Range of motion

A common question I get from patients is why should I go to a chiropractor when I have no pain or symptoms? Or in other words why should I get adjusted all the time? So the question really is what are the benefits of chiropractic care BESIDES pain relief.

If we are talking about an injury, the false assumption is that the injury is healed once the pain is gone. That doesn’t make any sense. Think about a broken bone. A fracture hurts like crazy for a few days and then it gets placed in a cast and it doesn’t hurt, but it still takes several weeks to heal. That is also true for soft tissue/joint injuries. Consider a sprained ankle. Hurts like crazy and then it may never heal properly, but again it doesn’t hurt. DC’s are “rehabing” injuries to restore proper function versus just pain relief.

Chiropractors want to maintain and maximize your health, NOT wait until you are SO sick, ill or injured that it becomes difficult, if not impossible to regain your health. Just think of working out, dental care or car tune-ups, we all know we shouldn’t wait until we’re 20lbs overweight, until our teeth fall out or until our engine seizes. The answer to health is to be proactive, not reactive. Chiropractic works the same way.

So how can I tell if I am getting any benefit if I don’t have any pain?
Fair enough. So let’s take a look at what kind of changes most patients experience or can expect with CONSISTENT & REGULAR chiropractic care. Results will vary based on the starting point of an individual’s health. With that said here are some things we CAN measure.

Check these after each adjustment, weekly or monthly.

 Pain level (decreased pain & reoccurrence of pain)
 Range of motion of your neck, rib cage and low back. (you should notice better, pain free motion)
 Posture (use your camera/phone to take a pre & post picture)
 Breathing (use your camera/phone to take a pre & post video)
 Blood pressure (check after each visit and long term)
 Sleep patterns (length of time you sleep & more restful)
 Stress level drops
 Diet, exercise & weight changes (changing your awareness of  health often motivates patients to make healthier choices)
 Fewer colds (as your immune system functions better, you should get sick less often)
 Fewer headaches
 Decrease need for pharmaceutical drugs
 Possibly avoid surgery
 Increased energy level
 Overall just feel better!

So if you are interested in all of these health benefits chiropractic care is an excellent choice.

If you have more questions about this topic and how chiropractic care can keep you healthy, talk to Dr. Lance Casazza.