Ever heard that saying “once you go to a Chiropractor, you always have to go”? Not true. Once you go to the gym, you always have to go? Not true. And that is because adding Chiropractic to your healthy lifestyle, like most other lifestyle changes are all about quality and repetition. There is no magic pill to being healthy but using Chiropractic regularly can be a great addition to your regiment. 

First off, quick history lesson: The first recorded adjustment by DD Palmer was performed on a janitor named Harvey Lillard in 1895. It restored his hearing. Yes, rub your eyes, call me a quack and keep reading. Harvey had an accident one day, felt and heard a pop in his spine and said he could not hear after that. Dr. Palmer adjusted him, and he stated he could hear the racket of the wagons in the street. What? How? Why? The best explanation lies in our latest understanding of neuroscience. Dr. Palmar changed the Central Integrative State and Temporal Coherence of Harvey’s brain. This is the level at which the brain is firing and processing information. In other words he changed the output of his brain function by changing the input with the spinal adjustment by a cascade of neurophysiological events that you can read up more on here: https://hmlfunctionalcare.com/chiropractic-care/ https://hmlfunctionalcare.com/how-family-chiropractors-can-help-your-household/ https://hmlfunctionalcare.com/chiropractor-pediatric-treatment/ 

Now if your goal is to try it out, maybe get sore and not make any long-term changes to your health, 1 and done is great – just like going to the gym or workout class. But if you would like to make long-lasting changes in range of motion, pain reduction, mobility and other benefits to being adjusted than being seen for a 6, 12, 24 or more visit plan is something to consider. Again, checkout the links above for a host of great information on what Chiropractic is all about. 

Lastly, people might say that “one I started going, other things hurt more.” This goes back to doing new therapies can cause soreness and changes in biomechanics and your body will have to get used to it. And with that, when spinal joints subluxate and do not move as much as they should be, the brain will turn sensation down in that part of the body to help mitigate pain. Getting adjusted helps increase proprioception (bodily awareness). That will therefore increase bodily sensation to that area. So  you may go through a period of noticing more aches and pains… This will pass.

Here are some general guidelines to being adjusted:

Get out of pain: 1-12 visits, typically. With this treatment plan it will usually be recommended that you be seen 1-3 or more times per week. Is that for the Doctor to make more money? No. That is to get you feeling better, faster. 

Get out of pain and increase range of motion: After your initial treatment plan to get out of pain which is usually a few times a week. Following that, being seen 1x every week to every 2 months… Not a bad idea… Why? Less muscular tension, less pain, better mobility, better brain function, less stress hormones. Better brain function less stress hormones? Yes! See https://hmlfunctionalcare.com/chiropractic-care/ again for more, or our research page to pull up articles. 

Going to the Chiropractor is like going to the dentist for your teeth. If you go regularly and maintain the health of your teeth, our visits are more for preventative maintenance, not to get out of pain. And that may be why some Chiropractors tell you why it’s a good idea to be in periodically. 

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