· Patient education · By Dr. Erick Thompson
Relief is not a cure
Immediate relief from an adjustment is real, but lasting healing takes repetition and time. Why that process can frustrate patients and chiropractors alike.
In the profession of chiropractic, we carry an interesting balance. We are lucky enough to be able to experience immediate gratification, the big clunk that alleviates weeks of sharp pain between the shoulder blades. And then see first-hand the actual healing process of the body. Immediate relief does not equal “cured”. And we don’t promise a cure.
A major concept underlying chiropractic is that we remove the interference. And regardless whether you ascribe to nerve tension theory or you take a biomechanical approach, we restore movement, the body might resort back to its old habit for a long time and whether it’s through chiropractic care, physical therapy, a chemical therapy or stretching and exercising, the body needs repetition at times to restore its own function for longer and longer intervals and that process often takes a long time.
If you just started your chiropractic journey and find yourself getting frustrated with the process, take solace in our share of frustration, even when we know professionally that it is all a part of the process.