Chiropractic Care: How Long Will My Treatments Last?

Chiropractic care is a non-surgical healthcare treatment for disorders of the musculoskeletal or nervous system. The main aim of chiropractic care is to treat and maintain the spinal cord and the surrounding structures. Many studies have concluded the benefits of chiropractic care and its general effect on lower back treatment and neck pain as well as lumbar herniated discs. However, how long does chiropractic treatment last?

Depending on the extent of the problem, chiropractic care helps patients feel noticeably better shortly after receiving treatment.  The general rule of improvement is within 1 to 4 weeks from starting chiropractic therapy. However, this is for non-complex musculoskeletal conditions. During the first visits, the patient will typically feel pain reduction of 40% to 80%. After some time the pain can completely disappear along with functional improvement.

Core Chiropractic Treatment

The core chiropractic treatment usually involves lower back treatment through manual therapy. These include:

Mobilization: chiropractic mobilization is low-velocity manipulation, stretching and movement of the joints and muscles. The goal for the manipulation is to increase motion in these areas in the shortest time possible.

Manual Manipulation and Spinal Manipulation: the spinal manipulation and manual manipulation is a high-velocity type of manipulation, which include short lever arm thrust applied to abnormal vertebra aiming to improve functionality, reduce irritation and restoring motion. High-velocity chiropractic practice takes 1 to 4 weeks to regain functionality.

Common Chiropractic Program Plans

The main aim of chiropractors is to do everything they can to reduce pain and restore functionality as fast as possible. However, for a successful outcome, patients should make sure they attend all sessions of their chiropractic program plan. In general, a chiropractic plan includes stretches and other types of exercises in addition to ergonomic tools such as pillows, belts and back supports. Not attending to all parts of the process will increase the amount of time needed for care.

For chiropractic care to be effective, a chiropractic program plan takes 2 to 4 weeks with visits of 3 times a week. After improvement is noted, there is an introduction to self-help or home-based recommendations with the help of ergonomic tools like elastic bands, dietary support or the use of a foam roller. The chiropractic plan and time frame are driven by the patient’s level of activity, pain, and disability.

For more information on chiropractic care or to schedule an evaluation contact Preston Chiropractic & Acupuncture at 919-238-5040.