ITS LIKE SITTING ON A HOT STOVE
You may have heard this simplifies explanation of Einstein's Theory of Relativity:
"If a young man sits on a hot stove for three seconds, it seems like 30 minutes. But if he sits in the moon-light with his girl for thirty minutes, it seems like three seconds."
So it is when you are sick, for pain and discomfort can make three hours seem like three days. The road to recovery may seem endless. But remember, just as the cause of sickness usually doesn't strike overnight (though the symptoms may), healing doesn't happen in a day. It takes time.
HOW MUCH TIME?
The answer to that question depends on the answers to several other important questions:
- How server are the structural misalignments that caused your problem?
Naturally, the worse they are, the longer it will take to correct them.
- How long have you had them?
As time goes by, not only does the original problem become more firmly entrenched, but more often than not, secondary problems develop.
For instance, when a vertebra moves out of place, the body, in an attempt to balance itself, may gradually adapt so that one or more vertebrae are forced out of place in some other part of the spine. This is called compensatory subluxation (or misalignment).
And since nature has programmed the muscles and ligaments to hold vertebrae in position- normal or abnormal- it is likely that they will have built up a firm resistance to change. It takes time and regular chiropractic care to re-educate them after they have been holding a vertebra in an abnormal position.
- How rapidly will your body react to corrective chiropractic care?
Healing time for any disorder differs with each individual. A small scratch on one person may take several days to heal, while on another it may be gone virtually overnight. There are so many factors involved- general physical condition, age, mental attitude, elasticity of the muscles and ligaments- that healing time is almost as individual as fingerprints.
It is quite possible that your symptoms will disappear shortly after you begin chiropractic care. But healing and rehabilitation involve not only the relief of symptoms but, more importantly correction of the underlying cause of those symptoms. It could be a grave mistake to assume you are well just because pain or symptoms of illness are gone. Remember, you were accepted as a patient because of your doctor's concern for your current symptoms. Until the cause of your condition has been fully corrected, you should never stop chiropractic care. Complete healing takes time.
- Will you be able to avoid additional stress and strain while your body is healing?
Be aware that a fall, a jolt, a strain, a sudden twist or bend can undo some of the correction that has already been made. This, of course, can add to the time it takes to reach your goal of better health. To facilitate this, your doctor may recommend helpful exercises and posture rules based on his examination and X-ray findings.
GIVE YOURSELF TIME
Follow his instructions carefully & diligently. Your Doctor of Chiropractic can usually estimate the minimum time and number of treatments it will take a given condition to heal. He will probably put you on a specific program of of corrective care with follow-up examinations (and X-rays, if needed) to determine your rate of improvement.
So for your health's sake, give yourself time- even if it seems longer than hoped for.
And remember that complete, steadfast cooperation with your doctor is the best way to shorten the time it takes to regain that state of good health in which your days are filled with happy, pain-free activity.
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