How to get the best results when starting chiropractic care
Question:
“So I have just started my chiropractic journey and want to get the best results from my care. What can I do as a patient to enhance my success in achieving the best response?”
Answer:
There are plenty of things you can do to improve your response to chiropractic care.
At Aim 4 Health our doctors review each patient individually to provide recommendations to improve your outcomes from care. When initiating treatment, it is best to follow these as they have been based on your examination findings, diagnosis and treatment plan.
When we asked our chiropractors, “What can patients do to get the best results from their chiropractic care?”, they recommended these useful tips for patients starting their chiropractic journey:
- Identify and correct bad habits
A lot of our health problems are caused by our bad habits and behaviors. Examples include slouching, standing on one leg, not brushing our teeth, staying up late, eating poorly or not drinking enough water. There are too many to name, yet it is best practice to replace these habits with good ones.
- Get your ergonomics right
Whether it’s your environment at work, home or school, get your ergonomic space correctly aligned with your body. Whether you’re seated or standing, try to maintain a healthy spinal alignment to support your chiropractic adjustments. You can learn how to set up your ergonomic environment by speaking with your chiropractor.
- Use ice or heat
Depending on the type of injury you have experienced, you may benefit from using ice or heat. Acute traumatic injuries cause rapid swelling and involves a 72-hour process. At the time of injury ice application is recommended for 10 minutes to the area of concern and follow RICE (Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation). For non-acute traumatic injuries, try heat to increase blood flow and assist muscle relaxation. To provide hot and cold therapy, useful techniques include hot or cold packs, wheat or ice bags and hot or cold immersion.
- Start stretching areas of tension to improve your flexibility
Most musculoskeletal problems are associated with muscle tension around the area of stress or injury. Stretch tight areas of concern to help improve your mobility and functional movement. These changes can take time so stay positive, have a routine, be consistent and make those little gains turn into big ones.
- Drink more water
Dehydration causes significant stress to your body. Nutritionists recommend drinking half of your body weight in liters per day divided by 10. An example calculation is if your total body weight was 70kg, half that is 35kg and divided by 10 is 3.5. Based on this calculation the magic number to drink is 3.5 liters of water per day. If you sweat a lot or your body is under high levels of physical demand, replenish your electrolyte count by adding to your water intake.
- Use foam rollers or massage balls
Speed up your results with the use of foam rollers and massage balls. While this can be either a pleasurable or painful experience, self-massaging over fascial tissue, muscular trigger points or any areas of tension will assist with your recovery and maintaining your results.
- Invest in a good bed and pillow
Did you know you spend a third of your lifetime sleeping in bed? Make sure you’re spending this time on the right equipment to support your chiropractic adjustments and spinal health. We advise to try before you buy when shopping for a mattress or pillow. While there are many online companies, do your research and physically test different beds to establish the texture that feels best to you. Retailers suggest the average life of a mattress is 7-10 years and for a pillow is 1-2 years. There is no absolute rule yet if your mattress is sagging, has lost its spring, makes you roll to the centre or you’re simply not getting a comfortable sleep, maybe it’s time to review your bedroom environment.
- Wear the correct shoes that suit your foot type
Do you know your foot type? Each individual has their own foot shape which requires certain footwear to support their anatomical structure and daily physical needs. Being an upright animal species, it is very important to get this right. Uncorrected problems in your feet may cause major complications to the rest of your body.
- Take nutritional supplements
Is your body getting all of the correct nutrients and vitamins it needs to function well? The supplement market is abundant in different products that may be suitable to assist your response to chiropractic care and other health issues. Do you know what supplements could help you? Book an appointment with one of our chiropractors to discuss what would be most appropriate to your needs. Patient favourites include Magnesium, Zinc, Probiotics and Omega 3s.
- Breathe with your diaphragm
You would be surprised by the number of people who don’t know how to breathe properly. Poor posture, shallow breathing or simply using the wrong muscles reduces the effectiveness of your breathing and causes stress to the body. When at rest you should breathe with your diaphragm. To achieve diaphragmatic breathing, while inhaling breath in through your nose allow your belly to expand away from your spine. Keep your upper body relaxed and breath out slowly through your nose and mouth with your belly deflating towards your spine. Having good posture and a healthy spinal alignment will help with this process.
- Stick to your Chiropractic Care Plan
Each patient will have their own Chiropractic Care Plan designed by their treating chiropractor. This plan is based on your intentions for seeking care, the history you have given them, your examination findings and the chiropractor’s diagnosis. It will inform you of their recommendations and your frequency of care to achieve the goals and expectations they have set for you. The most effective way to accomplish this is to stick to your care plan, show up to all of your appointments, follow their guidance and do complete your exercises when given.
- Stay active
We all need to move and we all need to move often. Whether its self-exercise, team sport, family outings, walking the dog, stretching or taking microbreaks, make movement a part of your daily routine. Being active improves your circulation, blood pressure, bone and muscle health, sleep, stress levels, mood, fitness and strength.
- Sleep helps the body recover
Getting enough sleep is an essential for the body to function. Poor quality or simply not enough can cause fatigue, decreased immune function, poor concentration, altered hormone function, increased incidence of injury, delayed healing and recovery times and overall poor performance. There may be many factors contributing to insufficient sleep but try your best to get good quality rest when you can.
We hope these tips have helped yet the best way to start this journey and get the best response is to book an appointment with one of our chiropractors today.