Why Do I Need to Continue My Chiropractic Visits?
The first day you arrived at the chiropractor’s office you were in immense pain. If you were to rate your pain on a scale from 1 to 10 with 10 being the worst you said 15! You completed your paperwork, spoke with the doctor and received your adjustment. After about 2 or 3 visits, you felt like a brand new person! Then during your 4th visit, the doctor presented to you a follow-up treatment plan. “A treatment plan, huh? But I feel great now. I don’t need to come back,” you said to yourself. You are wondering why the doctor would recommend that you continue care when you have no pain.
When you are in pain, several factors come into play. Your spine is misaligned, causing the vertebrae to move out of place. This may also cause muscle spasm and pressure on the nerves and the vertebral discs. This process may have been occurring for months or possibly years before you experienced even a moment of pain. Pain is the last sign or symptom to appear and the first to disappear. You may possibly experience relief after 1 or 2 adjustments; however, a lack of pain does not mean there are no longer any problems. Continued chiropractic care is necessary for correction of your problem. The purpose of the follow-up treatments is to re-educate your spine and your muscles to remain aligned. Think of it as neuromuscular re-education. Imagine you are going to the gym for the first time. It would take months or even years to obtain a 6 pack for you abdominals. You certainly would not expect to achieve your goal in only 2 or 3 workout sessions. It must be consistent. The same goes for your body regarding chiropractic care.
Are you a first time chiropractic patient or did you start treatment and for some reason stopped and you now want to continue care? Please feel free to contact our office at the Chiropractic Health Center of Bristol. One of our staff members will be happy to assist you with questions you may have.
Dr David M. Spitz is the founder and clinic director of the Chiropractic Health Center of Bristol, located in Bristol, CT. Since 1982, he has treated thousands of patients for various conditions ranging from neck and back pain, to migraine headaches. He specializes in treating patients who have suffered whiplash injuries and/or back injuries in a motor vehicle accident.
Dr Spitz was a volunteer EMT-I and a lieutenant for several years at the Burlington Volunteer Fire Department. He has lectured throughout CT on various topics including, chiropractic, stress management, headaches and preventing back injury in the workplace.
