The Benefits of Chiropractic Treatment & How Often You May Need It

Chiropractors help people with a huge variety of painful conditions, and if you've experienced the sometimes life-changing benefits for yourself, you may be wondering how often you should keep up with your visits to maintain progress and optimum health. Here at The House Clinics, we strive to treat and support our patients with a holistic approach, meaning as well as providing hands-on treatment, we also offer a package of care that includes advice on self-help, therapeutic exercises, and lifestyle changes.

With this approach, the aim is always is to restore patients to the highest level of health possible; to help them regain mobility, minimise pain as much as possible, and to resume normal activities they enjoy.

The Benefits of Chiropractic treatment : The House Clinics, Bristol

The 3 Main Reasons People Seek Treatment From A Chiropractor

1. Acute pain from a condition or injury:

This sort of pain can be unbearable and hugely debilitating, disrupting your sleep and making it hard to get through a normal day of activities. Common injuries which can bring on a sudden onset of symptoms include whiplash, herniated discs, or sports injuries such as a groin tear or a ruptured knee ligament. Common conditions that can come on more gradually but then develop to cause severe and constant pain, include sciatica, repetitive strain injury (RSI), and Trigeminal Neuralgia.

In these circumstances, it can be difficult to be taken seriously by your GP, or find yourself waiting in a long queue for an NHS appointment. Chiropractors are qualified to diagnose and treat many conditions and injuries that cause acute pain, can precribe an exercise programme to correct the condition as well as give lifestyle advice.

2. Neck and back pain, migraines, and headaches:

Neck and back pain that comes on gradually and causes moderate discomfort is often described as 'simple' neck and back pain. This sort of pain is often less acute, can come and go, but nonetheless still interferes with your ability to do the activities you enjoy, affecting your mobility and general wellbeing. It can be caused by poor posture, a sedentary lifestyle, and general stress and strain. Headaches and migraines can be hereditary, or again, caused by poor posture or stress. Whatever the cause, neck, back pain, or bothersome headaches are not things you should have to put up with. A Chiropractor can accurately diagnose the cause of this type of pain, treat you to relieve symptoms, and prescribe a rehabilitative exercise programme to help improve your condition.

3. Maintenance:

The third reason that people visit Chiropractors is for maintenance. Chiropractic maintenance can help people who have received a course of intensive treatment for their condition, found relief, and want to continue to feel great moving forward. Regular Chiropractic appointments are also a great way to ensure that your musculoskeletal and nervous systems are maintained at optimum function - avoiding misalignment and subsequent muscle spasms, pinched nerves or neck, and back pain.

Why do people see a Chiropractor? The House Clinics Chiropractic, Bristol

What Happens At My First Chiropractic Consultation?

Initial Consultation & Treatment:

Before you come for your first appointment you will be asked to fill in some forms and to provide some background information on the history of your symptoms and condition.

Your first visit will last around 45 minutes and will include:

A thorough Chiropractic examination.
A verbal report of findings and diagnosis (also sent in writing after your appointment).
Discussion of a treatment plan and duration of treatment.
The start of Chiropractic treatment (with your consent).

Follow-up treatments:

Follow-up treatments will be shorter, lasting around 15-20 minutes (depending on your condition).
Your Chiropractor will continually monitor your progress.
Exercise programmes, lifestyle advice, and self-help measures will be discussed with you at the appropriate stage in your treatment plan.

Short-term and long-term goals:

In the short-term, it is always your Chiropractor's aim to relieve immediate symptoms and any pain you are experiencing within as few treatments as possible. With a longer-term view, treatment will also be advised to address the underlying cause of your condition, with the aim of improving and restoring optimal health and function.

Common Chiropractic Treatment Plans

Chiropractic Treatment Plans: The House Clinics Chiropractors, Bristol

Your Chiropractor will form a treatment plan for you to reduce pain, restore motion, and prevent a recurrence. Methods of treatment will include a combination of the following:

Spinal manipulation
Spinal mobilisation
Manual therapy
Soft-tissue therapies (trigger point and manual release techniques)
Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS),
Massage
A tailored exercise programme
Heat/cold therapy
Nutrition guidance
Lifestyle and posture advice

What to expect in terms of frequency of visits:

In the first stages of treatment of a new or acute condition, a common Chiropractic treatment program is 2 times per week for 2 to 4 weeks, followed by a re-evaluation.

If you are in chronic pain, you may need to keep up regular appointments for an extended period of time until your condition improves.

In most cases, you will experience relief after a week or two of regular visits. But It's important not to give up if you don't see an improvement straight away. This gives time for your Chiropractor to get to the root of the problem and fine tune your treatment plan.

Ongoing treatment is recommended according to your progress. Once your immediate pain and symptoms are significantly better, the frequency of visits will drop to perhaps once a week, and then every few weeks. In time you may be released from care altogether, or advised to return for maintenance and check-up visits only.

"In every situation, the treatment plan and goals of care are a mutual decision between the patient and the Chiropractor, so we will always endeavor to meet your needs and adapt our recommendations accordingly."

Chris Julian

Chiropractor at The House Clinics, (BSc Hons DC)

Chiropractic Treatment for Wellbeing, The House Clinics, Bristol

Evaluation of Chiropractic Treatment

Your Chiropractor will continually evaluate the patient's treatment and wellbeing and will determine whether to:

Continue chiropractic treatment, if appropriate.
Release the patient from chiropractic care, if treatment goals have been met.
Refer the patient to another health care specialist if treatment goals have not been fulfilled.

Our Promise to you

Our team of Chiropractors at The House Clinics will never try to sell you a long-term treatment package to be paid for upfront. We always advise a course of treatment tailored to your actual needs with the aim of getting you better as quickly as possible!