It takes time for the body to heal whilst receiving chiropractic care because it addresses underlying biomechanical and physiological factors in the body.
The following is a brief summary of the three major phases of chiropractic care:
1. Initial/Relief Phase
During this phase, progress is often quite quick and our goal is to get you feeling as comfortable as possible.
Treatment focuses on those techniques and therapies which most quickly and effectively reduce pain and discomfort, whilst being the safest for your spine and body. Patients are to try returning to their normal activities of daily life as soon as possible but avoid pushing themselves too far to reduce the risk of a relapse.
The frequency of care is individually tailored to each client and- adhering to the schedule will help you to obtain the best results. In the event you do not improve during this time, you will be referred to another practitioner.
2. Corrective/Stabilisation Phase
The purpose of this phase is to allow your muscles to strengthen, other soft tissues to fully heal and improve your neuro-musculoskeletal function. This takes longer than pain reduction. It is tempting to drop out of care at this time as one is usually feeling pretty good however, one can easily reinjure themselves at this time.
It can take a long time for a condition to develop, which in many cases is longer than the symptoms have been present, so often it won’t heal overnight!
3. Maintenance/Wellness Phase
This phase is to help keep you feeling good, prevent a relapse of your original problem and new issues from occurring.
A good way to look at chiropractic is to relate it to looking after your teeth. We all know it takes a long time to develop tooth decay, but with regular maintenance and check-ups, one can keep their teeth healthy. Similarly, it often takes a long time to develop a spinal misalignment and many people find regular chiropractic care helps keep their spine and body pain free.
Few things as complicated as your body can be “fixed” and then ignored, such as your car, teeth or relationships. They take time and effort to maintain. That’s why we recommend a regular schedule of chiropractic check-ups.
