CORRECTIVE EXERCISES

Chiropractors genuinely want to see their patients succeed and enjoy life as much as possible. Therefore, they aren’t likely to simply perform an adjustment and send you out the door. Chiropractors work to understand the root of your issue so that they can then offer a broad array of treatments to make sure that you get the most from their care. One of these avenues is corrective exercises. These are exercises that your chiropractor will suggest which are based on your unique history, condition, and limitations.

UNDERSTANDING CORRECTIVE EXERCISES
Corrective exercises are not meant to be the sole factor in helping you with a condition but are used to develop a plan designed to be part of a well-rounded chiropractic treatment strategy. While there are many issues that chiropractors can help with, most patients suffer from pain caused by muscle tension in the spine. While your adjustments focus on the proper alignment of the spine, corrective exercises can help to strengthen muscles that are not performing adequately.

When muscles are underdeveloped, other muscles must work to compensate. This overcompensation can lead to joint misalignment and is often linked to an increased number of sprains or strains in an individual. Corrective exercises can help to strengthen the appropriate muscles which decrease the risk of injury.

Chiropractors who utilize corrective exercises will base their instruction on your individualized needs. They can review your goals and current fitness level to tailor a program that is unique to you. They also understand that over time, you may require changes to keep you improving and eventually reach your target.

UNDERSTANDING YOUR TREATMENT PLAN
Corrective exercises aren’t the only part of your overall chiropractic treatment but is the bulk of the work that you will do outside of the office setting. Therefore, you should work with your chiropractor to understand the entire process. Your chiropractor will teach you the proper movements for the exercises while you are in the office and can also send you videos and educational material that you can review at home. With the combination of office demonstration and the ability to evaluate the exercises at your own pace, the chances of success with your treatment program increases. This is truly a win-win for you and your chiropractor.

PROGRESSING IN YOUR PLAN
No one can begin something new and expect to perform at the level of a seasoned professional. Your treatment plan is no different. If you are in extreme pain or facing serious muscle deficiencies, your exercises will be tailored and amended to fit your specific needs and limits. As your muscles strengthen, once difficult exercises should no longer pose a challenge and your chiropractor will review and update your plan. You may perform the same moves, but with added weight, more time, or increased repetitions. You may also be introduced to entirely new moves as your level of fitness increases.

CORRECTIVE EXERCISES VS. PHYSICAL THERAPY
While physical therapy is similar to corrective exercises, physical therapy typically utilizes office visits much more heavily as you may need constant monitoring by a physical therapist during prescribed exercises. Though this can be an effective practice for many individuals, there are some who prefer to work more independently or may not have the time to make additional office visits.

OVERVIEW
If you’ve been injured or are experiencing pain, you should consider scheduling an appointment with a chiropractor today. They have the skill and means to treat your issues with a broad approach that will lead to increased health and mobility in all areas of your life.

If you are a little confused about what chiropractic care actually entails, you are most certainly not alone. Many people are confused about the nature of chiropractic treatment and the somewhat poor reputation associated with chiropractic care.

Let’s find out more about this highly successful form of alternative medicine that offers relief to millions of Americans every year.

WHAT IS CHIROPRACTIC CARE?
Various forms of manipulation have been used therapeutically for centuries. However, it wasn’t until the 1800s that scientific basis for the practice was instituted, and the word ‘chiropractic’, a translated form of the Greek words cheir and praktos, which essentially mean ‘done by hand’, was established.

Chiropractic care refers to the manual manipulation of the body with the purpose of alleviating problems with the musculoskeletal system. The musculoskeletal system is comprised of the bones, muscles, cartilage, tendons, ligaments, joints and other connective tissues that provide shape, support, stability and movement in the body. When there are problems within the musculoskeletal system, it can cause mild, chronic or extreme pain, limited mobility, and difficulty in carrying out our usual day to day tasks.

A chiropractor can treat a variety of spinal conditions and their side effects by manipulating the spine by hand – a process that sounds much more intense and painful than it really is. In fact, spinal manipulation is a precise, swift adjustment that aims to release the pressure on the nerves in your back in order to allow the body to begin to heal itself.

WHAT ISSUES CAN CHIROPRACTIC CARE HELP ADDRESS?
Chiropractic care has been successfully used to treat a wide range of spinal conditions with most problems occurring either in the lower back (lumbar) or neck (cervical spine). Some of the most commonly seen conditions treated by chiropractors include:

Arthritis in the spine
Herniated disc
Pinched nerves
Sciatica
Scoliosis
Spinal stenosis
Whiplash, usually as a result of an automobile accident

DO I HAVE TO TAKE MY CLOTHES OFF FOR A CHIROPRACTIC ADJUSTMENT?
It is a very common misconception that you will be asked to remove your clothes at a chiropractic appointment. A regular chiropractic adjustment is not a massage and while you may be asked to remove a layer of clothing, it is often purely so that your therapist can better see the alignment of your spine. If this is a concern for you, you can ask your practitioner if you can be treated fully clothed at your consultation appointment.

HOW MANY TREATMENTS WILL I NEED?
Every patient is different, as is the amount of time that it takes for them to respond to treatment. Some patients will need just a couple of appointments to achieve adequate relief from their pain, while others with chronic conditions may have ongoing appointments with their chiropractor. It may be possible for your practitioner to give you an estimate of the number of appointments that you may need during your consultation, but these are subject to change depending on the severity of the condition.

DO CHIROPRACTIC ADJUSTMENTS HURT?
Chiropractic care has something of an unfair reputation when it comes to this question, as many people do complain that some of the manipulations are uncomfortable or momentarily painful. Rest assured that the goal of chiropractic care is to reduce your pain, not cause it. It is completely normal to feel stiff and a little sore in the days after your appointment, particularly if it is your first chiropractic session. However, nearly all patients find that they then experience an improvement in their pain levels and mobility within 24 hours of their treatment. You should be substantially less achy after each subsequent appointment as your body starts to heal itself.

Chiropractors have one aim – to help your body to heal itself. In addition to spinal manipulations, many also offer advice on nutrition, exercises and lifestyle changes which will help support the health of your musculoskeletal system and enable you to live life to the fullest.