ACG-Patient at the physiotherapy

Feeling Worse After a Chiropractic Adjustment? Here’s Why

Advancements in technology have made it easier to achieve instant results.

We can send messages, money, or documents, or chiropractic adjustment before and after pics to our family and friends. We can even learn the answer to “how much is a chiropractic visit?” through a simple internet search. Perhaps this is also why some people find it strange when they don’t feel instant relief after a chiropractic visit.

Most people visit a chiropractor to relieve the pain they feel—usually from the back or neck—by a safe and natural way of spinal realignment. However, they might first experience new pain before things get better. Yes, it sounds contradictory, but it’s not a bad thing. It also means that the treatment is working.

Normal Symptoms After an Adjustment

It’s normal to feel sore after a chiropractor performs adjustments on your spine. The adjustments your chiropractor makes might confuse a body that has been supporting poor posture for too long or has experienced an injury. It’s returning to its proper form, which may lead to joint pain and muscle aches.

You may feel pain or soreness similar to what people feel after an intense workout. Recovery takes at least 24 hours, which gradually decreases the more your body gets used to chiropractic adjustments.

Some people don’t even feel sore after a chiropractic visit. Some patients report feeling happy and relieved when the pain disappears, which may be due to the spine and neurological systems connecting with the body and relief from the pressure in areas with chronic pain and discomfort.

Why You Feel Worse After An Adjustment

Feeling worse after a chiropractic adjustment may seem counterintuitive since it’s meant to relieve pain, not cause more. However, there’s nothing wrong with this, and there are plenty of good reasons why they happen.

Muscle Discomfort

Muscles feel sore after a workout because they are sensitive to pressure and physical manipulations. Adjustments release muscles that have been tense because of pain, leaving them tender and sore.

Retracing

Your body may react to adjustments with retracing, the temporary soreness and fatigue your body feels in response to its slow return to proper alignment.

Retracing may feel uncomfortable or painful because your body responds to multiple stimuli simultaneously, restoring nerve function and releasing toxins. Fluids move freely across the body, sending your body into a temporary panic mode that causes soreness and discomfort until your body gets used to its newfound healthy state.

Reflexes

Your chiropractor might move some of your muscles in an unfamiliar manner, which can cause sensations foreign to you. Touching can trigger muscle reflexes that chiropractors may use to reset muscle tone. These reflexes may soothe the body or leave it tender and sore after a chiropractor triggers them.

Toxic Release

About 20% of patients experience detox symptoms after chiropractic adjustments due to toxic release. It may sound scary, but it’s actually a good side effect of chiropractic treatment. Your body is releasing toxic substances because of spinal manipulations. However, it results in temporary but unpleasant symptoms.

Your body reacts to signals from the brain and spinal cord throughout the day, which get blocked by misalignments. In time, these blockages will accumulate and put pressure on your body, causing many ailments like chronic problems and headaches.

What toxins are released after a chiropractic adjustment? Some include environmental chemicals, heavy metals, and more. Detox symptoms after chiropractic adjustments include fatigue, night sweats, headache, muscle tightness, and cold and flu-like symptoms.

How to Handle Pain After an Adjustment

The more chiropractic manipulations you have, the lesser pain and soreness you experience. Your body will slowly adjust and react less strongly to manipulations. Addressing your body’s misalignments also reduces the retracing you’ll feel, preventing you from feeling worse after a chiropractic adjustment.

But if you’re still feeling severe discomfort, here are some options you may try to manage chiropractic adjustment before and after pain naturally.

Massage

You can improve blood flow by lightly massaging your body’s sore areas. Don’t press too hard, or you’ll end up feeling more pain.

Hydration

It’s important to hydrate before and after a chiropractic adjustment. Water provides cushioning for your muscles and helps prevent muscle pain. It also helps your body flush out toxins and nourish the muscles and discs between the vertebrae, keeping your spine, neck, and back healthy.

Stretching

Walking, moving the affected area, and gentle exercises recommended by your chiropractor can help improve blood flow and ease some of the discomforts you’re feeling.

Heat and Ice

An excellent way to reduce your pain is to alternate between a heating pad and an ice pack. Heat improves circulation while ice reduces inflammation. Don’t use both for more than 20 minutes each.

Consistent Chiropractic Treatment

Being consistent with your chiropractic treatment will help your body get used to the manipulations, which lessens the intensity of your body’s reactions. It also helps keep your spine in the right alignment, making you feel less irritable.

Quality Sleep

Try to get a good night’s rest after your spinal adjustment. Your body will be healing after it receives chiropractic care; give it the time to recover by a good night of sleep.

Healthy Diet

Try to eat healthy meals before and after a chiropractic adjustment. It will give your body the nutrients to heal and stay in good shape.

Talk to your chiropractor if you have concerns and expectations about how you will feel after an adjustment. They should explain what you should expect, give you any aftercare instructions you may need, and address your concerns promptly.

When to See Your Chiropractor

Feeling worse after a chiropractic adjustment is normal. However, consult your doctor, chiropractor, or physical therapist if you are experiencing severe pain, soreness, discomfort, or any problem after a chiropractic adjustment. They also know when to stop chiropractic treatments.

It’s okay if the pain feels mild or below moderate levels. However, consult a physician if the pain is acute and continues for more than a few days.

Contact Advanced Chiropractors Group

Don’t be afraid of feeling worse after a chiropractic adjustment; it happens for a good reason. Our affiliate chiropractors in Largo, FL, are dedicated to helping you heal safely and providing you with the best treatment for pain relief. Call us today.

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