For many people, they prefer to wait until they experience pain before heading to their local chiropractor. Rather than waiting for the pain to hit, it’s best to receive regular chiropractic care that will prevent pain and discomfort in the first place. Chiropractic is a holistic type of care rooted in science and proven to be effective for everything from back pain to sleep issues. Keep reading to discover some unexpected chiropractic tips in 2021.
1. Feeling Better Doesn’t Mean You Should Stop Your Treatment
When you notice a decrease in pain, it’s important that you keep following your treatment plan. While feeling less pain is a positive step on the road towards better health, it doesn’t mean you should stop receiving adjustments. By not following your treatment, this can increase your risk for reinjury or pain later on. This is why it’s essential to follow your personalized plan that your chiropractor created for your health needs.
2. 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 all done without any harsh drugs or invasive surgeries.
3. 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. Based on this information, they will create a personalized treatment plan designed to help you obtain lasting 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 difficult to gain the maximum benefits of chiropractic care.
4. Loud Noises Aren’t Needed to Achieve Results
There are numerous chiropractic techniques, all of which vary in approach. For example, the torque release technique uses a medical-grade instrument to perform a very gentle adjustment. Other low force techniques include Directional Non-Force technique or DFNT. DFNT doesn’t produce a cracking or popping sound. However, this doesn’t mean the adjustment didn’t work. Instead, 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 An Adjustment
Have you ever cracked or popped your neck? This may provide temporary relief, but it’s best not to do this. You may cause further damage by “self-adjusting” your neck by turning it back and forth. Just like your neck, you may try twisting or popping your back to get some relief. This does not adjust anything though. The loud popping noise you hear 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 professionals.
6. Your Chiropractic Results Take Time to Work
Chiropractic care is a highly effective approach to obtain optimal health and well-being. Though, if you eat unhealthy foods, smoke, or make other unhealthy lifestyle choices, this can prevent your body from being able to achieve the best results. Patients that regularly eat processed, sugar-rich, and artificial foods will find it more challenging to maintain their chiropractic results compared to those that eat healthy, more natural foods. This includes fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, lean meats, and healthy fats.
7. Apply Ice, Not Heat
If you experience any soreness after an adjustment, it’s best to apply ice instead of heat. The reason for this is that heat can cause more swelling and slow down the healing process. By applying ice over the injury, this will help increase the recovery rate and reduce any swelling, which is helpful for anyone with acute injuries.
8. Chiropractic 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 several decades of proven research performed by governments, schools, and medical organizations around the globe. 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.
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 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 and soothe the muscles during the natural healing process.
10. 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 chiropractor in Parker, CO, contact Awaken Chiropractic today. We would love to help you awaken your health and experience all that life has to offer!
