Let’s be honest, when your back suddenly starts to hurt or your knee aches, all you care about is how to stop the pain. When you make your first appointment to see a chiropractor, you may think that one quick adjustment will relieve your pain.

However, in some cases, you will need to come back within 24 to 48 hours for a second visit. In addition, there may be additional follow-up visits.

The truth is that it typically takes more than one visit to see any long-term benefit. Why is so important to attend routine appointments? What can you expect from them? Read further to find out why chiropractic care is not a case of just one visit to relieve your pain. To schedule your first appointment with Dr. Nathen Horst, contact Horst Chiropractic today.

Your First Visit

On your first visit to see Dr. Horst, he will take a detailed medical history, perform a general medical exam, have x-rays taken, and explain the theory behind chiropractic care.

Afterward, he may do an adjustment. This adjustment is meant to familiarize Dr. Horst with the nature of your pain issues, as well as allow him to get a baseline measurement of how your body responds to an adjustment. This initial visit will be more extensive, so will take more time than most subsequent visits.

Your Second Visit

This second visit may be scheduled for one or two days after your initial visit. This visit is particularly crucial for several reasons.

First, Dr. Horst will present you with what is known as a report of findings. He will go over what he found from your x-rays and examination during your first visit. This will be presented with his initial assessment of the problem, his prognosis for your recovery, and a possible treatment plan.

Dr. Horst will also ask how you felt following your first adjustment. It is not unusual to feel sore, slightly dizzy, or tired for the next day or so. This is part of how your body is reacting to the changes brought on by that first adjustment.

To continue this process, you should expect to get further adjustments at your second visit. This will help Dr. Horst assess how your body is initially responding to adjustments to test your body’s response to the changes from the adjustment. You will get several more adjustments over the course of the next few visits to help him assess how you respond.

Why It’s Important to Continue Chiropractic Care

You may feel somewhat frustrated after your first one or two visits to see Dr. Horst because it may feel as though you aren’t making as much progress as you would like, despite the initial adjustments.

In fact, your body may be resisting improvement at first because it has not gotten used to being in proper alignment. You can think of it as similar to what happens when you first start a new workout routine. Your muscles will be stiff and sore because they are not accustomed to moving in this new way.

The nerve pathways going to and from your brain, through the spinal cord, are like those sore muscles. They must be retrained to provide proper information. If you do not keep up regular chiropractic care, your body will “forget” how to access those new, pain-free signaling pathways.

Your first several visits will be scheduled relatively close together. As you show improvement over time, Dr. Horst will lengthen the amount of time between visits. However, you should think of chiropractic care as a long-term, maintenance treatment, not a quick fix that can work in just a few short visits.