I often hear of people being skeptical of seeing a chiropractor because they have heard that once you start, you have to continue. As a chiropractor, my job is to find dysfunction within your system (nervous and musculoskeletal) and treat in a way that allows your body to obtain normal function. These dysfunctions are caused by stress. This stress can be physical, chemical or emotional. Regardless of the stress you are faced with, your nervous system will respond.
For example, a person hears some bad news and then feels nauseous. The emotional stress leads to a change in the chemical and nervous system’s actions on the gut. Someone carries their purse on their right side for years. The physical impact results in right shoulder pain and tension headaches. This is a physical stress could result in muscle tension, strains and reduced joint mobility.
Everyone is exposed to different stressors every day. Even if you avoided stress throughout your day, gravity would have a physical impact on your body. With the right tools, your body can manage these stressors well. When they become overwhelming, the body will send signals saying, “Hey, take care of me!”. When these go on for a long time, pain, illness and degradation are the result.
Chiropractic is rarely a onetime fix. Say you decided you want to become healthier. You modify your diet and begin an exercise regime. Would you do this for a month or a year and then be done? If you went to see a massage therapist would you expect the result to last you the rest of your life? Chiropractic, like eating well, exercising, visiting the dentist and getting a massage is something that will continue to improve your health as long as you have a nervous and musculoskeletal system. Could you see your chiropractor for 4 visits and discontinue? Absolutely! Will chiropractic fix all of your ailments? Probably not. But in your box of tools to keep you healthy, chiropractic might be a perfect fit. Health is not a one size fits all plan. Diet, exercise, sleep, physiotherapy, acupuncture, massage, athletic therapy and chiropractic can all work synergistically to keep you feeling good. It’s simply a matter of finding the right combination for you at this moment in time. And even that will change as your body adapts and progresses!
Still not sure if chiropractic is for you? Give a local chiropractor a call and together you can decide if it’s a treatment you want to pursue. Our office, like many others, offers complimentary consultations for this purpose. If you are in the Winnipeg area, feel free to contact us at 204-478-6480 or book online.