Preventative Care vs. Reactive Care: How Regular Chiropractic Visits Can Prevent Pain and Health Issues

Do you only visit the chiropractor when your back or neck hurts? Making time for regular visits can help you avoid aches and pains. In fact, preventive care visits offer a simple way to optimize your health.

What's the Difference Between Preventive Care and Reactive Care?

Reactive care focuses on treating acute (sudden) symptoms or illnesses. You receive reactive care when you visit the family doctor for treatment of flu symptoms or a fracture or when you see the chiropractor after your back pain flares up.

Preventive care happens when you have no symptoms. It's intended to prevent illnesses, diseases, and pain from occurring and reduce the risk of a recurrence if you've recently experienced an injury or illness. Preventive care can involve:

Checkups
Chiropractic Visits
Eye Exams, Blood Pressure Measurements, Blood Tests, and Other Screenings
Massage and Other Therapeutic Treatments
Healthy Eating
Exercise
Meditation, Yoga, and Other Stress-Relief Activities

How Can Chiropractic Preventive Care Help Me?

Chiropractors use hands-on manipulation and mobilization techniques to improve the alignment of your spine and correct subluxations. Subluxations happen when the vertebrae in your spine move out of their normal positions. Changes in vertebral alignment may be caused by falls, accidents, poor posture, stress, improper lifting technique, poor exercise form or even sitting for many hours.

Subluxations are a common cause of back, neck, and joint pain, but pain isn't the only consequence. Misalignments can cause muscle stiffness and decreased range of motion and flexibility.

Misaligned vertebrae may press on your nerves, triggering pain and interfering with the normal function of the organs and tissues. For example, a subluxation that affects the nerves that serve your digestive system may worsen the symptoms of gastrointestinal diseases and conditions, including gastroesophageal reflux disorder (GERD), inflammatory bowel disease, Crohn's disease, and other ailments.

In a study that appeared in the Annals of Vertebral Subluxation, participants experienced an improvement in their Crohn's disease symptoms after spinal manipulation to treat subluxations in the thoracic (upper spine) and lumbar (lower spine) regions. Researchers theorized that chronic nerve compression caused by subluxations could affect the immune system, interfere with digestion and absorption of liquids and nutrients, and cause other gastrointestinal issues.

In addition to helping you manage the symptoms of chronic conditions, preventive care can:

Improve Arthritis Symptoms
Offer a Natural Pain-Relief Option
Reduce Inflammation
Increase Blood Circulation
Prevent Pain Due to Age-Related Degeneration of the Spine
Loosen Tight Muscles, Reducing Your Risk of Injury
Decrease Stress
Enhance the Function of the Organs and Immune System
Promote Healing
Prevent Falls Due to Balance Problems
Keep Your Muscles Flexible and Loose
Correct Posture Issues
Improve Your Range of Motion
Enhance Sleep
Help You Avoid or Delay Spinal Surgery
Improve Athletic Performance
Reduce Recovery Time After Participating in Sports
Prevent Minor Subluxations from Causing Pain and Other Symptoms

If you're like most people, you probably wouldn't dream of ignoring the oil service light on your car or skipping HVAC service calls. Those preventive services reduce breakdowns and keep your vehicle and heating and air-conditioning systems running smoothly.

Preventive care offers the same benefits for your body. Making time to see the chiropractor when you feel fine can help you avoid aches, pains, illnesses, and worsening of chronic conditions.

Could you benefit from chiropractic care? Contact us to schedule an appointment.

Sources:

Annals of Vertebral Subluxation Research: Long Term Remission and Alleviation of Symptoms in Allergy and Crohn's Disease Patients Following Spinal Adjustment for Reduction of Vertebral Subluxation, 9/10/17

Palmer College of Chiropractic: Benefits of Chiropractic

WebMD: Chiropractic Care for Back Pain