That depends on what we find, how long you have had the problem and how well your body responds to the treatment. Typically, patients have 6-8 treatments in their acute/painful stage and then visits are spaced out so that you come in after a few weeks or months so the chiropractor can assess whether your joints are functioning well, once you return to your normal lifestyle. After that, we recommend 3-6 monthly check ups – just like with your dentist, so that we can keep your joints healthy, prevent future problems and keep you out of pain. The frequency always depends on how much your lifestyle affects your condition.

A bespoke exercise routine will be given by your chiropractor once they feel you have reached a stable point and can start rehabilitation at home. The more you help yourself by following your chiropractors advice, the faster your condition can resolve.

When your condition is very painful and acute, we understand your need to use pain relief. Taking anti-inflammatories for short periods such as ibuprofen, if you have no stomach problems, can reduce swelling in tissue also. However, once your pain is manageable, it might be helpful to discard painkillers. All medicines have side effects and long-term use of anti-inflammatories can affect the structure of ligaments and tendons, which makes you more prone to soft tissue injuries. Also, pain is your body’s signal that a movement or activity is not good for you. To over-ride those messages can mean you end up continuing activities that damage because you can’t feel the pain signal. That damage then gets worse and your condition can become chronic (long-term, repetitive). We would ALWAYS recommend asking your GP about pain relief.

Pain is often the final symptom to arrive as the body is fantastic at compensating for injury or poor function. You can tolerate a condition at a moderate level for quite some time before you notice it via your pain signals. Once your chiropractor gets you somewhat better, you return to that “moderate level”, your pain can disappear and you can feel that you are fixed. However, just as when a problem starts, lack of pain does not necessarily mean all is well. Your chiropractor may still feel that the joint is still not quite in the correct position and that the tissue is tight and reactive. Often patients can say they are out of pain, but a quick prod in the right place from their chiropractor can have them realise that there is still something not quite right!!

When a joint is adjusted into its correct position, it displaces the air that is in the space between the joints. That is why you may hear a cracking sound when you are adjusted. That sound is not an indication that the adjustment is successful, the sound is an incidental effect of treatment which you may or may not experience.

An adjustment does not usually hurt in the joint. It is a very quick, usually painless procedure. If patients do feel pain, it is often because the soft tissues surrounding the area (muscles , ligaments and tendons) are painful and inflamed. Your chiropractor may massage or use trigger point massage to get that soft tissue to loosen up so that it stops pulling on the affected joint. This can be painful if soft tissue is very inflamed. We listen to each patient and adjust treatment according to their needs to ensure maximum comfort.