How much treatment will I need?

The short answer is – it depends. But let’s try and give you an idea.

It’s worth first outlining that chiropractic care is about helping YOU be at your BEST, by keeping your body functioning to the best of its ability. Like any form of healthcare, we want to provide you with help and advice that benefits you in this way for your lifetime, not just providing a temporary sticking-plaster for a few weeks or months.

You only get one spine, so you must look after it!

Initially, we find most people visit us when they are suffering with pain and discomfort. So, let’s start with an example…

In simple cases, mechanical back pain can initially ease within 6-8 treatments, or as we call them chiropractic adjustments, and within 6 weeks (also with the right guidance and advice).

What we need to consider are factors in your health and lifestyle that can make this formula a little less simple and therefore mean you need a little more treatment and time.

These can be factors from your past, in your present, and into your future.

Factors from your past such as-

• A long history of the same problem, or previous episodes.
• A long history of sitting or repetitive bending (in your occupation for example).
• Your general level of activity through your life.
• Certain long-term medications.
• Previous operations.

Factors in your present such as-

• How long you’ve had the problem.
• The severity of it.
• The cause of your problem (your diagnosis) – different parts of your body heal and recover at different rates.
• Posture.
• The health of other parts of your body, knees hips etc.
• Any current contributing health conditions.
• Current lifestyle factors (ongoing desk work, or repetitive bending).
• How well you sleep, eat, and generally fuel your body.

These are some of the reasons why the amount of help or time it takes your body to respond to treatment can be a little more than our simple example.

Beyond initial pain relief, we must consider what you want to achieve in your life. Are you happy simply being able to do jobs around the house, and going on short walks, or do you expect to be lifting heavy weights and running marathons? You may require more help and guidance to achieve the latter! Again, your journey also depends on your health to begin with (your starting point).

In terms of your future-
There are factors that are consistent into our future that create recurring problems if left untreated.

Are you are looking for a long-term solution? Do you have long-term health goals? If we are faced with ongoing factors in your future, we recommend ongoing chiropractic care on a maintenance basis, to prevent recurring pain and keep you moving at your best.

Potential factors that can affect you in the future include-

Continuing long periods of sitting, or repetitive bending. Degenerative changes (osteoarthritis). Previous recurring episodes of the same issue. Previous surgery. Poor posture. Relevant underlying health issues.

Much in the same way we take ongoing medication for other chronic health issues, if we can’t remove the cause then we must apply the treatment on an ongoing basis.

A simple way to think about the health of your body and chiropractic care is the analogy of straws on a camel’s back…



Our issues often take a long time to build up, and it’s only by adding the final few straws that we start to feel that something is wrong (pain). Every chiropractic adjustment takes straws away and helps you towards better health. It can be reassuring to know that removing only a few straws can help us feel some relief. But worth remembering there is still work to be done and progress to be made to be at your best and further from trouble!

To make your journey clear, at CW Chiropractic we break it down into 3 stages-

Stage 1- Symptom Relief (Pain relief)
Stage 2- Strengthening and Healing
Stage 3- Maintenance and Wellness

These stages are a guide, based on what most people experience through chiropractic care, most of the time. We are all different, and I hope this article demonstrates the number of different factors we consider when coming up with your individual treatment plan. It is why we take the time to assess you at the initial consultation and produce an individual report explaining what your options are and what we then recommend.

Remember…
Chiropractors are primary care healthcare providers. This means we can diagnose and refer you to the relevant healthcare expert, or for relevant testing, if you have an issue that we feel is best dealt with externally.

So, please don’t hesitate to chat to us today and find out how we can help you.