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How will I feel after chiropractic treatment?
The most common thing that people say after a chiropractic session is that they feel “lighter”, “looser”, or in less pain. Sometimes they notice this after just one session, sometimes it takes a few. This is a good indication that the treatment is working. More chronic problems usually take longer to respond because the restriction has built up over years and the body has adapted, and shorter-term problems tend to respond more quickly.
How people feel after their first adjustment varies greatly though. Some people feel energetic, but more commonly people feel more relaxed, especially if they have had a tense neck problem. Quite a lot of people feel sleepy afterwards and there are a couple of reasons for this—sometimes it is simply that they are feeling more relaxed, but in other cases it is because the muscles are relaxing and releasing built up toxins (like lactic acid) and they may feel drowsy until the liver removes the toxins.
A lot of people feel a greater sense of well-being after chiropractic care. This may take a few visits to notice but can be rather profound in some patients. Some of it can be explained by people having less pain, stiffness, inflammation, and muscle tightness, but most chiropractors believe it is more than this. Chiropractic was originally developed as a system to take pressure off the nerves in the spine that transfer information between the brain and the body. The theory is that with less irritation to the whole central nervous system we become healthier and function better. It is very difficult to prove or disprove this theory but after seeing what I have seen in the last 30 years of practice, I personally believe this is true.
«Does chiropractic hurt?»
Chiropractic, when done well, should never hurt. An adjustment can feel a little uncomfortable, but people usually describe it as pressure rather than discomfort. Some people are more sensitive than others, so the first session is especially gentle to see how the patient feels. My specialty is gentle, comfortable chiropractic care. I have learnt over 3 decades of work that very little pressure is required to achieve great results. Here’s a link to what happens in the first visit in my office.
«Is it normal to feel more pain after chiropractic?»
No. Most people will either feel no obvious difference (because it takes a while for the body to start to adapt and change) or they feel better. The exception is people with a very inflamed spine. If the spine is inflamed, moving the joints can cause a bit of delayed onset pain. It is for this reason the first session is very gentle and the spine is examined thoroughly before any treatment begins. In some cases, I will tell the patient that they need to go home and ice a section of the spine for a week to reduce the inflammation so that we can start treatment without any side effects.
What research says about chiropractic.
