What Can I Expect During A Visit To The Chiropractor?
20 Aug 2009There is a lot of fear surrounding Chiropractic care. Residents of the United Kingdom who have not tried Chiropractic care are usually frightened that the treatments are long and very painful. The good news is that Chiropractic care is rarely painful. The length of the treatments depends on your injury and illness and the best way to treat them.
Chiropractors will treat a patient’s whole body, though Chiropractic philosophy dictates that special attention be focused on a patient’s spine and joints. This is because Chiropractors believe that most illnesses and injuries can be treated through realigning the spine and the joints. Here is what to expect from visits to a Chiropractor.
During your first visit to your Chiropractor, you can expect to have a full history taken as well as a physical exam. The physical exam will usually be centred on the spinal column though some attention will be paid to the rest of your body as well. You might also have some x-rays taken, to narrow down the cause of your pain.
If it is determined that you need long-term Chiropractic care for your injury or illness, you and your Chiropractor will work together to form a long term plan for your therapy.
When you return to the Chiropractor, there are a few things that could happen. You might be given a spinal adjustment (commonly called “back cracking” due to the noise your joints and spine will make during the adjustment”do not worry, the process is not painful). You might also go through mobilization therapy, which is the simple moving of a joint within its typical range of motion to improve the function you already have.
Your Chiropractor might also use ice or heat to help relax your muscles. You might also be prescribed bed rest or a variety of simple exercises that can be used to do some of your rehabilitation work at home. You might also be given electrical stimulation treatments, pressure treatments or massages to help relieve your pain and help your injury heal.
You might also work with your Chiropractor to put together a diet and exercise plan or your Chiropractor might recommend psychological therapy as well as your regular treatment.
Some people say they feel tired after they visit a Chiropractor. This is perfectly understandable as a visit to the Chiropractor is not unlike going to the gym for a workout”only in this case it is you who is still and the “machine” (the Chiropractor) that does the moving for you.
Do not feel frightened of Chiropractic care. Chiropractors are good at what they do and their treatments and therapies are not meant to be painful. The fact is that Chiropractors help relieve pain and speed up the recovery process.
