Most patients aren’t aware that there are separate phases of chiropractic care. Chiropractic care addresses specific spine misalignments that reduce the ability of our body to heal naturally. Restoring the healing potential reduces inflammation, relieves pain, improves organ function, and enhances mental clarity. Below is a list of the five phases of chiropractic care.
1. Pain Relief
Pain is a manifestation in our bodies that says there is an issue that needs to be addressed. Most first-time patients visit Brad Kern due to shoulder, neck, and back pain. Most chiropractors do their best in this phase to identify the root cause of patients’ pain, symptoms, inflammation, and soreness. Once the exact cause of the issue is determined, a correction plan that suits your needs is put in place, depending on the severity of your injuries.
2. Correction
Corrective care is the initial progression from the pain relief phase and kicks in once the inflammation goes down and pain levels decrease. The phase is where most change happens, whether it be acupuncture, massage, cupping, exercises, or stretching. Chiropractors retrain and stabilize the ligaments and muscles in the spine by correcting muscle spasms, imbalances, and persistent misalignments caused by injuries. The primary goal of corrective care is to strike a balance in the treatment plan through commitment and consistency in the long run.
3. Supportive Care
Most patients proceed with regular adjustments once their pain goes away and upon the completion of the correction phase. Patients with underlying conditions, including herniated discs and arthritis, go through supportive care to support their health. The approach plays a crucial role in improving the health of patients over time as well as preserving their progress in chiropractic care. Supportive care keeps various systems functioning optimally and is essential in posture, digestion, sleep, stress, and pain management.
4. Maintenance Phase
The phase is an indication that patients may return to normal activities with routine inflammation and flare-ups due to everyday stressors. During this time, chiropractors keep a close eye on problematic regions and address them before they become severe. By doing so, the approach enables patients to avoid the return of old health issues and from preventing future health issues from ever happening. Most chiropractors minimize the frequency of the adjustments depending on the patient’s lifestyle, needs, overall health goals, and level of activity. As a result, some patients may feel great for a month after maintenance care, while others feel great for one week before they resume the maintenance care phase.
5. Wellness Phase
Wellness care is the ultimate goal for patients thinking about optimal chiropractic healthcare. At this point, the patient has already mastered a good spinal alignment and maintained an excellent posture. The primary goal of the wellness care phase is to maintain the health of the nervous and spine systems to allow them to perform at maximum potential, aside from maintaining the self-healing capabilities of our bodies. Wellness care allows you to pursue those things you love with minimal limitations while maintaining high energy levels. Chiropractic care is ideal during this phase as it keeps patients healthy through a proactive approach to wellness.
Chiropractic care happens in a particular order for everything to work correctly and stand strong. The above phases enable the patient’s body to repair itself fully to allow patients to have long-term health.
