For many people, they tend to wait until they are in extreme pain before heading to their local chiropractic office. Rather than waiting for the pain to hit, it’s best to receive regular chiropractic care that will prevent pain and health issues in the first place. Chiropractic is a holistic treatment rooted in science and proven to be effective for everything from back pain to sleep issues. Let’s take a look at some unexpected chiropractic tips you may not know.
You Should Keep Receiving Treatment Even When You Start Feeling Better
When you notice less pain, it’s recommended that you keep following your treatment plan. While feeling less pain is always good, it doesn’t mean you should completely stop receiving adjustments. By not following your treatment, this can increase your risk for becoming injured or in pain again. Indeed, this is why it’s important to follow your customized plan developed for your health needs.
Your Back Pain Isn’t Always About Your Back
If you have back pain, chiropractors will look for the source of this pain. Typically, this is the result of a spine misalignment, rather than the back. Your chiropractor will focus on the whole body, which includes the musculoskeletal and central nervous systems. Instead of using drugs, chiropractors perform all-natural, safe adjustments that allow the body to heal itself. This is achieved without harsh drugs or invasive surgeries.
Your Chiropractic Adjustments Work Best When You Listen to Your Chiropractor
At your first appointment, your chiropractor will discuss your health and family history, health goals, budget, and lifestyle. The chiropractor will use this vital information to create a customized treatment plan designed to help you achieve long-term health and wellness. While your chiropractor performs adjustments and helps realign your body, it’s also important to listen to and follow the chiropractor’s recommendations for maintaining your results. This may include performing at-home exercises, eating healthy, and stretching regularly. If you don’t follow these suggestions, you will find it more challenging to achieve the maximum chiropractic benefits.
Loud Noises Aren’t Required to Obtain Results
There are numerous chiropractic techniques, which vary in approach. For example, the torque release technique uses a medical-grade instrument to perform a gentle, precise adjustment. Other low force techniques include Directional Non-Force technique or DFNT. DFNT does not produce a cracking or popping sound. However, this doesn’t mean it didn’t work. It just means that it will not produce loud noises associated with manual adjustments that use more force.
Popping Your Back or Neck Is Not an Adjustment
Have you ever cracked or popped your neck? This may provide short-term relief, but it’s not a good idea to do this. You can cause further damage by “self-adjusting” your neck by turning it back and forth. Just like with your neck, you may try twisting or popping your back to find relief. This doesn’t adjust anything though as the loud popping noise is just air bubbles releasing from the joint space in the back. You can potentially damage your spine and nervous system by popping your back. Indeed, it’s best to leave the adjustments to the holistic experts.
Your Chiropractic Results Take Time to Work
Chiropractic care is a highly effective approach to obtain optimal health and wellness. Though, if you eat unhealthy foods, smoke, or make other unhealthy lifestyle choices, this can prevent you from being able to achieve the best results. Patients that regularly eat processed, sugar-rich, sodium-rich, and artificial foods will find it more challenging to maintain their chiropractic results compared to those that eat healthier, more natural foods. This includes fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, lean means, and healthy fats.
Apply Ice for Injuries
If you experience any soreness after an adjustment, it’s recommended to apply ice instead of heat. Heat can cause more swelling and slow down the healing process. By applying ice over any injuries or sore muscles, this will boost the recovery rate and reduce any swelling. Indeed, this is helpful for those with acute injuries.
Chiropractic Is Based on Science
Chiropractors often hear people say that they aren’t sure if they believe in chiropractic. However, chiropractic is rooted in science with several decades of proven research performed by governments, schools, and medical organizations around the world. Instead of viewing it like a religion, it should be viewed as a type of health care based on science, just like traditional health care.
You May Feel Worse Before You Feel Better
If you are new to chiropractic, you may find that it takes time to feel better. When chiropractors perform adjustments, this creates movement through the spine and extremities. Thus, your muscles may try to protect the body from this adjustment. A patient may experience temporary muscle spasms, tightness, or soreness from the adjustment. This is normal and should only last a day or two. Chiropractors recommend using ice to relax the muscles during the natural healing process.
Chiropractors Are Not “Bone” Doctors
A common myth is that chiropractors are “bone” doctors. However, chiropractors work with the musculoskeletal and nervous systems to restore and maintain healthy body functions. Chiropractic adjustments help naturally stimulate the nervous system and activate proper brain to body communications. When these systems are working properly, the body will be able to heal itself naturally as it was intended.
We hope you learned something new from this week’s article about some unexpected chiropractic tips. Chiropractic care is an effective treatment that can help patients heal from the inside out. If you are looking for the best Lithia chiropractors, contact At Last Chiropractic today. We would love to help you achieve optimal health and long-term pain relief. Contact us to book your chiropractic appointment.
