Chiropractic care is like building a house. For everything to stand strong and work correctly first you need a strong foundation, then you put up the walls, and finally you put on top the roof. The same is true for your body. Your body has to go through a particular plan of care in order to repair itself correctly and fully. There are three phases of chiropractic care.

Phase 1: Relief Care

The first objective when you come to the office is to make you feel better by helping you reduce the pain you may be feeling. Depending on the severity of your problem, it is typical to need care 2-3 times per week for 4-12 weeks.

MRI / X-Rays

Depending on your specific condition, we may request MRI or X-Ray studies to help us develop the most effective treatment plan for you and alert us of any serious conditions. Most people are amazed once they see their results. In some cases, they can even identify misalignments and degeneration themselves.

EMG Report

In addition, we may request an EMG (electromyography) test to analyze the nerve and muscle electrical activity. In some medical conditions the electrical activity of the muscles or nerves is not normal. Findings and describing these electrical properties in the muscle or nerve may help the doctor diagnose your condition.

Phase 2: Corrective/Restorative Care

The objective of the second phase of your treatment program is to correct any underlying spinal injury as well as strengthening the muscles, improve spinal function and provide more complete or optimum healing of tissues and organ systems. It is typical to need 4-8 times per month for 6-24 months, depending on your overall health and the severity of your problem. Remember, many of the conditions for which people seek chiropractic care have developed over many years and therefore; therefore, correcting these problems is a true rehabilitative process. It helps to understand that it takes time to correct these conditions.

Once your discomfort has subsided, you may think all is well and choose to abandon your efforts. However, if you end your care before fully healing the muscles and soft tissues, you can invite a relapse. This is a mistake many people make, and it sets them up for recurring health issues.

It’s hard to believe that, after all the time, effort, energy, and money put into correcting a problem, a patient would choose to forgo this relatively easy phase of care! As much as we’d love to see you in our office, we’d much rather assist you in maintaining your health rather than relieving your pain.

Phase 3: Wellness Care

You then “graduate” to the wellness phase, which is designed to maintain your improved health, encourage normal spinal function, prevent the return of the original condition, and catch small problems before they become serious. A personal wellness care program will be designed specifically for you where we teach you how to incorporate good nutrition and exercise habits into your everyday life, thereby promoting vitality, endurance, and the ability to enjoy life at its fullest.

A good way to look at chiropractic is to relate it to dentistry. We all know it takes a long time to develop tooth decay, but with regular maintenance and check-ups, the plaque doesn’t have a chance. Similarly, it often takes a long time to develop a spinal misalignment. But with regular maintenance, the bones will not have a chance to get out of line.

Few things as complicated as your body can be “fixed” and then ignored. Think of your car, your teeth, or your relationships. They take time and effort to maintain, but you know it’s worth it in the long run. That’s why we recommend a regular schedule of chiropractic check-ups.

You can then congratulate yourself on achieving your ultimate goal: optimal health!