If you haven’t been to a chiropractor before, it can seem like an intimidating choice to make. Even if you have friends and family who are regular goers and have nothing but good to say about their treatments, you can have anxiety about the potential pain you imagine will be caused by an adjustment or be squeamish about the “popping” sound that might follow. If you’re not sure about heading in for an appointment, we’re here to help alleviate some fears and dispel with some popular myths.
Adjustments don’t heart
The biggest reason by far that people may not seek out chiropractic treatment is because they’re afraid that treatment may hurt. This is due to a false image of a doctor making aggressive movements and “snapping” bones and joints into place. The crack or pop sound you may hear during treatment is actually a case of your joints releasing gas that was trapped in the joint capsule. These adjustments will not wear out or do damage to your joints, rather they are very specific and intentional movements to allow your body to function properly and regular sessions can help prevent issues down the line. Most patients, in fact, find an improvement to their body as a whole and not just where the chiropractor has addressed.
Chiropractic treatment is beneficial
Chiropractic treatment can benefit people from all walks of life at any age. The birth process may cause misalignments in newborn babies, and seniors can certainly benefit from adjustments to help improve balance and range of motion. Treatments can also help prevent arthritis pain and maintain good joint health. Studies have even shown that regular visit to the chiropractor have assisted children (and subsequently their sleep deprived parents!) with colic, allergies, asthma, insomnia, and amazingly, even behavioural problems. Whether you sit at a desk for your day job or are very physically active (as a painter or a building contractor might be) your entire body can benefit from regular visits.
Athletes use chiropractors
Your chiropractor is not only there to help with injuries, but as part of regular medical care to keep you in the best shape possible. Many athletes have a standing appointment to help them maintain optimal movement and flexibility, as well as to help ameliorate the affects
of previous injuries and aid in as quick a recovery as possible. Most athletes recognize that having a chiropractor on hand will give them a competitive edge in their chosen field.
Pain is the last symptom
If you’re experiencing pain, it’s often the very last symptom of a long standing condition that you may not even have been aware of. People assume that when they feel it’s the first indication that something is wrong, and that’s a backwards way of thinking. More often than not, they assume that once the pain has receded, so too has the condition, and this again is incorrect, especially in the case of using pain medication. The symptom has been blanketed, but the underlying issue is still very much at hand and will only clear when steps are taken to attack the problem itself. An old injury can easily resurface years later when not properly addressed.
Be honest with your doctor
It helps to think about your body as an interconnected unit that operates at full capacity only when all of its bits and pieces are doing so. Your spinal nerves have an intimate relationship with all areas of your body, and sometimes if a joint isn’t moving properly, the transmissions your nerves regularly send are interrupted. This is why your chiropractor will sometimes ask about other issues you may be experiencing that don’t seem related to the joint problem you went in for in the first place. As all of your body’s workings are interconnected, mid back pain, for example, could be connected to your irritable bowel symptoms or acid reflux could be a problem associated with an upper back issue. Answer all of your chiropractors’ questions honestly and without hesitation offer up any other medical issues that you may be experiencing so that a thorough and accurate diagnosis and treatment plan may be developed.
You’ve probably heard someone state that the reason they won’t go to seek a chiropractor’s treatment is because they don’t want to “go forever”. This is a pretty ridiculous statement, although once you start treatments and experience the benefits; it may be that you want to go forever! Your chiropractor will treat you according to your needs and schedule as many appointments as required to run the full course of treatment and resolve the issue. Once completed, you don’t need to go back, but it’s a good idea to maintain some type of follow up to prevent any further flare-ups. This is similar to getting an annual check-up at the doctor’s office or cleaning appointments with your dentist.
Treatments at the hands of your trusted chiropractor can not only improve your mobility and ease of joint movement, but be an integral part of your road to good health and overall well-being.