What is Chiropractic Rehabilitation?

Chiropractic rehabilitation involves restoring strength, muscle tone, or other functionality to the body using chiropractic theory. Chiropractors are considered a form of natural health practitioner or doctor. Chiropractors attend chiropractic colleges to earn a Doctor of Chiropractic degree in order to provide care. When a person is in need of rehabilitation, either after an accident, or just due to general misalignment, chiropractic rehabilitation may be recommended.

Chiropractors believe that ailments and problems with the body are caused by small mis-alignments of the spine called sublaxations. While chiropractors most often treat back and neck problems, misaligment of the spine or meninges can cause a number of different problems and symptoms that can be corrected by chiropractic care. Chiropractors use a variety of techniques to manipulate the spine in order to re-align it and correct these problems caused by sublaxations.

When a person's body is out of alignment and a chiropractor corrects it, the body may not hold the correction. Because most people have been mis-aligned for a long time, often their bones shift or their spines move slightly, so when a chiropractor adjusts the person, the sublaxations eventually return. These sublaxations may return immediately or it may take a few days to a few weeks for them to return.

When a patient undergoes chiropractic rehabilitation, he visits his chiropractor on a relatively frequent basis. Depending upon the reason for the chiropractic rehabilitation, and the extent of the misalignment, the patient may visit his chiropractor on a weekly basis, or more or less frequently. During each of these visits, his sublaxations are adjusted again in an attempt to correct the symptoms.

This type of chiropractic rehabilitation can be useful to correct a number of ailments. If a person's back or neck was injured, chiropractic rehabilitation can help correct the injury by resolving the small shifts in the spinal column causing the pain. Rehabilitation can also correct other conditions caused by sublaxations. Some believe these conditions include allergies, asthma, and even fibryomyalgia.

Once a person completes a period of chiropractic rehabilitation, the adjustments the chiropractor makes should "set," or become more permanent. Patients will no longer need to have such frequent visits with their chiropractors as the rehabilitation process will be complete. The duration of time it takes for the corrections to set varies depending on the condition.

Once the rehabilitative period is over, typically it is a good idea to continue visiting a chiropractor for maintenance care. This is monthly care in which the doctor ensures that the spine remains aligned, and that no new sublaxations develop. This can be helpful for those who have completed their chiropractic rehabilitation regimen to ensure the problems do not return.