Laying the foundation
Chiropractic care is like building a house – certain things have to happen in a particular order in order for everything to stand strong and work correctly. When building a house, if you tried to put up your walls before you had a solid foundation, your walls would be weak and eventually collapse. If you tried to put on your roof before the walls were ready, you would run into the same problem. The same is true for your body. Your body has to go through a particular plan of care in order to repair itself correctly and fully. There are three general phases of chiropractic care.
Phase 1: Relief Care
Many people go to a chiropractor because they are in pain. In this first phase of care, the main goal is to alleviate the pain and discomfort you are experiencing. This process takes between 3-4 weeks with 2-3 visits per week.
It is important to understand that the alleviation of pain is only the first step in a the multistage healing process afforded by chiropractic care. Most people are under the assumption that if they don’t feel any pain that there is nothing wrong with them – that they are healthy. Unfortunately, pain is a poor indicator of health.
For example, consider a cavity in your tooth. Does it hurt when it first develops or only after it has become serious? How about heart disease? Regardless of whether you are talking about cancer, heart disease, diabetes, stress or problems with the spine, pain is usually the last symptoms to appear. When you begin chiropractic care, pain is also the first symptom to disappear, even though much of the underlying condition still remains.
Phase 2: Corrective/Restorative Care
Most chiropractors regard the elimination of symptoms as the easiest part of a persons care. In order to prevent a rapid recurrence of symptoms, it is necessary to continue receiving care even though your symptoms have dissipated.
During the correction/restorative phase of your care, you will require less adjustments then during the initial phase of care. Depending on your particular circumstances, you may begin doing exercises and stretches at home to help accelerate your healing.
Do not be discouraged if you have mild flare-ups in your symptoms during this phase. Flare-ups are likely to occur during this phase as your body has not yet fully healed. Depending on the severity of your injury or condition and how long you have been suffering from it, this phase of care may last anywhere from a couple of weeks to a few months with visits one to two times a week.
Phase 3: Wellness Care
Once your body has fully healed, routine chiropractic care can help ensure that your physical problems do not return by keeping your body in optimal condition. Just like continuing an work-out program and eating well in order to sustain the benefits of exercise and proper diet, it is necessary to continue chiropractic care to ensure the health of your musculoskeletal system.
When you make routine chiropractic care a part of your lifestyle, you avoid many of the aches and pains that many people suffer through, strengthen your joints, and enable you to engage in more of the activities you love.