Why do you need a chiropractor part III
Chiropractic is widely recognized, even in the medical community, as being excellent for relieving musculoskeletal pains. I discussed in a previous blog that the chiropractor looks to lost or impaired function as a cause of symptoms and does not consider the patient to be healed when the symptoms disappear. The chiropractor has three distinct levels of treatment. These levels are pain relief, tissue repair, and rehabilitation.
Today, I want to explore the rehabilitation component of the chiropractic treatment plan. If the tissue that is broken, or that has failed, is not repaired, and brought back to a level of functionality of the rigors of day-to-day life, the symptoms will persist.
The only way to rehabilitate a broken or damaged tissue is to make it function under increasing amounts of stress. This process takes time and because it is such a tedious process is usually ignored by the doctor and the patient. Today’s society has promoted the idea that we can have instant results with a minimal amount of effort on our part. Television and even social media advertisements promote the idea of instant gratification with the consumption of the advertised product. This is a difficult truth for many people, but life simply does not work that way.
In my office, I want to first establish with the patient that the functions and activities they have lost need to be restored. I work with the patient to set goals and time frames for accomplishing those lost or impaired functions. I need the patient to understand that we each have a part to play in this process, and if either of us does not do our best the goal will not be achieved.
When we have a goal and timetable agreed upon, we start the rehabilitative process. This is where specific targeted exercising become the focus of the treatment. In the first two phases of care (pain relief and repair) the broken tissue will have been introduced to passive ranges of motion. This is where the patient does nothing, and the physician moves the affected joints through as many different directions as the joints are normally capable of.
In the rehabilitation component the patient undergoes adding stresses to those movements. When we move any joint in our body there are two major parts of the movement to consider. There is the resistance against that movement (weight) and there is the speed of that movement. My goal is to bring the patient to the level of rehabilitation that the damaged tissues can stand up to the weight resistance encountered in normal activity in a real time speed and do so repeatedly.
This means the patient must be able to, in an example of a housewife doing laundry, be able to lift a fully loaded laundry basket from the floor to waist. She must also be able to carry that basket as well as negotiate stairs while doing so. This means that she and I must work together to exercise the muscles involved in those processes to the level that this can be done in real time and done without fear of re-injury.
I realize that my patients are anxious to get through this process quickly. This is just a product of our society today. I stress to my patients that doing the work at home is every bit, if not more important than it is in the office to make progress.
I like to augment the speed of the recovery process for the patient by offering as many helpful tips and hints as possible as we go through this final stage of care. The number one tip for a speedier and more complete recovery is nutrition. If the body has all the raw materials for repair and enhancement readily available, it will speed these processes. Therefore, I recommend a broad based and large dosed multiple vitamins. I like to use this and then augment specifically needed supplements if the patient requires it. This process makes taking supplements easier and less expensive.
There is an added benefit to taking good multiple vitamins during treatment. As we are all aware from the past two years, underlying conditions will weaken the immune system and make us susceptible to viral and bacterial invaders that can cause serious diseases. Musculoskeletal issues must be considered as underlying conditions and thus can be responsible for depleting your immune system.
I hope that these past few blogs have given you some insight into how chiropractic can benefit you. If you have any questions, please email me at weber407@comcast.net . If you wish, you can click the scheduler link on the home page of my website and schedule your own appointment.
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