Chiropractic work is extremely useful during all stages of life, for all different kinds of people. Being human means experiencing pain every once in a while. Chiropractors handle a great variety of pain, so they are able to help almost everyone. If you are having pain in your body that will not cease, it may be a good idea to visit a chiropractor to get you back on your feet. However, unlike the beliefs of many people, it takes more than a few doctor’s visits to truly heal your body. When you step into the chiropractor’s office, be prepared to hear a list of lifestyle change suggestions to speed up your recovery. Here are a few things your chiropractor might recommend to decrease your pain and increase your quality of life:
1. Eat to nourish your body. Avoid the foods that do not.
Nobody really likes this change. It is hard to watch what you eat, but it is necessary in order to better your overall health. Being careful about the foods you consume can rapidly decrease your bodily pain. How is this possible? Foods like sugar, gluten, alcohol, etc can cause inflammation in your body, which turns into pain if not addressed. You may also be experiencing pain in your joints from being overweight and, of course, watching what you eat can fix that problem. Diet is a big part of our overall health.
2. Be as active as you can be in the midst of your treatment (and otherwise).
When it comes to body movement, people say you either use it or you lose it. If you are not moving your body every day, it will become stiff and harder to move in the future. Exercising will also strengthen your muscles, giving your bone structure a better support system. Over time, this will lead to less and less pain in your body because it will be functioning the way it was designed to function. Regular exercise takes a lot of work, but it is worth it in the long run.
3. Do not depend solely on the chiropractor for recovery.
Most reliable chiropractors want you to recover as quickly as possible, so they will likely give you some exercises and stretches to do when you are at home, as well as some specific things to avoid. It is important that you follow their instructions carefully in order to maximize your time in their office. If you see a chiropractor once a week but do not take care of yourself for the rest of the week, you will probably not see any progress. Take their advice seriously and realize that taking care of yourself is a full-time job.
Be prepared to hear some of these lifestyle change suggestions when you meet with your potential chiropractor, but more importantly, be prepared to actually practice these changes if you are invested in your healing. Do not waste your time at the chiropractor if you are not going to take care of yourself outside of the office.
