What Happens After Your First Adjustment?
You have begun your chiropractic journey!
What should you expect after your first adjustment?
First and foremost, let me say congratulations on beginning your chiropractic journey! If you're just reading this but haven't become a patient, you're probably wondering whether or not chiropractic is right for you. I can only invite you to read on, and even if you don't become a patient in my practice, please find a chiropractor that you trust in your community and begin care with someone else.
What happens now?
The first thing that happens is that your body begins to adapt to its new functionality and ability. The spine will be free and clear of misalignments and subluxations, and your body will likely need to remember what it's like to function optimally. The ligaments and tendons on and around the spine will finally be brought back to the right tension, no longer being too tight or too loose. The inflammatory process occurring at the level of the misalignment will slow down and your venous and lymph systems will begin draining the excess fluid and edema in the area. Once that happens, the pressure on the nerves eases, and your entire body breathes a giant sigh of relief.
I have had many patients tell me how much better they feel they can breathe after their first adjustment.
What about side effects?
Let me start off by telling you that nothing is without side effects. Eating whole clean food has a side effect of better nutrition and fuel for your body, better bowel movements, better sleep, and better wellness. But those aren't the side effects people are normally thinking about when they ask. The most common side effects of a chiropractic adjustment is soreness in the area that was adjusted and sometimes a headache. In addition to this, it's possible that you could have a more global soreness. This would be similar to going to the gym for the first time ever, or for the first time in a really long time. It's not uncommon to be really sore after a long break from the gym. Similarly with chiropractic, you may experience soreness afterwards, but you should treat it similarly to how you would if you were sore from an athletic experience. If this happens, try icing the area for 20 minutes once an hour for a few hours and see if that doesn't help relieve the sore muscles. However, what I will describe as the most natural progression following your first chiropractic adjustment is CHANGE.
What do you mean by change, doc?
Well, I mean a real transformative change in your life. I'm going to give you a little real life example from my husband. He had never seen a chiropractor before we started dating, and we started dating while I was still in chiropractic school. Eventually, he wound up being my test subject and my practice partner for my adjustments. For six months, I probably adjusted him once every two weeks at least. He had no chief complaints, and he had no real pain. I'd say he was probably functioning around 85% of optimal. However, after about six months, I had plenty of patients in the clinic on campus, and I no longer needed to practice on him. After maybe a month of no longer badgering him to get an adjusted, he came home from work concerned. He asked if I was upset about something. I laughed and told him I had no idea what he was talking about. And he said, "Well, I need an adjustment, and you've stopped offering them to me like you used to!" I laughed again and told him of course I would adjust him. Lanny had gotten so used to functioning at 100% that he didn't like returning to his old "normal." 85% was no longer good enough, because he had gotten used to a body that functioned at peak capacity. That's the change that I'm excited to share with you as you continue on your chiropractic journey!
Yours in health,
Dr. William