Three Phases of Care - Setting a Strong Foundation

Chiropractic care is a bit like planting a garden. You cannot throw seed on barren ground and expect it to grow. The same is true of your body. Your body goes through a specific process in order to repair and restore a normal state of health. There are three general phases of chiropractic care …

Phase 1: Relief Care - Getting rid of pain begins the healing process
Pain relief is our first objective. Depending on the severity of your problem, you will need treatment 2 times per week from 4-12 weeks. Did you know a sprained ankle takes an average of 12 weeks to heal.

Phase 2: Corrective/Restorative Care -
During corrective care, muscles and other tissues are allowed to heal more completely, thereby helping prevent injury. Typically you’ll be seen 1-2 times per week depending on your overall health and the severity of your problem.

Phase 3: Wellness Care
Once your body has fully healed, it is important to come in for periodic adjustments to avoid problems in the future. Most people come in once every 3-4 weeks based on their lifestyle and goals.

• Phase 1: Relief Care
• Phase 2: Corrective/Restorative Care
• Phase 3: Wellness Care
  

We Generally Start with Relief Care

Many people go to a chiropractor because they are in pain. In this first phase of care, the main goal is to reduce your symptoms. Sometimes this will require daily visits, or two to three visits per week for a time.

Most people are under the assumption that if they don’t feel any pain that there is nothing wrong with them - that they are healthy. Unfortunately, pain is a very poor indicator of health. In fact, pain and other symptoms frequently only appear after a disease or other condition has become advanced.

For example, consider a cavity in your tooth. Does it hurt when it first develops or only after it has become serious? How about heart disease? Regardless of whether you are talking about cancer, heart disease, diabetes, stress or problems with the spine, pain is usually the last thing to appear. When you begin chiropractic care, pain is also the first symptom to disappear, even though much of the underlying condition remains.

Corrective Care: Let the Healing Begin

In order to prevent a recurrence of your symptoms, it is necessary to continue receiving care even though you may feel like everything is fine. What happens when you bake a cake at too high a temperature? The cake will look done on the outside but be all gooey and sticky on the inside. When you feel good on the outside it doesn’t mean that you have healed on the inside.

During this correction phase of your care, you won’t be adjusted as often as you did during the first phase of care and, depending on your circumstances, you may begin doing therapeutic activities and exercises either at my clinic or at home to help speed the healing process

Do not be discouraged if you have mild flare-ups of your symptoms occasionally. This is normal. Flare-ups are bound to occur because your feel pretty good, but have not fully healed. and there’s a tendency to be overly active. Depending on the severity of your injury or condition and how long you have been suffering from it, this phase of your care may last anywhere from a few months to a year.

Some clients who were in a very bad motor vehicle collision needed treatment for nearly two years to return to pre-injury status which is much different than maximum medical improvement.

Wellness Care - An Ounce of Prevention!

Maintain and Sustain the Gains You’ve Acheived

After you body has fully healed, receiving chiropractic care once every 3-4 weeks on a regular basis not only reduces the risk of your presenting problems returning, it feels great and keeps you in optimal shape. Hopefully you’ll have learned how much your body appreciates chiropractic care.

By making chiropractic care a priority, you avoid many of the aches and pains that so many people suffer through. Your spine and joints will stay healthy enabling and you to enjoy the activities you love to do.