Hands-On Healthcare Should Feel Safe for Everyone

If you’re looking for an LGBTQ+ friendly chiropractor or remedial massage therapist in Adelaide’s north-east, we want you to know a little about how we work before you book.

Hands-on healthcare is, by its very nature, personal. You’re being touched, you’re being asked about your body, you’re sometimes in a vulnerable position on a treatment table. That requires a level of trust that doesn’t come automatically. And for many people in the LGBTQ+ community, that trust has been damaged before, sometimes in small ways, sometimes in significant ones.

We understand why that might make you hesitate.

What can you expect at Health First Chiropractic?

When you come to see us at our Modbury North clinic, you will be treated as an individual. Full stop.

Your information, your privacy

Your intake forms don’t assume your gender or your relationship status. If you have a preferred name or pronouns, we will use them and we won’t make a fuss about it. If you have a partner, they’re welcome to accompany you. Your health history is taken in confidence and without judgement.

Private treatment rooms

All of our treatment rooms are private and enclosed. There are no open-plan treatment areas. What happens in your appointment stays between you and your practitioner.

Your comfort comes first

During any hands-on treatment, whether that’s chiropractic care or remedial massage, we explain what we’re doing before we do it. We check in as we go. If something feels uncomfortable, you say so, and we adjust. Consent and communication aren’t afterthoughts in our practice. They’re built into how we work with every single patient.

Why are we saying this explicitly?

We know that for most people, it doesn’t occur to them to wonder whether a health clinic will be welcoming. They just book an appointment. But we also know that’s not everyone’s experience.

Research consistently shows that LGBTQ+ people are more likely to delay or avoid healthcare because of previous experiences of discrimination, dismissal, or discomfort in clinical settings. That has real consequences for health outcomes. People put off dealing with the back pain that’s been bothering them for months. They manage a headache with paracetamol rather than addressing why it keeps coming back. They don’t seek the help they deserve.

We are a registered Welcome Here practice and an LGBTQ+ affirming clinic. That’s not a marketing position. It means we’ve thought about how our clinic operates and made a deliberate commitment to being a place where LGBTQ+ people can access the same quality of care as anyone else, without having to brace themselves first.

If you have been searching for an LGBTQ+ friendly chiropractor in Adelaide’s north-east, we hope this gives you the confidence to reach out.

What about the hands-on nature of what we do?

We want to be honest about this, because it matters.

Chiropractic care and remedial massage involve physical contact. For some people, particularly those who have experienced trauma or who have complicated relationships with their bodies for any number of reasons, that can feel like a lot to navigate.

We take consent seriously. You are always in control of what happens during your appointment, which areas are treated, how much pressure is applied, and when you need to pause. If there are areas of your body you’d prefer we work around, we’ll find another approach. We explain what we’re doing before we do it, we check in as we go, and if something doesn’t feel right, you say so and we adjust. There are always options.

We also understand that it can help to know this stuff before you arrive rather than having to figure it out in the room.

Can you ask us questions before you book?

If you have questions about what to expect, whether about the intake process, how we handle personal information, what treatment involves, or anything else, please contact us before your first appointment. You can call the clinic, send us an email, or ask through our website. We’d rather answer your questions upfront than have you arrive feeling unsure.

We’re based at 8 Deborah Grove, Modbury North, and we serve the wider north-eastern Adelaide community, including Modbury, Tea Tree Gully, Redwood Park, Holden Hill, and surrounding suburbs. We commonly treat back pain, neck pain, disc injuries, sciatica and headaches. We do it well. And we do it for everyone.

All chiropractors at Health First Chiropractic are registered with the Chiropractic Board of Australia through AHPRA.

We offer a free Clarity Call, a 10-minute phone conversation with our chiropractor to talk through any questions you have and help you decide if we’re the right fit.

Written by

Dr Naomi Swan

Chiropractor and co-director of Health First Chiropractic in Modbury North, with over 20 years in practice and a Master of Chiropractic. Naomi is also a supervisor and examiner at the Australian Chiropractic College in Adelaide.

Meet Naomi →