Maximizing The Results of Your Treatment
Every patient who walks into our office looking for a chiropractor has their own idea of what they hope to achieve with chiropractic care. Some want a quick fix, others are seeking rehabilitation and management of a longer-term problem. Many patients we see in our office are not dealing with a specific problem at all but are simply looking the reach the optimal overall health potential they know chiropractic care can help them achieve.
But no matter what their objective is, every patient wants to know the same thing: “How can I maximize the health benefit of what we’re doing here?” To answer this question, let’s take a look at the three phases of chiropractic treatment: Relief Care, Corrective Care, and Maintenance Care.
Phase 1: Relief Care
Initially, every patient just wants to feel better, therefore phase 1 of care is centered on providing relief of symptoms, whether it’s back pain, neck pain, headaches, or any number of problems related to the musculoskeletal system. Gentle adjustments are made by your chiropractor to restore movement to stiff and inflamed joints, thus relieving acute irritation to the spinal nerves and surrounding structures. Depending on the severity of the problem, relief care can last anywhere from one to five weeks, with treatment ranging from two to five times per week.
It’s important to remember that relief care provides temporary relief from your symptoms or pain, but does not correct the cause. Most people are under the assumption that if they’re not experiencing any pain then they problem is gone; that they’re healthy. Unfortunately, pain is not a reliable indicator of health. In fact, pain and other symptoms frequently only appear after the problem has become advanced.
For example, consider your teeth. Does a cavity cause pain when it first develops or only after it has become more serious? Regardless of whether we’re talking about cavities, heart disease, cancer, diabetes or problems with the spine, pain usually only appears after the problem has significantly advanced. When you begin treatment at Ascent Chiropractic in Brookfield, pain is also the first symptom to disappear, even though the underlying condition may remain.
Phase 2: Corrective Care & Stabilization
The elimination of symptoms is often the quickest and easiest part of a patient’s treatment plan. However, without corrective care the chances of the problem recurring are much greater. In order to correct the underlying cause of the problem, it’s necessary to continue treatment to fix the underlying causes even though your symptoms are gone. In addition, specific exercises are usually given to help improve postural control and stabilize the areas that are the focus of treatment.
Mild re-exacerbations are normal during this phase of care as the body adapts to the functional changes being made. Some considerations in the length of this phase of treatment are the stability and condition of the patient’s spine and the severity of your injury or condition and how long you have been suffering from it.
Phase 3: Maintenance Care
Once corrections have been made and your body has fully healed, routine chiropractic care can help ensure that the integrity of the spine is being maintained. It involves a periodic checkup and adjustments as needed. Just like continuing to work out and eat well is important to sustaining the benefits of an exercise program and proper diet, regular chiropractic care for your spine is the one of the most important things you can do to maintain your overall level of health.
Your symptoms and goals help guide your care. At Ascent Chiropractic in Brookfield, Dr. Grant can discuss your options and what to expect. Call 262-345-4166 or request an appointment.
