My First Chiropractic Treatment | Adding Chiropractic Care to Your Self-Care Routine
Hi Curl Friends! It’s been a few weeks since I wrote a blog. I’m sorry! Balancing motherhood, wife duties, sports schedules, entrepreneurship, and applying for high schools got the best of me. Okay, enough with the apologies, let's get to today’s blog.
If you’ve been engaging with me on Instagram, you know that I started a self-care challenge for the month of November. I started this challenge as a way to kick-start my fitness goals and establish healthy habits post Achilles surgery seven months ago. Recovering from an Achilles rupture was the most physically and mentally challenging obstacle for me in 2019. To help kick-start my month, I purchased an online fitness program app called, Curvy & Cut, by Anowa Adjah. On top of the fitness app, I continued with physical therapy and started seeing a chiropractor.
Since my surgery I’ve been experiencing new pain in my lower back and hips as well as overall poor balance. My physical therapist, Dr. Joshua Horne, Capitol Rehab of Crofton, recommended I try out chiropractic (chiro) treatment. At first I was hesitant because I thought chiro would hurt and quite honestly, I did not believe I would see improvements in pain. However, after explaining the great benefits of chiro treatment, I said yes. I must say that much of my hip and lower back pain has subsided after five weeks of services (two times per week). I also feel much more relaxed physically like tension has been released from my body. I don’t know if my pain reduction is solely due to chiro or if its a combination of exercise and healthy eating.
I received tons of questions after sharing one of appointments in my Instagram story. I love to answer all of your questions and provide you with detailed information for empowering you to live your best life physically, mentally, and emotionally. Since starting chiropractic treatment, I’ve learned that I like it and am now incorporating these services into my self-care routine. Self-care is so important for overall health, so I’ve collaborated with Dr. Horne to put together a summary explaining chiropractic treatment and why you may want to try. Comment to let me know if you’ve tried or will like to try chiropractic treatment.
What Does a Chiropractor Do?
A chiropractor uses spinal adjustments and manipulations to other parts of the body to realign the bones and joints so as to reduce pain, restore range of motion and improve flexibility, balance and coordination (US News, 2015). Chiropractors believe that spinal health is imperative to overall health. I learned that Chiropractors are trained to find the root of pain within the body starting with the spine. Doctors of chiropractic believe in a holistic approach to maintaining health versus treating disease.
Chiropractors can help correct muscle imbalances, help you understand the impact of poor posture and how to correct it, and help you to find an exercise routine that can work for you. Chiropractors do not prescribe medication, they treat more than the back and neck, and they focus on prevention. Chiropractors are also physical therapists so we incorporate exercises to stabilize joints such as the hips in order to help protect the problematic areas.
Why Is Spinal Health So Important?
Spinal health is imperative in overall health. The body functions best when it is aligned. The spine is the home for the nervous system. If the spine and other joints are not properly aligned pain signals aren’t able to send from the brain to different parts of the body.
What are the Benefits?
Chiro treatment focuses on prevention and natural healing property. The benefits of chiro are:
Stress relief
Postural improvement
Better sleep
Improved immune function
Mood elevation
Pain relief
Improved strength
Pregnant women are great candidates for chiro. When pregnant the spine and pelvis goes into an anterior pelvic shift, or curved lower back. This puts a lot of pressure on the lower back in order to carry the load of the baby in the front; chiropractors work to alleviate that pressure.
How Will It Feel?
I’m happy to report that chiropractic treatment does not hurt! I was really surprised because I thought for sure the alignment would be painful, but it wasn’t. Instead, you will hear the pop and feel an immediate sense of relief. Some patients report having a little soreness the day after, but no pain. For me, the sound is worse than the actual adjustment. After a few visits the sound will not bother you.
Finding a Chiropractor
If you live in the DC, Maryland, or Virginia area (DMV), I recommend visiting the office I receive treatment at Capitol Rehab of Crofton. If you’re outside the DMV area, you can receive a referral from your primary care physician. It’s important to know that you do not need a health care professional’s referral to see a chiropractor; however, if you are using health insurance, you should research your plan options to ensure your coverage and costs options.