Focusing On My Back Injuries

What To Expect After Your First Chiropractic Appointment

8 June 2015

Timothy Byrd

If you are going in for your first chiropractic appointment, you need to be prepared not only for your appointment, but how you will feel afterwards.

Your Body's Reaction To Being Adjusted

During your chiropractic appointment, your chiropractor will establish your medical history, take initial x-rays of your spine, and perform any necessary adjustments. The purpose behind adjustments is to make your spine as straight as possible.

Although adjustments can bring initial relief, your body is going to feel sore afterwards. You may feel sore right after your appointment, or it may take about a day for the soreness to set in. Your body is sore because your chiropractor manipulated muscles in your back that have probably not been worked out in a very long time. Additionally, your chiropractor essentially moved your spine. Your muscles are going to need some time to get use to this new spinal placement.

Drink Lots Of Water

After your appointment, it is important to drink a lot of water. Different toxins were released from your body when your chiropractor adjusted it. You'll want to drink a significant amount of water in order to flush the toxins that have been released due to your adjustment from your body.

Even if the adjustments did not last that long, your muscles still got a good workout. Just like after you exercise, if you don't want to be really sore the following day, you need to drink plenty of water to prevent muscle cramps.

Use Moist Heat

Even if drink a lot of water, your muscles may still be a little sore since they just experienced what was essentially a new workout. One of the best ways to help your muscles relax is by applying moist heat. You can apply moist heat by:

• Taking a really hot shower. All that heat and steam will relax your muscles.
• Putting a warm washcloth on your back. The heat from the washcloth will help relax your back muscles.
• Using a heat pack on your back.

Get Lots Of Rest

Finally, it is important to get a lot of rest after your first adjustment. That does not necessarily mean that you need to sleep way more than you normally do, just that you need to take it easy. Don't try to go for a five mile hike or mow your yard the day of an adjustment or the day after. You just gave your body a very intense workout, and it needs time to heal and rest.

Although a chiropractic adjustment can bring you a certain level of relief, it can also make you feel a little sore in the days after. You should drink plenty of water, use moist heat, and get lots of rest following your first chiropractic appointment. If you'd like to start going to a chiropractor, Gerleman Chiropractic Office or others can give you more information.

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