PHASES OF CHIROPRACTIC CARE
Similar to the transformation of a caterpillar to a butterfly, the process of recovering from an injury or illness using Chiropractic Care occurs in distinct phases.  In our clinic, the patients that experience the best results are the ones that understand the different stages of care and what we're trying to accomplish with each.  We are not here to keep you coming in three times a week forever.  Quite the contrary, we want you to become healthy and stay that way.  There is nothing more frustrating than a relapse and we want to guide your care through to the point where you are healthy and stable.

 

 

THE ACUTE PHASE

GOAL: Reduce Symptoms as soon as possible!
This stage of treatment is when the patient is having the most symptoms.  In fact, it's the symptoms and their severity that alert the patient to a problem, initially.  Our goal in this stage is to reduce the patients symptoms as quickly as possible.  If your symptoms are severe we will be seeing you with regularity until we get them under control.  This Intensive Care is needed to promote healing as quickly as possible.

THE CORRECTIVE PHASE

GOAL: Stabilize the Condition
This stage of treatment occurs when a person's symptoms are less severe, but their exam findings are still very much abnormal.  This means that the underlying pathology, or reason for your condition, still exists.  We must work with you until your exam findings are more normal or your condition will likely relapse.  Because the symptoms aren't as severe we can see you with slightly less frequency.  While were not in urgent need like we were before, this stage is as important or more important that the Acute Care Phase.

Stability of your spine is achieved by continuing to restore normal motion to problem vertebrae and retraining and stabilizing soft-tissue like ligaments, muscles, and tendons. This is done by repeating Chiropractic Adjustments, using soft-tissue techniques, and perform specific stretches and exercises.  Once your symptoms are better AND your Exam Findings are near-normal you will be progress to what is called "Wellness Care."

WARNING:  If you discontinue care at the exact point your symptoms improve, your exam findings will likely still be abnormal.  This means the underlying cause of your condition still exists and it increases the likelihood of you suffering a relapse.  The joints and soft-tissues (ligaments, muscles, tendons) must be allowed time to heal and return to normal function.

 

THE WELLNESS PHASE

GOAL: Prevent Relapse & Optimize Patient's Health
Research has shown that periodic adjustments are a great way to prevent painful relapses!  A Wellness Adjustment once a month can take care of little problems before they can become big, costly, painful ones.  Not only that, there are many other health benefits to be had from continuing Chiropractic Care.  Once you reach the Wellness Phase your Nervous System will be functioning much better than it was in the Acute Phase of Treatment.  You will likely notice that you have more energy, less fatigue, better strength and endurance, become less likely to get sick, and may have other conditions that spontaneously resolve.  Your body is very capable of managing itself as long as the vital connections to-and-from the brain are healthy.  Periodic Wellness Care is just another part of what you should be doing to maintain your health.

WARNING:  While stabilizing your spine is a necessity it may not last forever.  Accidents, stress, muscle imbalances, repetitive motions, handedness, sleeping in a funny position, sitting for long periods, work, and many other things may cause you to eventually go out of alignment.  If you catch it early, like with a Wellness Adjustment you may never actually develop any symptoms.  Wellness Care can allow you to solve a problem before it gets big and nasty.

 

SAVING MONEY WITH WELLNESS CARE  
A meta-analysis of our Wellness Patients vs. Symptom-only Patients found that Wellness Patients spent on average 1/3 less on Chiropractic in a calendar year!  This was likely due to a few reasons.  All the cost in Chiropractic Treatment occurs in the Acute Phase when intensive care is needed.  People are seen with greater frequency and this results in increased cost. 

Most people in our analysis that did not choose Wellness Care relapsed 2-3 times in year.  That means they were reliving the most painful and expensive part of treatment over and over throughout the year!  If it takes an average person 6-10 visits to eliminate their symptoms using Chiropractic and this occurs 2-3 times a year, you're looking at the expense of 12-30 visits of care vs. the 8-12 of an average Wellness Patient.

Let us not forget the human cost of being miserable, missing work, or not being able to do what you want.  It makes getting a periodic adjustment whether you're in pain or not seem like not such a bad idea.

 

THE BENEFITS OF CHIROPRACTIC WELLNESS
A healthy nervous system is an important part of a healthy body. Our patients often report relief from long standing health issues in this stage of Chiropractic Care. This is thought to be due to the greater communication from the brain and the symptomatic organ or tissue. As connections with the nervous sytem are strengthened and maintained, dysfunctional areas of the body are able to heal more completely and function at their best.

We have several patients come to see us not for pain, but to help with their Asthma, Fatigue, Dizziness, IBS, Gynecological Problems, Stomache, Decreased Immunity, as well as other problems. When the nervous system's health is impacted every organ or tissue in the body has the potential to be affected. Chiropractic Treatment really is road repair for the superhighway of information to and from your brain.