What to Expect
Laying the foundation for total health
In some ways, it could be said that chiropractic care is a bit like building a house – certain things have to happen in a particular order in order for everything to stand strong and work together correctly. When building a house, if the walls are built before a solid foundation, the walls would be weak and eventually may even collapse. If the roof was built before the walls were ready, the same problem would exist. These concepts apply to the body as well, and chiropractic care addresses many common reasons why people experience pain and other health issues. If something is not right with the body’s foundation, that needs to be addressed before true health can be achieved. With chiropractic care, the body goes through a particular plan of care in order to repair itself correctly and fully. There are three general phases of chiropractic care described below:
Phase 1: Relief Care
If a patient is in pain, the first objective is to help reduce pain in order assist the patient to start feeling better as soon as possible. Depending on the severity of the underlying condition that is causing the pain, it is typical for a patient to need chiropractic care or adjustments more frequently during relief care.
Phase 2: Corrective/Restorative Care
During the corrective phase of chiropractic care, muscles and other tissues are allowed to heal more completely, which helps prevent further injury or pain. The goal of corrective or restorative chiropractic care is to help bring the body back to 100% functioning. It is typical to need chiropractic care or adjustments frequently depending on a patient’s overall health and the severity of the problem.
Phase 3: Wellness Care
Once the body has fully healed and a patient is no longer experiencing back pain or other pain symptoms, it is important to come in for periodic chiropractic adjustments to avoid further problems in the future.