Aftercare Tips for Chiropractic Adjustment
After your chiropractor visit, you feel great. You feel wonderful. Your headache has gone away, you have a great neck and back, and all your limbs and joints are loose and flexible. Unfortunately, the amazing feeling that follows a treatment tends to wear off after a couple of days. Try these tips to prolong the effects of your adjustment.
Take it Easy
Even though you might feel that you can do anything after an adjustment, engaging in strenuous activities or exercise could reverse the treatment and slow healing. Weightlifting, replacing the toilet of the guest bathroom or other strenuous activities can cause subluxations or misalignments in the vertebrae. If the vertebrae in your back are not aligned correctly, they can cause stress to soft tissues and nerves, which causes pain, stiffness and reduced range-of-motion. Avoid vigorous exercise for a few days to get the most out of your treatment. It’s best to exercise in a less stressful way, such as walking or swimming.
Do Your Exercises
Exercises and stretches are likely to be part of your chiropractic treatment plan. These will enhance and prolong the benefits of your treatment. Stretches help keep muscles, tissues and joints flexible, while exercises work to strengthen the muscles supporting your joints and bones. It is easy to reduce or prevent joint and muscle pain by performing the stretches and exercising every day. Exercise improves blood circulation, reduces the formation of scar tissue, and can improve stamina and your balance.
Drink Up
Chiropractic adjustments can release toxins which cause inflammation and pain. The toxins are naturally removed from the body once they have been released. Water helps to remove toxins faster, which can prevent pain and stiffness. You’re not sure how much water to drink? Harvard Health Publishing recommends four to six cups per day. However, the amount of water you should drink depends on your activity level, temperature and age.
Concentrate on Your Movements and Posture
After a chiropractic adjustment, it’s not recommended to do any chores that require you to hold your body in a fixed position. This type of activity stresses the muscles which pull on your vertebrae, causing them to move out of alignment. Avoid painful subluxations by paying attention to your posture while you are sitting, standing and walking.
After an adjustment, it is important to move with fluidity and ease. A sudden or jerky movement can lead to joint pain or subluxation, as well as strained or stressed tissue.
Stay Away From That Comfy Chair
It may seem that sitting is the best way to relax after your chiropractic appointment. The longer you sit down, the greater the chance that you will experience pain again. Sitting can cause subluxations in the neck, upper back and shoulders if you do not pay attention to posture.
Sitting can also cause your hips and pelvis muscles to shorten, which causes them to become tight and trigger lower back discomfort. By getting up, walking or stretching for a few moments every so often, you can counteract the negative effects that sitting has on your body. Stretch or walk for 30-60 minutes every day.
Healthy Food to Nurture Your Body
Chiropractic treatments reduce inflammation naturally, which is a major factor in pain. You don’t want to eat anything that will increase inflammation after an adjustment. WebMD says that these foods may cause inflammation.
- Whole Milk
- Cheese
- Butter
- Margarine
- Fried Foods
- Fatty Meats
- Processed Meats such as Hot Dogs Bacon and Lunch Meat
- Sugary Foods and Drinks
- Coffee Creamer
Choose foods that don’t cause inflammation. These include fresh fruits, vegetables, poultry, fish and lean meat. Replace white-flour pasta and bread with whole-grain varieties. Stick to low-fat and high-fiber food. While a birthday cake, sugary soda, or fruit drink can be enjoyed occasionally, eating high-sugar food on a daily basis will increase inflammation.
Regular chiropractic visits, along with following the aftercare instructions, will help you to avoid pain and issues of flexibility. Contact our office today to set up your appointment.
The Wellness Way, a chiropractor in Lake Mary office, is one team with one vision. Championing the importance of health to the world while inspiring hope through health restoration. The Wellness Way is passionate about health freedom because no one but you should be making health care decisions for your family. It’s time to join the health revolution and take an unapologetic approach to health, health restoration, and health freedom.
