When/how often to get adjusted?
One of the biggest questions that come up during care is: do I need to come see you forever after I’ve started care? The answer can be a tricky one to answer. The goal is to get you feeling better, allowing you to maintain your discomfort yourself. However, if you need to see a chiropractor, by all means be seen!
Let’s walk through acute vs chronic pain. Acute pain is what happens after an injury. It is described clinically as lasting less than 3 months. The goal during this phase is to get the pain to go away and not letting it advance to chronic pain. Chronic pain is when the pain lasts longer than 3 months. Chronic pain can be a challenge to control due to the fact that most patients have been living with this pain for years and years. When treating chronic pain, it is about managing or maintaining a lower pain level than actually curing/getting the pain to go away completely.
Treatment visits varies on the patient’s goals such as reducing pain, getting the root of the cause or maintaining movement as well any clinical findings found by the chiropractor. Acute injuries require a series of treatments within the first couple weeks. The goal is to reduce the pain, symptoms and inflammation and then work towards improvement movement through exercise. Chronic pain may take longer to get a hold on however most patient finds that any form of care is beneficial. This may require weekly visits for time being. However with this being said, it is important to know that each person responds differently to care! It may be quicker or it may take longer. Be patient with your care and realize that your body takes time improve!
Patients usually notice a reduction in pain or symptoms after a series of treatments. The goal is to provide a rehabilitation program that should prolong the chance of symptoms flaring up again. However, life happens! It is important to recognize that something may feel off and recognize the need to be seen. The sooner you get seen, your body may respond faster to care. That means that you may not experience symptoms for as long and you can get back to your life quicker.
There are also patients that see a chiropractor when they do not experience any pain. This is thought of as a maintenance type patient because they are want to proactively take their health in their hands before an injury or assault to the system occurs. Staying active through movement is essential to staying mobile and healthy as possible. Be proactive with your health, your body will thank you!
