We all know that healing, repair and recovery can take time. I think it’s important to discuss this with patients at the outset. That’s why I take time to assess someone’s case before we start their treatment.

Being thorough at the start helps me to plan the best possible treatment approach and helps me to predict how long it will take for someone to feel better.

It’s always better to empower a patient with more information at the start so they know what to expect as they progress.

Chiropractic is a Very Effective Treatment

As a profession, we’re generally blessed with positive feedback and happy patients. I think our positive reputation is not only due to results people get with chiropractic, but also because people like the hands-on “doing something” nature of chiropractic treatment.

Sometimes People are Frustrated with Other Treatments so they Try Chiropractic

Sometimes people come to see me because they’re frustrated by the apparent lack of results when they’ve tried another treatment of therapy.

They’re frustrated and want to try something different.

Sometimes those people are attracted by chiropractic becacase they perceive it to be a forceful and direct treatment approach.

I have to say that chiropractic isn’t as simple as that.

Even though chiropractic is well known for its “pops and clicks”, there are a range of techniques we use. We’ll always do what’s best for the individual.

I’m writing this blog to help explain to those people that may be frustrated with a treatment approach what may be going on, why the results may seem slower than they expected and what to do about it.

It’s always nice to see someone new and to work out a plan to help them. However, sometimes when I hear they’ve been frustrated somewhere else I wish they’d talked to their practitioner / chiropractor first before leaving because I can see that good work was being done.

Over the years, I’ve also had some patients feel frustrated that my treatment isn’t working quickly enough.

Sometimes people talk to me about this so we can refocus their care plan, but other times they leave and try something different.

This blog explores why, in some cases it can take time to feel like you’re getting better.

Firstly, let me share a little story.

The Lesson of The Stone Cutter

The stone cutter works hard with his hammer to shape and craft stones into fantastic pieces of artwork.

But the results don’t always happen immediately.

On one occasion the stone cutter spent four days hitting the stone with his hammer. Despite days of work and a thousand strikes off the stone cutters hammer the stone showed no evidence of change.

After all this work it seemed that the stone cutter’s efforts were for nothing. Nothing had changed.

Finally, on the fifth day and one more blow with the stone cutter’s hammer the stone completely shattered, revealing a beautiful, fantastic finished piece of work.

The Final Strike

The lesson of this story is that it wasn’t the final strike of the stone cutters hammer that shattered the stone into the fantastic finished piece of work.

It was the culmination of all of the stone cutter’s efforts that prepared the stone for the final hit of the hammer.

It was the culmination of repeated strikes that shattered the stone. This lesson can also apply to the physiologicall process of getting out of pain.

Getting Out of Pain Can Take Time

Pain and how we experience it varies from person to person.

The systems that respond to, and generate pain can be affected by a wide range of factors.

In particular the longer the pain response is created by the nervous system, the better the nervous system gets at generating pain.

The longer this cycle repeats itself the longer it will take to get out of pain.

Recovery is Not Always a Linear Process

The speed of recovery varies for a range of reasons. It varies from person to person and as we progress.

Recovery, and how much better we feel can be difficult to predict. Sometimes patients go long stretches without any obvious difference in the symptoms they feel day-to-day.

It’s important to remember that even if there’s little change in pain levels, it doesn’t mean that there’s no healing going on.

It’s just like the lesson of the stone cutter. Changes can be occuring without any obvious signs on the surface.

It Can be Frustrating

It can be frustrating for patients if they’re not getting the results they’re expecting or wanting.

That’s why I think it’s really important for the chiropractor to properly work out a detailed care plan before starting treatment.

I think it’s important because not only does the chiropractor need to know the best plan of treatment but they also need to communicate properly with the patient about what to expect.

Fortunately, most patients respond quickly and effectively with chiropractic care.

We’re blessed that this type of hands-on treatment is not only very effective, but because it means you’re seeing the same chiropractor for your treatments they can modify your treatment if needed to suit your changing circumstances.

Delayed Results

However, some patients can get frustrated with slower than expected results.

I’ve seen patients come to me from another practitioner / chiropractor because they’re looking for a more aggressive form of treatment.

However, automatically stepping up the treatment to something more aggressive isn’t always the right approach.

All Chiropractors Use a Range of Techniques

Firmer pressure isn’t always the answer.

However, if a firmer technique is going to be considered then it should be applied carefully.

The best way to increase the physicality of treatment is by graded exposure.

Graded Exposure and Consistency

Graded exposure can best be compared to slowly filling up a cup without it overflowing.

In this case the cup represents our threshold pain response and the water in the cup is our sense of threat.

If we fill the cup too quickly, we’re at risk of it overflowing, thus triggering the body’s protective pain response.

It’s better to slowly increase exposure where a pain response is not elicited. This helps get better results and allows the individual to return to normal activity over time without experiencing pain.

Pain science literature suggests that these types of interventions can form lasting changes to the brain through positive plasticity so long as the volume, frequency, and duration of interventions are not perceived as stressfull to the individual undergoing chiropractic treatment.

Talk to Your Chiropractor

For me the moral of the stone cutter’s story is to talk to your practitioner / chiropractor if you’re frustrated by your treatment results.

Your practitioner / chiropractor will want to know if you’re not happy with how things are progressing. They can then review this with you. It may be that there’s been a miscommunication about the potential for results. It may be that the practitioner / chiropractor has misunderstood how well you’re getting on.

Sometimes results can be slower because there are external factors such as stress, physical demands or you’ve been fighting off an infection at the same time.

It may also be that the practitioner / chiropractor has been using conservative techniques and is able to step them up to get you better quicker.

The main reason for slower results is how long the problem has been there in the first place. The longer the problem is there the more the body adapts to it and the harder it is to change the physiology and function.

Your Practitioner / Chiropractor Will Want You to Talk to Them

Whilst there’s no “magic wand” most people are very happy with the caree and results they get with chiropractic.

For me personally, your happiness and success are paramount in everything I do.

I want you to expect excellent levels of care and service when you see me. If there’s ever anything that falls short let me know.

It may sound cheesy, but one of the reasons I was attracted to Lushington Chiropractic when I move to Eastbourne was because of their open and candid approach to patient care.

They have a unique and comprehensive patient charter, and subscribe to the Royal College of Chiropractors quality care standards.

When I was considering joing them, I was impressed to see they even offer a simple, no-quibble, money-back satisfaction guarantee. It’s available to anyone (including my patients) who are not happy for any reason with the experience they’ve had at the clinic.

So, remember, please talk to your practitioner / chiropractor if you’re not getting the results you hoped for. But if you’re seeing myself or any of the team at Lushington Chiropractic you’ll always have this money-back guarantee to fall back on as well.

 

I’ve also contributed to various health related blogs on www.BackBlog.co.uk.