Back pain and general discomfort from stress are inevitable, regardless of age or profession. However, taking care of yourself is a means of preventing these aches and pains from taking control over your life. Many people today see a chiropractor regularly to help ease the physical tolls of a stressful life and aging.
Unfortunately, chiropractic medicine does not offer miracles, where one treatment can cure all of your ills. Visiting a chiropractor is most often the first step in a long treatment regimen where benefits are measured in reducing pain instead of curing the problem. That doesn’t mean that the benefits are small, but incremental progress is the main goal.
What Happens at the Chiropractor?
Chiropractors help relieve a number of localized aches and pains, with the neck and back being the most common. Visiting a chiropractor is certainly a unique experience. Typically there are four parts of the visit to the chiropractor: initial intake, physical exam, treatment, and follow-up plan.
The intake can be compared to a standard medical intake. There is a health questionnaire and talk about your health history. The chiropractor will inquire about where the pain is occuring so they can understand the issues at hand. The physical exam comes after, which includes an examination of the spine and the neck. If you are in pain, you can be treated during the first visit – it is not unsafe to do so.
The treatment plan comes next. Following the assessment of medical history and the results of a physical examination, the chiropractor formulates a treatment plan. A treatment plan determines the extent of your injury or irritation and your general health. It also takes into consideration the condition of your spine as affected by age or injury. Most importantly, your chiropractor places your goals at the forefront.
The most common treatment that occurs at the chiropractor’s office is adjustment. Adjustment is a therapeutic manipulation that consists of controlled leverage and direction at specific joints where the pain is focused. It is much more than opening a patient’s ankle, knee, wrist, elbow, or shoulder joints. Treatment helps to restore structural alignment to your spine and joints, or to improve joint function.
How Often Should I Go?
Now that you have decided to see a chiropractor, you might be asking yoursef how often you should go. Some need vertebrae alignment as preventative care, or back adjustments to prevent injury. Other patients need help managing serious pain conditions, such as scoliosis or whiplash. Finding a Perth based chiropractor can be as easy as deciding to do what is best for your body and health. If you regularly experience moderate to severe pain, you will need more intensive treatment with your chiropractor. Any serious condition or injury will result in frequent visits. This can sometimes mean two or three adjustments per week, if your chiropractor determines that it is necessary. If your treatments are successful, they may become less frequent. The recurrence of chiropractic treatments will depend on the severity of your body’s damage, the level of pain, your condition, and how you respond to the treatment.
Techniques vary per chiropractor, and treatments do as well. If one treatment is not working for you, you may need to make another treatment plan. In some cases, you may need to find another chiropractor. You may also need to undergo an evaluation by a medical doctor to see which other treatments you need.
After The Visit
After the visit, patients should take some precautionary measures. There are various effects of spinal manipulation and your visit to the chiropractor. These effects typically disappear within 24 hours. Specialists typically recommend regular visits to reap the benefits. Your body needs time to adapt to the changes made during a treatment session. Patients can experience pain after a chiropractic visit because of the changes in your body, but exercise after the treatment can aggravate this pain. Keep in mind that there is a chance that it could undo the work done during your treatment. However, if your chiropractor recommends exercise, it can help straighten your back. There are other potential side effects of a chiropractic treatment. Some patients get headaches that resolve themselves within a few hours. This is common in patients who have had a neck adjustment.
Fatigue is another side effect that a small percentage of patients feel after treatment. Women are more likely to experience fatigue than men. It can last for several hours, and result in a period of heightened energy. Soreness also occurs in approximately 15 percent of patients. It occurs locally and patients can experience muscle and joint stiffness as well as mild to moderate bruising.
If you need a break from chronic stress or pain, visit your chiropractor. Taking care of your health is essential, and you should find the treatment that you need so that you don’t have to worry about things getting worse. Chiropractic specialists will help formulate a treatment plan that is specifically tailored for your condition.