Laying the Foundation for Total Health
Chiropractic and Acupuncture care are like building a house - certain things have to happen in a particular order in order for everything to stand strong and work correctly. When building a house, if you tried to put up your walls before you had a solid foundation, your walls would be weak and eventually collapse. If you tried to put on your roof before the walls were ready, you would 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. There are three general phases of chiropractic care:
Phase 1: Relief Care
If you are in pain when you come into our office, the first objective is to help you feel better. Depending on the severity of your problem, it is typical to need care two to three times per week for four to 12 weeks.
Phase 2: Corrective/Restorative Care
During the corrective care phase, muscles and other tissues are allowed to heal more completely, thereby helping prevent injury. It is typical to need care four to eight times per month for six to 24 months, depending on your overall health and the severity of your problem.
Phase 3: Wellness Care
Once your body has fully healed, it is important to come in for periodic adjustments to avoid problems in the future. Usually, this only requires a quick visit to the chiropractor one to four times per month, based on your lifestyle and goals.
Initial Acupuncture Visit
Expected Time: About 60-90 minutes The clinician will review all paperwork and discuss your current concerns and medical history. After the initial exam, the clinician will explain your diagnosis from both Western and Eastern perspectives, the procedures appropriate for your condition, and expected prognosis.
Typical Treatment Plan: You will receive acupuncture to address your primary concerns and additional modalities such as cupping and herbal remedies may be prescribed as needed.
- Acupuncture is the insertion of hair-thin needles into certain points in the body that activates neurochemical and immune responses in the body to support your body’s innate ability to heal.
- Cupping involves glass cups with negative pressure that are placed on the body, creating a suction to relax the muscles and soft tissues and increase circulation to the local area.
- Herbal Remedies are powerful, all-natural herbal formulas prescribed to support your body function specific to your current condition whether it’s increasing metabolism for energy, providing digestive enzymes for healthy GI function, or fighting off mild and/or recurrent infections.
Follow-Up Visits Expected Time: About 30-60 minutes Acupuncture and Eastern medicine works to naturally support your innate healing ability. It reconditions your body to perform optimally and requires follow-up visits to maintain progress.
Expected Number of Treatments: Typically acupuncture treatments are given once a week. If the condition is acute and painful, or is a long-standing illness, treatments may be given 2-3 times per week to manage it. Once significant progress has been made, treatment frequency can be tapered off to maintenance visits. The healing process is not always linear and may be affected by various factors including your condition, basic level of health, stress, etc. It is important to stay on course with the treatment plan recommended by your clinician to obtain long-term results.
Post-Treatment Aftercare While most people notice a marked improvement in their symptoms following acupuncture, some feel worse before they start feeling better. You may feel sore or achy in the areas you were treated lasting up to several days. Minor bruising is not uncommon. You may feel tired or fatigued after the treatment, this means your body is healing and is a good sign, allow yourself to rest.
Tips:
- DO rest and allow yourself to relax afterwards
- DO hydrate and drink plenty of water
- AVOID strenuous exercises or sexual activity immediately following treatment