Should I expect pain relief in the first few treatments?

Not yet feeling 100% and worried that pain relief isn’t happening fast enough? These are natural thoughts when you begin treatment − after all, aches, spasms, and stiffness are not nice and can stop us from enjoying life.

The human body takes time to heal. Think about a broken leg; a plaster cast is usually worn for around six weeks and can take another month for the bone to harden. Then, the fracture keeps remodeling itself over months, even years. The person who broke their leg doesn’t feel these changes.

The ligaments, joints, muscles and nerves also require time to heal. Plus, different parts of the body repair at different speeds. Muscles have a great blood supply so they recover quickly from injury. Ligaments, like those in the spine, have a poor blood supply so are slower to heal, and cartilage, which lines the joints, takes even longer. So, different tissues can cause pain, even while they’re getting better.

"Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance you must keep moving"
Albert Einstein 

Many problems also appear over time. This is often the case with our spines; wear and tear can exist for years before it hurts. Poor posture develops slowly − if you have rounded shoulders, try going one day without hunching. It’s hard, right? Your body has adapted to this and it takes time to resolve.

There are other factors that slow healing, too. These include: being older, illness, stress, obesity, drinking alcohol, smoking tobacco, and having a poor diet. There is nothing you can do to lower your age, but lifestyle improvements can be made. The right steps will help you recover faster.

Chiropractic care is like increasing your fitness, you need enough sessions, good advice, and to take the right steps at home. Pain relief may or may not happen in the first few treatments, but either way it’s not the best sign of progress.


Picture from Pinterest