5 Questions to Prepare You for Chiropractic Care
Going to a chiropractor can become a regular routine if you find that it helps with your pain. If you’re thinking about trying out a chiropractor because other avenues of treatment have failed, understanding what happens in the office can help you feel more comfortable for your first appointment. Here are five common questions to ease your anxiety about your first visit.
- What Is Involved in a First Appointment?
Several things will happen in your first visit before you even start chiropractic treatment. First, the chiropractor will take note of your medical and family history. They will also question you about your pain. Next, they will complete several physical exams. Some you may be familiar with, such as checking reflexes, pulse, and blood pressure. Others will be about seeing the range of motion of your joints and the strength of your muscles. A chiropractor will use this information to create a treatment plan specifically for you with the goal of reducing your pain.
- What Is an Adjustment?
Adjustments are the term for the techniques chiropractors use to pop joints back into place and realign the bone. Spinal manipulation is one such technique, where they use thrusting motions to move vertebrae into alignment. For joints that are too stiff, they may slowly rotate them around to work the joint back to full function. What adjustment you receive depends on where your pain lies.
- What Is That Cracking Sound?
During an adjustment, it isn’t unusual to hear a loud cracking or popping noise. This does not cause any pain and is nothing to worry about. It is simply gas bubbles between the joints being released.
- Are There Side Effects to Getting Adjusted?
It is possible to have some adverse side effects following your first few appointments. Initial adjustments may cause toxins to be released from within your joints, which is beneficial to your overall health. However, those toxins can cause flu-like symptoms like nausea, dizziness, and fever. Fortunately, they won’t last as your body becomes familiar with getting adjusted and most of the trapped toxins have been released.
- Is It Safe?
Chiropractic has been tested for years and, while it may have some initial side effects, is very safe. Many people turn to it before trying medicine or surgery because it has few effects and does not require major recovery. You can continue going to a chiropractor for as long as you feel it is necessary. If you’ve got a concern and need to discuss chiropractic issues, contact a chiropractor in your area, like the Lotus Wellness Center, a chiropractic clinic, for more information today.