Everyone knows that a chiropractor can offer spinal alignments. They can “crack” your back and make you feel brand new again. People tend to think of their chiropractor as someone whose only task is to align the spine, but they’re missing out on the other holistic measures available to them. 

What preventative care services are available at a chiropractic office that might help improve one’s overall health?

The chiropractic healthcare profession focuses on a patient’s neuromusculoskeletal system, including the bones, muscles, tendons, ligaments, and nerves. Most people head to their chiropractor when back and neck pain become unbearable. The chiropractor will help ensure that the patient has good alignment through spinal adjustments. 

However, chiropractic is so much more than proper spinal alignment. It is deeply involved in the body’s ability to self-heal and includes treatments like nutrition (such as diet instruction and supplement recommendations), lifestyle advice, exercise, and ergonomic and postural recommendations. 

Why Choose Preventative Care

Most Americans only seek medical attention when they are suffering in some way, either through a health condition, an unexplained and unnatural reaction, or a medical emergency. They don’t go to their doctor unless they are hurting, and they often wait to visit a chiropractor until they’ve tried other methods unsuccessfully to eliminate their pain. But why wait until something’s wrong?

Far too often, we only respond to our bodies’ warning signs rather than providing preventative treatment to avoid problems altogether. According to the 2014 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey, only 8% of adults age 35 and older have received the preventive services recommended to them. These individuals were aware that such treatments would be beneficial in helping them to avoid later health issues or potentially detect problem areas earlier. 

The old saying is true: An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

In most cases, you can’t get a doctor’s appointment unless something is wrong. Unfortunately, our healthcare system is based on a reactive approach to medical treatment. However, chiropractors have a different technique. Without focusing on medicine, chiropractic heals the body naturally and approaches your healthcare in a proactive manner. 

What Does a Chiropractor Do?

Beyond spinal adjustments, chiropractors offer a myriad of treatments, preventative options, and health assistance. You can look to your chiropractor for the following:

Diet instruction: Chiropractors are trained in nutrition, particularly in how your diet can affect many aspects of your health and overall well-being. Nutrition goes beyond the foods you eat. It includes the vitamins, minerals, and tissue-building qualities of everything you consume. It involves foods you should eat more of and foods you should avoid. 

Supplement recommendations: Unfortunately, most people do not consume the right kinds of foods or enough of fruits and vegetables – or get enough sun – to take in the vitamins their bodies need to stay healthy. However, since everyone is different, it’s important to talk directly to your chiropractor to learn which multivitamin and supplements would be beneficial for your situation. 

Lifestyle advice: You’d expect your chiropractor to give advice like strengthen your back muscles or stretch your neck after long computer use. However, chiropractors have a lot more advice to offer – advice worthy of heeding. Your chiropractor wants you to live a healthy lifestyle and will offer tips like drink plenty of water, get outside each day, stretch and exercise, and eat healthy meals. See your chiropractor for specific tips for your individual needs.

Exercise: Exercise is obviously an important part of every healthy life; however, your chiropractor can offer tips on stretches and exercises that will help you. They may provide stretches that prevent pain you are currently facing. They could offer exercise tips that are intended to strengthen muscles that you need toned. Since they know your specific body’s needs, they can provide exercises that are right for you.

Ergonomic and postural recommendations: The way you stand, move, sit, and lie all affect your spinal alignment and, therefore, your overall health. Your chiropractor can provide tips on how your body should properly occupy space and be positioned throughout your day. This advice can be the difference between experiencing symptoms and being healthy. 

What Are the Benefits of Seeing a Chiropractor?

Seeing your chiropractor will ensure that you are on a holistic path to health. From the food you put in your body to the exercises you perform each day to the way you lie down to sleep at night all affect your overall well-being. Your chiropractor can assist in all these areas of your life to make sure that you are on a path to being pain and symptom free — all potentially preventing the need to see a medical doctor. Schedule an appointment with us online or call 256-721-9696 to get started. 

This article is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for in-person advice or care from a medical professional.