In general, most people prefer to wait until they experience pain before heading to their local chiropractor. Rather than waiting for the pain to surface, it’s better 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. Keep reading to discover the top tips about chiropractic in 2021.
1. Feeling Better Doesn’t Mean You Should Stop Your Treatment
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 increase your risk for reinjury or more pain later on. Indeed, this is why it’s imperative to follow the personalized treatment plan that your chiropractor creates for you.
2. Your Back Pain Isn’t Always About Your Back
When patients have back pain, chiropractors look for the root cause of this pain. Oftentimes, this is the result of a spine misalignment, instead of 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, safe, and effective adjustments that allow the body to heal itself. No drugs or invasive surgeries are needed!
3. Your Chiropractic Adjustments Work Best When You Listen to the Chiropractor
At your local chiropractic office, your chiropractor will create 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 Achieve Results
There are numerous chiropractic techniques that vary in approach. For example, the torque release technique uses an instrument to perform a gentle adjustment. Other low force techniques include Directional Non-Force technique or DNFT. DNFT does not produce a cracking or popping noise. However, this doesn’t mean the adjustment didn’t work, 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? This may provide short-term relief, but it’s best to not do this. You may 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 does not adjust anything. The loud popping noises you hear are just air bubbles being released from the joint space in the back. You can even damage your spine and nervous system by popping your back. Like all things health related, 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. Though, if you eat unhealthy foods, smoke, and 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 difficult to maintain their chiropractic results compared to those that eat healthy, natural foods.
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 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 performed by governments, schools, and medical organizations around the world. Instead of viewing it as a religion, it should be viewed 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 and 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 the natural healing process.
10. Chiropractors Are Not “Bone” Doctors
A common myth is that chiropractors are “bone” doctors. The fact is that chiropractors work with the musculoskeletal and central 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.
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 chiropractors in Plano, TX, contact Keystone Chiropractic today. We would love to help you gain victory over your health!
