A Modern Misconception

A new client in our office expressed his relief when I shared his recommended treatment plan.  I simply told him I expected a full recovery and that he should expect these results in the next few weeks.  He breathed a sigh of relief and said that he’d been very worried as he’d always heard that chiropractors try to keep you coming back in forever.  Personally, I don’t believe this is a reality any more than it is that dentists are scheming to keep people on the books by recommending they get there teeth checked and cleaned.

The misunderstanding lies in the belief that chiropractic is about relieving pain and symptoms.  The reality is that chiropractic or any other qualified practice of health and wellness is about reducing the stresses on the body that are causing pain and symptoms in the first place.  Done properly, chiropractic always works to reduce stress from the spine and the nervous system that serves to coordinate all body function including how effectively the body heals.  More often than not, reducing this stress will result in relief of pain and symptoms as well as an improved state of health.  The problem is that stresses that cause the body to move away from balance or homeostasis are the result of lifestyle habits and choices – specifically the accumulation of physical, chemical, and emotional stresses.  We cannot escape this.  What we eat, drink, and breathe, and how we exercise, sleep, and think are the determining factors of health over disease.

So why do people get “hooked” or feel the need to continue their visits to the chiropractor?  I can think of only two reasons.  First, just like with the dentist, it makes sense to them to get a check-up to insure proper spinal and nerve function so that they may avoid problems in the future.  And secondly, people return for relief of aches and pains that are the direct result of improper lifestyle choices and habits.  This could be diet, this could be emotional stress, and it could be a general lack of exercise.  Most often, it’s all of the above.  Unless you identify and address the source of the stress on the body causing you to become “out of tune,” symptoms will continue to return and you will never maintain a state of homeostasis or wellness.