You wake up one morning with excruciating back pain. There is no way you are able to go to work. What should I do, you ask yourself. And then you remember your co-worker is always telling you to see his chiropractor. You're tired of taking medication like you've done in the past, so you give your friend a call and get an appointment at the chiropractor's office.
An examination is performed and xrays of your lower back are taken. The chiropractor seems very professional and you are genuinely impressed with the examination he performs as well as his concern for your condition. After discussing the findings of your tests, he recommends a series of treatments to help you address the lower back issues you are suffering with. That's where you have a problem. He is recommending 3 visits per week for 6-8 weeks to start. Heck, you only came in for some back pain. What's this all about?
Does this sound familiar to you? I'm sure it does for many patients who enter a chiropractor's office. Let me try to shed some light on this topic...
Treatment recommendations are based on two very important factors. The first is the severity of your condition, and the second, your goals with treatment. Once you understand both of these topics you can make an informed decision for treatment.
For example, if your condition is a very minor one, based on the findings of the diagnostic studies, NOT your interpretation of what is going on, then you will typically be given a very modest treatment recommendation. If however, the examination and xrays show a much more significant spinal issue, then it would make sense for a more rigorous treatment regimen. Examples of this would be extensive spinal arthritis, significant spinal curvature, or traumatic injuries such as those suffered in automobile accidents.
In my office, I always give patients options and take the time to explain exactly what my plan of action is and how it will benefit them. At the end of the day, my job is to inform you of your condition and what it will take to help you reach YOUR goals.... Your job is to tell me how you want me to help you.
Let's use a medical example to help you understand why a chiropractor recommends, what seems to be, overly frequent treatment visits.
Let's say you have an infection of some sort. You visit your MD and the doctor recommends a course of antibiotics to be taken once per day for 14 days. You fill the prescription and off you go. Over the next two weeks, would you agree that you have received 14 treatments? Yet you only visited the doctor's office once. That's because the treatment was taken in pill form at home. Now let's say that you go to a chiropractor for a minor condition. The chiropractor recommends three visits per week for that same two week period of time. Over the two week period you received 6 treatments. Wow, that's a lot less than 14 but it seems like a lot of visits, doesn't it? The difference is that the treatment was performed in the chiropractor's office, not out of a bottle.
When considering the recommendations of a chiropractor, it is important to understand that a chiropractor is not only trained in pain relief but also trained to promote wellness. Anatomically, if you understand that most of the information your brain sends your body travels through the spine you will realize how critically important a properly functioning spinal cord is to your overall health. If you also realize that everyday life puts a tremendous amount of stress on your spine, you will be able to understand why your chiropractor will recommend more frequent treatment if your goal is have the best health possible going forward.
Being in practice for 29 years has afforded me the opportunity to observe all types of patients, a myriad of conditions, and countless different goals set by patients. It would be impossible for anyone, without that experience, to fully understand the tremendous benefits that chiropractic treatment gives patients with many different types of conditions. When visiting your chiropractor don't be afraid to ask the rationale for treatment recommendations. I am sure you will get a detailed answer. Make sure your chiropractor understands your specific treatment goals. In that way you will maximize the benefits your receive from treatment now and in the future.
For more information on how to get the most out of your chiropractic experience visit the link in the resource box below.
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