 Laying The Foundation
Chiropractic care is like building a house – certain things have to happen in a particular order in order for everything to stand strong and work correctly. When building a house, if you tried to put up your walls before you had a solid foundation, your walls would be weak and eventually collapse. If you tried to put on your roof before the walls were ready, you would run into the same problem. The same is true for your body. Your body has to go through a particular plan of care in order to repair itself correctly and fully.
There are four general phases of chiropractic care . . .
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 Phase 1: Relief Care
The primary goal of Relief Care is to relieve your symptoms. Just as an Orthodontist applies braces to correct misaligned teeth, the Chiropractor applies gentle, hands-on adjustments to correct a subluxation.
An Orthodontist must tighten braces on a weekly basis when they are first applied to straighten teeth. The component of time is also important in Chiropractic care to correct your spine. A Chiropractor does not use braces, but applies hands-on adjustments to reposition the vertebra. During this phase of care, your visits are spaced 24 to 72 hours apart until your correction begins to take hold.
Relief care includes the application of spinal adjustments and supportive physiotherapy. Periodic check-ups will be performed to measure your progress and you will be taught a home exercise program.
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 Phase 2: Corrective Care
The goal of Corrective care is to complete the correction begun in your Relief phase of care. As your correction begins to take hold, the time between your visits can be increased. Discontinuing care during the corrective phase of care would be like the orthodontist removing braces when the correction is half way completed. The teeth would return to their original position. Corrective visits are spaced three days apart.
Corrective care includes the application of spinal adjustments and the instruction of new exercises to supplement your home exercise program. Periodic check-ups will be performed to monitor your progress.
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 Phase 3: Stabilization Care
The goal of Stabilization care is to stabilize the muscles and ligaments that support your spine to decrease the likelihood that your original problem will return. In addition to spinal adjustments, a program of stabilization exercises will be taught. A comparative X-ray study will be performed to measure progress. Stabilization visits are spaced 1-2 weeks apart.
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 Phase 4: Wellness Care
The goal of Wellness care is to promote the optimum function of your nervous system and immune system. Periodic check-ups and spinal adjustments are performed. This phase of care can be thought of as going to the Dentist for periodic check-ups to maintain the health of the teeth or wearing a retainer to maintain the corrections made by the Orthodontist. Wellness care is vital to avoid future spinal degeneration and to help you reach your highest level of health and vitality!
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