The corrective care your body will best respond to is done with more care in the beginning stages, as there is a period of adaptation. This period is when your body responds to improved Structural alignment, balance, muscle strength, etc. as the interference to the nervous system is removed. There is typically a reduced intensity to care as time goes on, depending on the individual circumstances.
Think of Structural changes in your spinal alignment as a frame of a house. If the frame collapses, you will have stresses, cracks develop, walls not lined up properly, and so on. You can patch and repair it, which is akin to most regular chiropractic, and this can get you by for some time, and it may feel great. But when you address the underlying foundation, the root cause, such as correcting a straight neck to be properly aligned in curvature, you not only positively affect the neck at its root, but in fact the stresses it creates on the entire spine, thus affecting your health profoundly.
The same idea applies to a slipped disc, or a vertebra slipping forward relative to the one below. In our clinic these are examples of what we call a Structural Shift from Normal Structure, which is what your body wants to be in: normal motion and alignment.
Generally with chiropractic care, you may feel a reduction in symptoms (relief of pain, for example), yet, there is still the need to address the underlying problems (proper motion of joints, Corrective Structure, muscle memory, removal of scar tissue, etc.). It is common to have symptoms come back, and perhaps in a worsened situation, when care is stopped part way through the care plan because of temporary relief of symptoms.
If there is a postural, or what we refer to as a Structural issue, it took time for Structure and therefore posture to be changed into a poor position, so too can you expect it to take time to attain Normal Structure through Corrective Structural care. These are important reasons why it is important to follow through with your Doctor’s advice and care plan.
Normal Structure is attained by a combination of adjusting, soft tissue work, individualized exercises, stretches, and other advice the Doctor provides. The emphasis we place is on receiving adjustments. Your body may go through different phases as it adapts to a better state of health. There can be immediate results felt, with pain dissipating or going away entirely, function restored, such as restoration of muscle strength, range of motion increasing, etc.
There may be a period of aches and soreness. This is normal as muscles that were not working to maintain Correct Structure begin to act as they normally should, taking on the load or capacity as is their nature when Correct Structure and balance are restored. Just as you would be sore after a workout for two or three days, so too can your muscles feel sore as they work to keep your body in a more correct upright position. The interference to the nervous system has been removed, and those muscles are now firing correctly.
We at Structural Chiropractic genuinely want to see our patients succeed and enjoy life as much as possible. Therefore, we are not going to simply perform an adjustment of your spine only and send you out the door. We perform the work needed to understand the root cause of your health issue so that we can then offer a broad array of restorative and corrective measures to make sure that you get the most from your care. One of these avenues, complimentary to adjustments, is corrective exercises. These are exercises that your doctor will suggest, based on your unique history, condition, and ability.
If you’ve been injured or are experiencing pain, you should consider scheduling an appointment with our chiropractor today. We have the skills and means to care for and resolve your issues with a broad approach that will lead to increased health and mobility in all areas of your life.