Stages of Chiropractic Care

Part of tailoring care to an individual includes recognising that what each person wants from treatment will be different. We therefore offer three main stages of care to cover everybody’s wants and needs. Some people will stay with us only for the first stage but many will continue to the last, or indeed come to see us before they have pain. We appreciate the different points that each person is at and are there to help you whatever your choice.

1) Crisis or Relief care

This is all about providing immediate relief from the symptoms that have brought you to see us. Most often this is pain though not always. Sometimes it is stiffness, a feeling of weakness or altered sensation.

E.g Mrs Jones comes into see us with a pain in her lower back that she noticed after playing with the grandchildren at the weekend. We see her more frequently during this initial phase of care in order to achieve her aim of pain relief.

2) Prevention/Rehab

Once we have got you symptom free this stage is about keeping you there and helping you to achieve your goals for treatment other than pain relief. It includes aiming to prevent relapses by working on those things that may have contributed to the symptoms in the first place. This may include working on exercises or lifestyle factors.

E.g Mrs Jones is now pain free but previously this pain has come in episodes. She would like it if we could help to reduce the chances of future episodes.

We note that the low back and mid back is not as flexible as it could be, she does not have a great deal of core (abdominal) strength which she felt she lost after the birth of her twins, her hip flexors are tight from her desk job (which she finds stressful) and she does like to wear high heels which can add further pressure to the low back. In addition to treatment we set about addressing these factors with advice and exercises. We see Mrs Jones less frequently in this phase of care.

3) Wellness/Being the best you can be

This is that extra step in helping you function as optimally as you can do for you. Helping with advice and treatment to achieve your individual health goals.

E.g Mrs Jones has really taken enthusiastically to improving her health and musculoskeletal (joints and muscles) function. She would really like to achieve her goals of losing 10kg and walking in next years race for life 5km. We help review how Mrs Jones body is functioning by continuing to address her tight and weak areas and progressing the difficulty of her exercises as she improves. Further we discuss nutrition with her and refer her to see our dietician.

Overall our fictional character Mrs Jones is now pain free and feeling less stressed as she is taking regular breaks from her desk and a walk a lunch time. She has made small changes to the way she eats and is on her way to hitting her target weight and active goal. She is more aware of how to and how not to lift her grandchildren and is more aware of the importance of her footwear particularly when walking. She is not perfect, she forgets to do her exercises every now and then but we give her some gentle encouragement and remind her how well she is doing!

Mrs Jones could be any number of the real patients we have seen over the years and hope that she serves to illustrate just one example of an individual patients needs and goals, there are many many more!

We really do enjoy helping people get pain free, achieve their aims and live a healthier, happier life whatever stage they are at.

If you would like to talk to us about how we might be able to help you then please do get in touch and we will be only too happy to talk to you.