A form of integrative healthcare, chiropractic medicine helps your body heal itself from the inside out by keeping your spine and entire musculoskeletal system properly aligned. Your first visit to a chiropractor can be stressful if you do not know what you can expect.
There are seven things to know following a chiropractic adjustment to help you maintain a healthy recovery:
- Proper hydration is necessary
- You should keep your movements light
- Pay attention to how you feel and move
- Following your doctor’s treatment program is essential
- Whether standing or sitting, you should maintain proper posture
- Eat a healthy diet to rebuild your body
- Your doctor may prescribe additional solutions to help you feel better
A chiropractic adjustment can relieve many aches and pains and help you start feeling and moving better. During your initial appointment, your chiropractor and their staff can explain the process and what to expect. They can answer your questions and address any medical concerns you may have related to your injuries and pain.
What Do Chiropractic Adjustments Do?
To begin with, chiropractic medicine focuses on the way your body connects to itself. Its concentration is on the musculoskeletal system, with particular attention to the way your spine aligns and your body functions.
During an adjustment, chiropractic physicians use their hands and sometimes specialized tools to manipulate your spine and improve the way your spine and body move. While lying on a table, the chiropractor will use concentrated force and their hands and elbows to manipulate your spine into the correct alignment. The treating physician may also use:
- Heat and ice to reduce inflammation and swelling
- Electrical stimulus to increase circulation
- Relaxation methods to loosen stiff and tightened muscles
- Rehabilitative exercise to strengthen weakened joints and muscles
The goal of the treatment is to help your body heal itself from lower back pain, headaches, neck pain, and other muscle and joint ailments.
What to Expect After Your Chiropractic Adjustment?
When your chiropractor completes the procedure, you will be allowed to rest until you are ready to leave. Your chiropractic physician will explain the steps you should take after you leave and any side effects that you may experience, including headache and fatigue.
It’s understandable to want to know what happens to your body after a chiropractic adjustment. They will also explain what to expect and how to handle your body in the days immediately after the procedure.
The following are the seven things to keep in mind following your chiropractic adjustment:
Staying Hydrated Is an Important Part of Chiropractic Adjustment Aftercare
Proper hydration is always a good idea for keeping your body healthy and at its best. An adjustment involves the manipulation of your skeleton, muscles, and joints. The procedure can release toxins into your system, and drinking plenty of water can boost your body’s healing by flushing waste material out. Water acts like a lubricant, aids in digestion and cellular function, and helps regulate your temperature.
According to Cleveland Clinic, chiropractic adjustments also release gasses trapped in the body. Not staying properly hydrated after the procedure could cause the body to reabsorb them. This, in turn, could negate your progress from the chiropractic adjustment and cause the pain you were experiencing to return. Your physician will explain the proper amount of hydration for you.
Handle Your Body Carefully and Keep Movements Light and Purposeful
Healthy circulation leads to optimal blood flow, which promotes healthy healing after your adjustment. Some light movement and simple aerobic exercises can be good for you, including swimming and bicycling. You should check with your chiropractic doctor before starting any exercise regimen. They can recommend the gentle exercises that will avoid reinjury.
You should take your time with any physical activities and avoid any brisk, forceful, or potentially jolting exercises that involve jumping or running. The timeline for returning to heavier exercise will depend on your physical fitness and usual exercise regimen. Small, light exercise gives your newly adjusted skeletal system a chance to rest and recuperate while improving circulation.
Be Aware of Your Body’s Limitations and Reactions
When you do exercise and move about your day, stay conscious of how your body reacts. Be aware of the sensations you are feeling in your muscles. They will most likely feel weak as you start to rebuild your body and health, but are you feeling any spasms, tingling, or numbness? Check your breathing as well. Just like your muscles, you may feel winded after an exercise, but are you feeling pain in your chest or struggling to catch your breath?
Note any changes in your condition and inform your chiropractor and primary care physician, even changes to your mental and emotional state. Your feedback can help them adjust your treatment program and bring attention to any additional underlying issues you may be experiencing.
