New patients frequently enter our office with some of the same concerns. They often have no idea how chiropractic works, or how what they may be doing will stop them from getting the best results from their Houston chiropractic care. While not all offices handle their procedures exactly this way, this will definitely help your progress in our office.
Your Chiropractic Care Begins With An Initial Evaluation
Our process begins with the initial consultation. During this time, we’ll ask you a lot of questions, trying to determine if your condition can be helped with chiropractic care or if you need to see if a different type of health care provider.
We’re also looking to answer the question, “How did I get this way?” Most spinal problems are related to trauma (car accidents, falls, sports, etc.) or a build up of daily activities. The daily activities are most often the cause, as a small movement may not seem like a big deal, but when movements are done repetitively or for long periods of time, they can start to add up.
Once we’ve determined that chiropractic is the right choice for your issue, we will proceed with the physical examination and, if needed, x-rays.
Once your chiropractic doctor has determined that you will benefit from chiropractic care, they should lay out a treatment plan so that you’ll know what to expect from you care, your time, and your financial investment.
Spinal Adjustments Are The Foundation Of Your Treatment Plan
Your chiropractic treatment plan will include spinal adjustments, as they are the most important part of you care program. In order to keep from derailing your results, consistency is key.
Each adjustment builds on the next, retraining the spinal muscles to hold the misaligned vertebra in its proper place. If your doctor recommends that you receive three adjustments per week and you only show up twice, you haven’t just missed an appointment, but you’ve missed 33% of your care.
Over the course of a few weeks, staying consistent with your treatment will yield more reliable results. It’s not forever, so be sure to make the time to follow through with your doctor’s recommendations.
If you know that your work schedule won’t allow you to attend your full treatment plan, or if you have unavoidable trips planned during the first phase of your care, be sure to bring this up with your doctor. They may be able to give you some tips or at-home exercises and treatments to help you stay on track.
Your Houston Chiropractic Care Requires Your Participation
While many patients do just fine with only getting chiropractic care and not following up with home care recommendations, doing some work at home is very helpful and highly recommended.
We won’t give you hours of “homework,” but rather simple changes that are likely the cause of the problem in the first place. Some patients are told to ice, others will do some stretching, and posture exercises are always helpful for patients that spend a majority of their day on a computer.
Using the ice decreases the amount of inflammation in the area you’re having your problem, and addressing the muscles goes a long way in helping you hold your adjustments as long as possible.
Your doctor will also be happy to answer any questions you might have about completing your daily activities in a pain-free way. While most patients are worried about how quickly they can return to the gym, the biggest game-changers are taking a hard look at activities you do repeatedly or for extended periods and making sure they are not putting unneeded pressure on your spine.
Follow These Tips To Help You Get The Most From Your Chiropractic Care
You want great results and we want you to have them too! For years, we just did the adjustments and some therapy in the office. Doing some minimal at-home icing and exercising goes a long way in achieving lasting results and will not only speed up how quickly you see changes, but how long you can keep feeling that way.