One of the most common questions I answer is, “how long will it take for me to feel better?” I totally understand this concern, when patients are in pain that is their main focus. And really mine too for initial care. Most patients present due to a pain symptom. Even though we try to teach people to be preventative and take care of their back before they have issues. Like regular dental cleanings, you should have regular chiropractic spinal alignments.
Back to the topic at hand. Typically with chiropractic care it takes about two weeks until patients start to notice some improvements. Of course this can vary depending on the condition, but as a general rule of thumb it’s a good generic answer. Chiropractic care focuses on correcting the problem that is causing the symptom, rather than just masking it over. It takes time for your body to heal. You can’t lose 20 pounds with one trip to they gym, right? Or how about lowering your blood sugar by skipping cookies for one day? It’s not realistic to think chiropractic adjustments are going to fix a problem in just a few visits. It’s just not the way the body heals. Especially nerves that heal slowly.
Usually a patient will have pain that progresses to a stiff and tight feeling, like they have a limited range of motion. Then they will start having good days with no pain and that will build to good weeks. That is when we like to swoop in and explain why you “need to keep coming back when you don’t hurt.” To prevent future problems and maintain your condition. Just like brushing your teeth and getting cleanings.
The other big three questions are:
What’s wrong with me?
Can you help me?
How much is it going to cost?
Stayed tuned to this exciting blog and we will cover those over the next couple of weeks.