Healing: The Long Game
“Healing is a matter of time, but it is sometimes also a matter of opportunity”. – Hippocrates
Healing is a process which cannot be rushed, the body’s innate intelligence to handle issues takes time. There is no one hit wonder adjustment that operates as a “magic pill”, especially with years of damage and neglect. If the issues are not dealt with, they are more than likely to reoccur and increase frequency as well.
After an injury takes place, the body first vasoconstricts (narrows) blood vessels to regulate swelling, then vasodilation (blood vessels expand) occurs causing plasma proteins to escape the blood vessels which leads to swelling. Swelling and edema are the bodies response to stabilize the joint and prevent the joint from unnecessary movement to initiate the healing process. If swelling is not dealt with, it could delay healing and cause scar tissue to be deposited as well as putting pressure on a spinal nerve. When the body is under pain for long periods of time, central sensitization occurs which causes the pain fibers to be bombarded with unnecessary stimulus not allowing the body to adapt efficiently to the stresses of life and heal properly.
In chiropractic, there are phases of healing. In the beginning, the goal is to remove the interference and restore function back in the joint as well as alleviate any pain present. This usually takes 4 weeks, but it depends on the person since everyone is different with how their body responds. The next phase is the corrective phase to train the body to correct the misalignment and stay corrected restoring the communication between the brain and the body by repairing the integrity of the nerve system. This phase is usually more extensive. The last phase is stabilization which is meant to strengthen the correction of the misalignment. By this phase, frequency of visits has decreased to at least once a week, once every two weeks or once a month. Lifetime care is recommended because our bodies are constantly under attack by thoughts, traumas and toxins we experience daily. The “function” of the body is the name of the game.
We live our life through our nerve system! Don’t neglect it! Get checked, stay healthy!
