How to get the most out of your Chiropractic adjustments

We want all our patients to get the most out of every Chiropractic appointment. What you do after your appointment and between visits is just as vital as the adjustments and treatment itself. It’s normal to feel amazing after your adjustment and feel like you are back to your old self. It’s equally as normal to feel tender post-adjustment as the body adapts to the neurological and mechanical imput received from care.

Here are our top tips to get the most out of your Chiropractic Care so that you can stay well between visits.

Go for a walk – After treatment avoid sitting down for long periods of time either at work, in the car or couch. Post-adjustment is the perfect time to go for a gentle walk.

Your spine benefits greatly from movement. Do you know that your spine actually needs movement to heal? This is because when we move, there is an exchange of nutrients in and out of tissues that ensures that good stuff gets in and the bad stuff out. Other great forms of movement include gentle yoga, swimming or pilates but at the end of the day we will actively encourage all patients to do whatever exercise then find pleasure in doing whatever that may be.

Drink Water – Your spinal discs are made up largely of water. When your discs are well hydrated it helps to cushion your spinal joints to ensure a free range of motion. Many factors can lead to your discs becoming dehydrated, this includes day-to-day activities, urine and bowel output and alcohol and smoking. When your discs are dehydrated it can cause dysfunction, inflammation, and pain.

Staying hydrated post-treatment will help the healing process.

Do your at-home Exercises 

After your treatment, our Chiropractor will prescribe you a series of exercises tailored to you and your specific condition.

When you proactively participate in your own healthcare you improve your chances of a successful recovery. Carving out just 10-15 minutes in your day to do your exercises, can make all the difference. This small part of your day will help speed up your recovery, strengthen your muscles, improve mobility and help reduce your pain. If you’re looking for more tips and exercises, Dr Matthew shares helpful at-home care on both our Instagram page and our Youtube Channel 

Sleep 

We spend 1/3 of our lives asleep, so our sleep hygiene and sleep posture are vital to good spinal health. During sleep, our body is able to heal and repair, so it’s important that we give ourselves the best chance at recovery.

A mattress that isn’t too soft and firm enough to be able to support the weight of your body to ensure that your body’s in a comfortable and supported position.

A Chiropractic Pillow is also vital for a good night’s sleep. We LOVE a good pillow and we stock the Complete Sleeper in our Geelong Clinic. The Complete sleeper is memory foam, and fully adjustable to suit the patient’s individual needs. A Chiropractic pillow will also help promote side/back sleeping and support your head and neck to reduce the risk of headaches and neck pain upon waking. You can purchase one HERE 

Change your bad habits 

The last thing you want to do post-adjustment is to slip back into the bad habits that got you here in the first place. Working on your posture at work, on the couch and how you use your phone and laptop can make a huge difference and once again we reiterate the importance of the points listed above.

Stick to the plan 

Your Geelong Chiropractor will create a treatment plan based on your specific needs and diagnosed condition. To ensure that you get the most out of your Chiropractic care, it’s important to stick to the timeline and treatment frequency that has been designed specifically for you. This will ensure that you don’t relapse and ensures that your recovery moves forward. We are passionate about providing the best Chiropractic care to all of our patients.