for your electronic medical chart, acquaint you with the office, and get you started with a bit of initial paperwork/progress reports. At each visit, we like to know how our patients are progressing, and will ask you to fill out how you are feeling for each area you have treated. The goal of these patient progress notes are to better understand and assess your current status and how you progress through the treatment course.

Welcome: You will receive an official welcome packet which provides you with information about the clinic. Upon receiving this packet, our staff will review your paperwork and answer any questions that you have.

Treatment

Medical History: A nurse or medical technician will obtain a detailed medical history, review your new patient packet, and obtain vitals signs such as temperature, blood pressure, pulse, respirations, and weight. Our staff is very knowledgeable and can also help answer some of your questions while waiting for the practitioner to come in.

Patient Visit: The clinical assistant/nurse will be with you throughout your entire visit. He/she will take notes for you, if applicable, so that you can concentrate on what the practitioner is saying. The physician/PA will examine you and talk to you about your treatment plan. If the practitioner feels you are a good candidate for Prolotherapy, the treatment can be done that same day.

Prolotherapy: Prolotherapy, as you know, is injections. Yes, they do hurt. But we will do everything we can to make you comfortable. The treatments go very quickly, so you will be done before you know it! The assistant will be in the room with you the whole time. After the treatment, you will rest with some heat packs on the treated area for 10-15 minutes. This helps soothe the treated area and also helps speed the healing through increased circulation. While you rest with heat, the assistant/nurse will review our Post Prolotherapy Instruction sheet with you. This covers the do's and don’ts with Prolotherapy.

Nutritional Supplementation or Lab Testing: The physician/PA may recommend some nutritional supplements to aid in your healing or overall health. The most common Prolotherapy-related supplements can be purchased right in our office, for your convenience. If your practitioner recommends other natural medicine supplements, or therapeutic devices for your condition, your nurse/assistant can advise you on where to obtain them. We also have a full service lab that specializes in specific lab testing related to natural medicine. Particular lab tests may be recommended, depending on your specific health history. If so, we are happy to draw those labs for you while you are in the office. Some labs are available at outside lab facilities as well.

After Treatment: You will most likely be stiff and sore for 1-7 days after your Prolotherapy treatment. This is normal and part of the inflammatory process of Prolotherapy. Your next treatment should be scheduled in 4-6 weeks for an average of 3-6 treatments (this may vary depending on the severity of your injury).

Payment: After your consultation/treatment, your nurse/assistant will take you back out to the reception area to pay the bill for your visit. Remember, that you will need to pay at the time of service. Caring Medical will provide you with a detailed invoice that can be submitted to your insurance company for potential reimbursement. While the receipt will show that you paid for the services, in hopes of the insurer reimbursing you directly, if the insurance company inadvertently sends the payment to Caring Medical, we will promptly reimburse you (the patient) in the form of a check. We are considered "out of network" and cannot thus, guarantee reimbursement of our services for your specific condition/treatment. But most of our patients report at least some reimbursement and/or application toward their Out of Network deductible.  

Follow-up Appointment: Before leaving, you can also make your next appointment with your clinical assistant, or with any of our administrative team upon checkout. It is a good idea to make your appointment at this time, to ensure you can get the appointment time you want, as the schedule fills up quickly.

Questions: If you have any questions or concerns between visits, do not hesitate to contact us either by phone or by email. We look forward to working with you!