As you begin your journey toward better health there are a few aspects of care that are unique to chiropractic. We believe that a person’s health is made up of chemical, mental, and structural balances within the body. These subdivisions of your health can affect one another so that when one area is out of balance it affects the others. My job is to focus on the structural imbalances. A medical doctor; family practice or internist will focus on the chemical imbalances in your body. The mental aspects of healthcare will be addressed by the use of positive affirmations or psychiatrists and psychologists.
We then must understand that there is an underlying dysfunction for a long period of time before a person develops a symptom. If we think about someone who’s experiencing a heart attack their symptoms may be chest and left shoulder or arm pain on their ride to the hospital but we find that their arteries are 80% blocked on imaging studies. Similarly, when the nerves in your body have been suppressed by 80% or more you perceive pain. It’s like the circuit has been shut off and the electrical current no longer flows through. You then experience the sensation of pain. The point to remember is that a lack of symptoms does not mean that you are fully healed. It simply means that we have less than an 80% blockage in the nerve transmission but there is still underlying dysfunction to overcome.
We overcome dysfunction by changing some of our daily habits, providing the proper hydration, nutrition, and adequate rest, doing the proper stretches and resistance exercises to maintain a musculoskeletal balance and receiving regular bodywork to help identify dysfunction long before a symptom develops. Most patients will notice some improvement in their symptoms within the first few days. If this does not occur, your doctor may discuss alternative treatments, referral to specialists, or the need for further testing with you.
As spinal adjustments are made; to correct joint function and restore muscle balance, you may notice a sore achiness in your muscles like when you have not worked out for several weeks as the tension within your muscles changes and we begin to flush out the built up lactic acid. Your pain may also move from one area of the body to another as the cross fiber knots of your fascia are repaired. Fascia is the spider web covering of muscles that is one continuous web encapsulating your whole musculoskeletal system. So as we untangle knots in one area of the spine this will change the tension throughout the areas above and below.
It is important to keep your doctor informed about the changes and improvements of your symptoms. Treating a condition more frequently in the beginning of care is a common protocol for most patients. This allows us to closely monitor the instability of your current condition. Don’t be surprised if you experience some ups and downs during the course of treatment.
You should make every attempt to stay committed to your healthcare and allow your body the time it needs to repair and give it the proper fuel and adequate rest. I recommend that you do something six times before you make an educated decision as to whether or not this has changed your condition or situation. There are many different tools that we will try to order to make improvements in your health, it is your job to listen to your body and report back your findings.