Stick to the Aftercare Program Prescribed by Your Chiropractic Physician
After a chiropractic adjustment, you may experience minor aches and pains as your body gets used to its new positioning. Just as no two bodies are exactly alike, each recovery period will also vary. Based on your specific needs, your chiropractor may recommend:
- Gentle stretches
- Ergonomics furnishings
- Ice and heat therapy
- Topical analgesics
You may be offered nutritive support and advised to reduce or alleviate stress as part of your recovery. Slight discomfort is typically relieved in 24 hours or sooner and may decrease with successive adjustments.
Maintain Proper Posture Throughout the Day
When you carry yourself properly, you alleviate strain on your back and improve mobility. It distributes your weight properly, allowing your spine and joints to align. You should walk with your back straight and stand tall. When working at your computer, don’t slouch or hunch over. Keep your back straight and your head level. Pull your stomach in and relax your shoulders and back.
Your chiropractor can help you establish healthy posture habits because proper posture will work in tandem with the chiropractic adjustments you receive. Well maintained posture can help prevent back pain.
Proper Nutrition Can Support a Healthy Body Structure and Lifestyle
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) cites the importance of proper nutrition. It is a building block of good health and allows your body to function at its best. Healthy nutrition includes:
- A well-balanced diet
- Balanced caloric intake
- Proper hydration
- Complex carbs for energy
- Vital protein intake
- Sensible fat absorption
- Vitamins and minerals
- Omega-3 fatty acids
A healthy diet consisting of the right foods also helps your body support itself, support a healthy immune system, and maintain a healthy weight. Each of these factors supports a healthy skeleton and musculoskeletal system.
Your Chiropractor May Recommend Adding Physiotherapy to Your Regimen
Physiotherapy focuses on how your body moves and how it supports itself when it needs healing. Physiotherapy, in combination with chiropractic adjustments, can lead to a more complete recovery. It can include:
- Corrective care
- Rehabilitation
- Massage
- Ultrasound therapy
- Stretching
- Strengthening
Your chiropractor may also recommend a series of take-home exercises that can be done on your own. Any physiotherapy prescribed for you will be monitored and tweaked as your body begins to regain its strength.
Physiotherapy can also include electrical muscle stimulation (E-STIM) therapy. It uses small, strategic electrical shocks to help repair and restore muscles.
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Know What to Avoid After Receiving a Chiropractic Adjustment
Understanding how to get the most benefit out of your chiropractic adjustment can be confusing. The best way to understand your specific needs, what to do, and what not to do is to consult your chiropractor and follow their post-treatment orders. They will generally advise you to avoid:
- Explosive movements
- Alcohol consumption
- Excessively tight clothes
- Sitting for extended periods
- Standing for prolonged periods
Your treatment protocol is tailored to meet your specific needs and healthcare goals. That means the most important thing to avoid is not following the doctor’s orders. Do not eschew your post-treatment orders or stop seeking treatment without speaking to your doctor.
What to Expect Before You Start Your Chiropractic Care
When new patients come into a chiropractor’s office, many of them are looking for a drug-free, non-invasive alternative to alleviate their pain and suffering. Before any services are performed, your chiropractor should perform a full examination, including any imaging, such as X-rays, MRIs, or CT scans. They should also collect a full medical history on you.
You and your chiropractor should discuss the following:
- Any previous treatments you have undergone
- Any medical issues you have or have had
- Why are you currently seeing them
- What your goals are
From there, they can develop a treatment program tailored to your healthcare needs.
Gain Control of Your Body and Your Life With Specific Care Chiropractic
If you are experiencing chronic pain in your head, neck, or lower back, a spinal alignment could provide you with much-needed relief. Our physicians will review your current condition, the adjustment procedure, and its many benefits. We also explain the seven things you need to know following a chiropractic adjustment.
Your body can help itself heal. Learn more by contacting the Specific Care Chiropractic team today.
