7 Tips to Make the Most of Your First Chiropractic Adjustment.
So you have just had your first Chiropractic adjustment, you are feeling great and you want to stay that way. Here are seven tips to help you make the most of your first Chiropractic adjustment. Remember that these are general tips; always follow the guidance or suggestions of your Chiropractor.
1. Avoid self-clicking after your first Chiropractic adjustment.
If you have the bad habit of clicking your own back or neck, try your hardest to avoid it. You will want to give your spine time to settle in the new adjusted position. Click here to read more about self-clicking.
2. Avoid strenuous activity.
We recommend that you avoid any heavy or strenuous activity for at least a few hours after your first adjustment. In some cases you may need to avoid it for a few days to weeks depending on your condition.
3. Continue with whatever is helping.
In general, if you find something helps to ease the pain, do more of that. If you find a certain position/movement or activity aggravates the pain then try to avoid it
4. Stay active / Keep moving.
In general, its best to try stay active after an adjustment. Go for a short light walk or do some stretches. Avoid sitting for long periods, especially avoid sitting in a slouched or awkward position.
5. Use an ice pack.
If you are feeling stiff and sore after your adjustment, we recommend using an ice pack on the area. This helps promote pain relief and is also a natural anti-inflammatory
6. Stay hydrated.
It is a good idea to drink lots of water after your Chiropractic adjustments. Your discs are constructed largely of water, and they are prone to dehydration and wearing out. This can often lead to pain. Increasing your water intake helps to keep the discs hydrated
7. Sleeping habits.
Make sure that your mattress is firm and not sagging. Ideally replace old or worn out mattresses. Avoid sleeping on your stomach, as this twists the spine. Your pillow height should support your head so your spine is in a straight line when lying on your side. Speak to us if you need help with a new mattress or pillow.
What to expect after your first Chiropractic adjustment.
Many of our patients are quite surprised by how gentle their first adjustments are. The bigger surprise comes when they realise just how effective the adjustments can be. I have had patients report feeling 100% better after their first Chiropractic adjustment, however this is not always the case.
In my experience, I have seen many patients that required a few visits before they started to feel an improvement. Some may have even felt a little sore or achey after their first few adjustments. Remember that everyone is different and individual responses may vary. Sometimes we are dealing with problems that have been building up for many years. There may be degenerative changes, poor posture and many other complex issues involved.
The most important thing to remember is that healing and structural correction takes time. Hopefully your Chiropractor has managed to find the cause of your problem, and has developed an appropriate plan to help you fix it.
If you are looking for a Durban Chiropractor who takes a thorough, structural approach to finding the cause of your problems, then give Align Corrective Chiropractic a call on 031 562 9180.
