For many people, they like to wait until they experience pain before heading to their local chiropractor. Instead of waiting for the pain to hit, a more effective approach is to receive regular chiropractic care that will prevent pain and discomfort in the first place. Chiropractic is a holistic type of care that is rooted in science and shown to be effective for everything from back pain to headaches and mental illness to sleep issues. Let’s take a look at some of the top chiropractic tips you may not know in 2021.
1. Feeling Better Doesn’t Mean You Should Stop Your Treatment Plan
When patients notice a reduction in their pain, they often stop following their treatment plan. While feeling less pain is a step in the right direction, it doesn’t mean that you should stop receiving adjustments. By not following your treatment, this can put you at risk for reinjury or more pain later on. This is why it’s essential to follow the customized treatment plan that your chiropractor creates for you.
2. Your Back Pain Isn’t Necessarily About Your Back
When patients have back pain, chiropractors look for the root source of their back pain. Oftentimes, this is due to a spinal misalignment, rather than the back itself. Indeed, chiropractors focus on the whole body, which includes the musculoskeletal and nervous systems. Rather than use drugs, chiropractors perform all-natural and effective adjustments that allow the body to heal itself.
3. Your Treatment Works Best When You Listen to the Chiropractor
At your local chiropractic office, your chiropractor will provide a customized treatment plan designed to help you achieve your health goals. While your chiropractor performs adjustments and helps realign your body, it’s also important to listen and follow the chiropractor’s recommendations for maintaining your results. This may include performing at-home exercises, eating healthy, and stretching regularly. If you ignore these tips, you will not maximize your chiropractic results.
4. You Don’t Need to Hear Loud Noises to Get Results
There are a wide variety of chiropractic techniques that vary in approach. For example, the torque release technique uses an instrument to perform a very gentle adjustment. Other low force techniques include Directional Non-Force technique (DNFT), which will not produce a cracking or popping noise. This does not mean your adjustment isn’t working, it just means that it will not produce loud noises associated with manual adjustments that use more force.
5. Popping Your Back or Neck Isn’t the Same as Getting An Adjustment
Have you ever cracked or popped your neck? While this may be tempting to find temporary relief, it’s best not to do this. In fact, 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. This is not adjusting anything. The loud popping noises you hear are just air bubbles being released from the joint space in your back. It’s important to note that you can even damage your spine and nervous system by popping your back. Like anything related to your health, it’s best to leave it to the professionals.
6. Your Chiropractic Results Take Time
Chiropractic care is a highly effective approach to achieving lasting health and wellness. However, if you eat unhealthy foods, smoke, and make other unhealthy lifestyle choices, this will prevent your body from being able to achieve optimal results. Patients who frequently eat processed, sugar-rich, and artificial foods will find it more difficult to maintain their chiropractic results compared to those that eat healthy, natural foods.
7. Apply Ice, Not Heat
If you feel any soreness after an adjustment, it’s better to apply ice instead of heat. The reason for this is that heat can cause more swelling and slow down the healing time. By applying ice over the injury, this will help increase the recovery rate and reduce swelling, especially for those with acute injuries.
8. Chiropractic Care is Rooted In Science
Chiropractors often hear people say that they aren’t sure if they believe in chiropractic. However, chiropractic is rooted in science with years of proven research conducted by government organizations, schools, and medical organizations across the globe. Rather than view it as a religion, it’s better to view it as a type of health care based in science, just like traditional health care.
9. 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 or extremities. In turn, your muscles will 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 and soothe the muscles during this natural healing process.
10. Chiropractors Are Not “Bone” Doctors
It’s a common misconception that chiropractors work with bones. However, chiropractors work with the musculoskeletal and nervous systems to help restore and maintain healthy bodily functions. Chiropractic adjustments help naturally stimulate the nervous system and activate properly functioning brain to body communications. When these systems are working properly, the body will be able to heal itself naturally as it was intended.
After reading this article, we hope you learned something new about chiropractic. Chiropractic care is a powerful treatment designed to help patients heal from the inside out. If you are looking for the best Portage chiropractor, contact West Michigan Chiropractic today. We look forward to meeting you and helping you live life to your fullest potential!