Chiropractor treatment stages for preventative care
There are times when care is required due to an acute or ongoing pain from injury or strain. The best approach is to consider a proactive approach to pain or injury. Getting on the other side of it and continuing a treatment plan through the stages of care. Often reactive treatment works, but usually for a time. Setting a proactive treatment plan can actually help prevent flare ups, or even help prevent injury in the future.
The important thing to remember is that everyone is different and the stages of care will depend on each individual's circumstance. Further, the patient gets to choose the stages of care they benefit from based on their own goals for wellness. Also, having a thorough assessment and even x-ray can provide valuable information that Chiropractic Doctors can use to guide you through the treatment plan.
Let’s walk through the five stages to care:
Stage 1 - Relief/crisis care
This is for those that are starting at the beginning and require immediate relief of pain, restricted mobility and/or discomfort. There are several factors that are at play, even at this stage. It’s not only about transforming the issue so it doesn’t feel as severe, other factors are involved in diagnosing and treating the issue, like age, physical condition, overall health and vitality, longevity of the issue itself, previous injuries, etc.
The body is an amazing vehicle and may seem like there’s independent moving parts, but in actuality everything is connected - even from a mental and emotional state perspective and how that affects the physical body. Understanding even what may seem like the most insignificant issue in one area could actually be the key needed to unlock an issue in another.
For this stage, it’s also beneficial to have patience. Some injuries feel sudden but biomechanically, who knows how long something has been off and then the injury itself was the tipping point. It could have taken months or years for a complaint to arise, so we often recommend our patients to have patience moving through the stages of care.
Stage 2 - Corrective care
This stage is when conditions are persistent or more severe, recurring or exist with or without pain. Essentially, the same as stage one, but the pain and discomfort is not as acute. Often, these may require a longer or more complex treatment care plan. So, once you move out of stage one, the next way to move through it is through correcting the structure of the body that was caused by stage one. It helps to restore the normal function of the spine, as well as the entire body’s supporting tissues, muscles and nerves affected by the condition.
Stage 3 - Strengthening and stability care
Once the condition is on a good path to recovery and is normalized, this stage is all about helping the body support itself to help prevent any further discomfort or injury in the future. Chiropractic Doctors help treat the physical body, and they are also a wealth of knowledge in providing at-home exercises and tips to continue the momentum to recovery.
During the first two stages, there may be more time required with the doctor but as the condition or discomfort subsides, these visits can be spaced out more. This is because it’s important to not only do the exercises recommended but to also get the guidance and expertise of the Chiropractic Doctor on performing these properly so further injury or strain is reduced on the body. Combined with on-going visits and at-home care, together this will help prevent conditions from occurring altogether or reduce the frequency of flare-ups in the future.
Stage 4 - Maintenance care
As the momentum keeps going and the condition improves, this stage is about maintaining all the work previously achieved. Chiropractic Doctors are trained to detect if there may be a different condition, often before pain or reduced mobility are noticed by the patient.
Having periodic treatments and spinal-check-ups with chiropractors often helps maintain optimal overall health of the body, from muscles to the skeleton to the nervous system, which is actually housed primarily in the spine and cranium. The nervous system is such an integral part of the body, that ensuring the spine is working optimally will have a ripple effect of benefits elsewhere. Again, each individual is unique such that the schedule that will best suit the goals of wellness and lifestyle for each patient will be as well.
Stage 5 - Wellness care
As mentioned, along the way the Chiropractic Doctor will often provide recommendations of exercises and other healthy living suggestions to help keep patients healthy, strong and supporting their individual wellness goals.
This stage is all about moving beyond the original goals and expanding them, keeping the focus on the continued healthy living style each wishes to achieve, whether that means being able to walk up a flight of stairs or playing with the grandkids or climbing Machu Picchu when you retire.
The best part is that optimal health is in each and every one of our capable hands. Having the support of others, especially highly qualified and trained structural doctors, can boost this approach significantly.
Are you looking for a path to wellness? Book a free consultation here: https://www.myinfinitychiro.com/bookings
Disclaimer: This blog post is not intended to be used as a substitute for professional advice, diagnosis or treatment. The content provided is for informational purposes only. Use of the content provided on this blog post is at your sole discretion.