Chiropractic involves ‘teaching’ dysfunctional joints and their associated muscles how to move properly again. The longer a joint problem has been allowed to exist, the more a person will have adapted and compensated over time. Furthermore, tissue changes such as muscle spasm, ‘muscle memory’, muscle wasting, scar tissue formation and inflammation will have developed.

Treating you for the first time often involves dealing with the most recent damage first. This is because recent damage is more likely to be reversible. Following this, the longer term problems and consequent damage can then be addressed. How fast you respond depends on several factors including how quickly the problem is detected, how severe and extensive the problem is, your age and how diligent you are in following instructions/advice from the chiropractor.

Many people experience enormous benefits from chiropractic care for recent and long-term injuries, often termed ‘acute care’. Some people may also benefit from a more ‘supportive’ or preventative approach to their spinal health, where chiropractors can identify and correct joint problems early, before they have a chance to develop complications, and result in more serious harm. This can be particularly important when there is a lot of pre-existing damage.