• Phases of Care •
What type of Chiropractic Care is best for me?
Most patients start going to a chiropractor to get pain relief for conditions such as neck pain, back pain or headaches.
Once your chiropractor has found the cause of your problems they will give you the option of two distinct treatment approaches to choose from:
- Crisis Care: where the aim is to give short term pain relief only. With this type of care the patient only returns to the chiropractor when the pain comes back.
- Preventative Care: where the aim is to give pain relief, regain full spinal function and strengthen the spine. The long term goal is to slow any degeneration in the spine and minimise problems in the future.
We understand that everyone’s needs are unique and indeed can change over time. That is why we discuss with you these different approaches to care and help you choose which is best for you with your current circumstances. We will support you in whatever type of care you decide is best suited to you.
What are the phases of preventative care?
There are three distinct phases of preventative care
- Initial intensive care
- Corrective Care
- Maintenance Care
What happens in initial intensive care?
In this phase our main aim is to:
- Quickly and effectively reduce pain
- Reduce swelling
- Improve movement
- Reduce muscle spasm
During this phase we ask you to “take it easy”, however staying active is very important. Often some increased rest is important and we will advise you on what you may need to do to speed up your recovery. This may include exercises the use of ice/heat packs or lifestyle changes.
Most patients get some degree of relief almost immediately however some patient do get more of a gradual improvement over days and weeks. The number of times you will see us in this phase is totally dependent upon your specific condition and is different for every patient.
We want you back living your normal life as soon as possible.
What happens in Corrective Care?
The aims of this phase of care is to correct your underlying problems by:
- Correct any underlying injury
- Strengthen the muscles
- Restore full spinal function.
This corrective phase will usually take anywhere from 1 to 3 months. In some chronic cases the rehabilitation phase may even take up to 6 months. It is important to remember that the underlying causes of your symptoms developed over a long time and will take time to correct.
Chiropractic visits in this phase are usually weekly or fortnightly depending on the severity of your injury or condition. Every patient responds differently to their treatment.
You can accelerate your healing process by doing rehabilitative exercises and make postural and lifestyle improvements.
In some cases patients will experience mild flare-ups of their symptoms during this process. This happens because your body has not fully healed and can be prone to aggravation when placed under stress. This is normal.
What happens in Maintenance Care?
The aim of this care is to:
- Maintain good spinal function and health
- Allow you to enjoy a very active lifestyle
- Engage in more of the activities you love.
- Make your joints last longer
- Prevent future injuries
- Avoid the aches and pains that so many people suffer
Clinically we find that many patients report a greater sense of general wellbeing and more energy when they receive regular chiropractic adjustments.
To get the best results you need to continue with an exercise program, maintain a proper diet and have a healthy lifestyle.
This combined with your regular chiropractic care will ensure the health of your musculoskeletal system and give you the ability to enjoy life at its fullest.
Who needs to have Maintenance Care?
There are two very distinct groups of patients that choose to have ongoing maintenance care:
- Patients with a permanent injury or chronic condition that can’t be corrected such as disc injuries or arthritis. For these patients our treatment goals are:
- Keeping pain to a minimum
- Stabilising injured or weakened areas
- Keeping you as active as possible
- Reducing your need for medications
- Minimising exacerbation frequency or duration
- Keeping you employed
- Slow or prevent further degeneration of the spine
- Patients who want to enjoy optimal health now and into the future can include regular chiropractic care as part of their overall healthy lifestyle. For these patients our treatment goals are:
- Maximising health and quality for life
- Highest achievable level of function now and in the future
- Prevent pain and injury
- Patients who have been through their corrective phase of treatment
- who have made the choice to continue care for regular check ups
- ensuring their spinal function stays at its best.
Because every person is unique a personal wellness chiropractic care program will be designed specifically for you. How often you will see us is governed by your age, general health, your lifestyle and any pre-existing conditions.
If you are suffering from low back pain, stiffness or sciatica we recommend you get in touch with our team of professional chiropractors to see if chiropractic can help you. Don’t forget to look at all the exercises that we have on our website.