How to Get the Most Out of Your Chiropractic Visits
By Dr. Tim Fargo, Chiropractor
The answer to this question is predicated on the fact that there is a decided difference between visits to a chiropractor and visits to a traditional medical practitioner. The difference is that we very explicitly are working to mobilize your internal healing processes. We do this through a combination of chiropractic adjustments to the spine and other joints, exercise, and nutritional interventions. All these modalities are designed to promote healing from the inside out, improving the functioning of your nervous system, and all the organs, tissues and cells in you body. Conversely, in a traditional medical office all too often the intervention is either a drug or some type of invasive procedure, like surgery. Put more simply, they tend to work from the outside in. We recognize and work to engage you in your own healing and acknowledge your profound capability for self-healing and regulation. What this means is that when you come to a chiropractor, we will ask you to be a “partner” in the process. This is the foundation for what we do and it sets the stage for answering the question posed in the title of this blog. With that introduction, here are some ideas about what you can do to get the most out of your chiropractic visits:
- Recognize that ultimately the healing is up to you, and we will ask you to actively participate in your care, whether through proper nutrition, sleep, stress management, exercises, or any number of other things. Come prepared to take responsibility and to work in the furtherance of your health goals.
- Arrive for your appointment with a positive expectation of results. The mind is a powerful thing. Another way of putting it is that “thought is boss”. What this means is that you should expect that you will get great results from your care, and in doing so it is more likely that you will.
- Be prepared to communicate fully and honestly with our staff and our doctors about your needs. While we are generally good at determining what you need and want, there may be times when you need to advocate for yourself.
- When you come into the office, it should be a signal for you to begin to relax and to receive the most from your care. Leave some of your cares at the door, turn off your cell phone, take a few deep breaths, and relax.
- Make sure you are well rested. In the face of physical exhaustion, it is difficult for natural healing processes like chiropractic to work as well as they might.
- Be well hydrated and well fed because chemical stressors like dehydration and malnourishment will hamper the healing process.
- Recognize that our skilled doctors will be able to tell where, and with which modalities, we need to intervene. It is not that you should avoid telling us how you are doing, but then just let us do the work that we have studied for decades.
- Enjoy yourself when you are at the clinic. Pet one of the dogs. Have a laugh with one of the staff, or watch a baby get adjusted. You will instantly feel better, and it will help you heal.
This might all seem a bit esoteric, but truly there are many factors involved in healing. At Chiropractic Health and Wellness, we are committed to helping you get better and ask that you do what you can aid in the process. We look forward to seeing a brighter and healthier you.
