Listen-First Exam
When needed, we reserve up to 60–90 minutes to hear your story, history, and goals before we talk about a plan.
Why we turned off the timer
From a 7-minute timer to Human-First Chiropractic in DFW.
If you've ever felt rushed through a visit, talked over while explaining your pain, or pitched a year-long "care plan" before anyone really listened—Prime Spine & Wellness was built for you. This clinic started the day a veteran apologized for "taking too long" in a seven-minute room with a timer on the wall.
Here's the true story—told in 15 short chapters—of why we turned that timer off, wrote three hard "no's" on the wall, and built Human-First Chiropractic in Fort Worth and Saginaw. Chapters marked "real patient" include direct quotes from actual patient reviews; we haven't invented any testimonials.
1 / 15
"I never forgot her face."
Eight years old in a chiropractor's office, Abi watched an older woman apologize for "taking too much time." The doctor didn't look up—just called the next patient. That's where Human-First started: with the face of someone who felt like a burden for needing care.
2 / 15
Seven minutes per patient.
First day at a Texas clinic. Army veteran. Former law enforcement. They handed him a timer: "Seven minutes per patient. Hit your numbers or hit the road." It wasn't a suggestion. It was the business model.
3 / 15
Patient #24. Veteran. "I'm taking too long."
Shrapnel injury from Iraq. The timer goes off. A knock on the door. "I'm sorry, Doc. I'm taking too long." Mac looked at him—and knew this wasn't how care should feel.
4 / 15
The timer goes face-down.
Mac looked at the timer. Then at the door. He turned the timer off, set it face-down on the desk—and kept listening. That was the first real Human-First decision.
5 / 15
"Let's build it ourselves."
That night, Mac called Abi. "I turned off the timer today." Long pause. "Good. Don't go back. Let's build it ourselves." No branding exercise. No slogan. Just a line in the sand: we won't practice like that.
6 / 15
We said no to three things.
When we started sketching out this clinic, we didn't list services first. We listed what we would never do:
The hallway promise: No one leaves feeling rushed or unseen.
The membership mill: No 12-month contracts before we've examined you.
The assembly line: No scripts, no timers, no "next" while you're mid-sentence.
Those three "no's" still guide every visit.
7 / 15
June 15, 2014 — doors open.
Prime Spine & Wellness opens. A clinic built around time, story, and trust—not volume. No timer on the wall. No "how many can we push through an hour" board.
8 / 15
Real veterans. Real time.
Word spread—especially among veterans and VA Community Care patients. One VA patient wrote that we "take the time to listen" and build a "personalized treatment plan." That's what happens when you remove the timer and start with the person instead of the clock.
9 / 15
Jason's relief. (real patient)
Jason is a disabled Army veteran who had been living with pain for years. Here's what he wrote in his Google review after coming to Prime Spine & Wellness:
"I'm a disabled Army Veteran… Dr. Macmullin and Rumy helped me get to a point where I actually get some pain relief."
That's not our script. That's Jason's own description of what it felt like to finally be heard and helped.
10 / 15
Logan's consult. (real patient)
Logan didn't want another "snap, crackle, next" experience. This is how he described his time here:
"Not just someplace where you walk in and they snap you up… they really take the time to get to know what you need."
That's Human-First in his words: not just adjusting a spine, but understanding the person attached to it.
11 / 15
Travia's clear plan. (real patient)
Travia needed more than a quick adjustment—she needed to understand the plan. Here's what she wrote:
"Clear treatment plan… No rush, no pressure—just real care."
Travia walked out with answers, not a sales pitch—and a plan that actually made sense.
12 / 15
Christine: "like family." (real patient)
Christine had seen other chiropractors before. The difference she noticed here was simple: time and how she was treated. In her words:
"They take the time to listen & treat you like family. Best chiropractor I've been to in many years."
Christine didn't feel like "next." She felt like someone whose story mattered.
13 / 15
Adriana & boys. (real patient)
Families feel the difference, too. Adriana came in with her boys and left this review:
"They treated us like family from day one."
When your kids feel safe and you feel heard, care changes. That's the point of Human-First.
14 / 15
What Human-First looks like.
Human-First isn't a slogan. It's how a visit actually feels. It starts with our Listen-First Exam: 60–90 minutes when needed, so your story is fully heard before anyone talks "plan" or "schedule."
No rushing through history. No guessing. No "three times a week for the next year" on visit one.
15 / 15
ClearPath + Visit-3.
Once we've listened and examined, we build your ClearPath Plan:
ClearPath Plan: Built from your exam. Not a template.
Visit-3 Check: By visit three, we sit down and ask: What's changed? What's
better?
What still needs work?
If it's working, we continue. If it's not, we change it. You're never locked in.
We turned off the timer. We built Human-First Chiropractic. And we never looked back.
If you've ever felt rushed, sold, or unheard in a clinic, this is your invitation.
Book my Listen-First Exam
