3 Phases of Chiropractic Care

Chiropractic care is like building a house - certain things have to happen in a particular order for everything to stand strong and work correctly.  When building a house, if you try to put up the walls before you have a solid foundation, your walls will be weak and eventually collapse.  If you try to put on the roof before the walls are ready, you will run into the same problem.  

 

The same is true for your body.  Your body has to go through a particular plan of care in order to repair itself correctly and fully.  

 

These are the 3 phases of chiropractic care:

​

1.  Relief Care

Relief care is what we focus on when someone comes into our office in pain.  The priority is to get you feeling better as quickly as possible.  

 

Adjustments are given to restore movement to stiff and inflamed joints which gives relief to nerves and muscles.  

 

Since acute and chronic conditions can cause the spine to be unstable, more frequent adjustments are needed in the beginning phase in order to train the spine back to it's natural state.  

 

No two people are exactly alike, however it's typical to need care 2-3 times per week for 4-6 weeks.

​

2.  Corrective Care

Now that your pain and symptoms are decreased or gone, it is time to focus on correcting, strengthening, and re-educating your spine.  Muscles and ligaments can now properly heal which prevents injury. 

​

Adjustments are now aimed at addressing the underlying root cause of your problem.  Specific exercises are recommended to help improve posture and strength, as well as health suggestions to reduce the stresses that are contributing to your original problem.

 

Visits are less frequent but are still very important in order to maintain the progress made in phase 1.  Stopping care at this phase usually results in a relapse.

 

The average frequency of visits is 1-2 times per week over 2-3 months.

​

3.  Wellness Care

Once your body has fully healed, you will graduate to this phase where the target is to prevent pain and injuries.

​

Adjustments are similar to a monthly tune-up of your car, or a regular visit to your dentist.

​

Visits can range from 1-4 times per month, depending on your lifestyle, stressors, and wellness goals.