Many people go to the chiropractor for help with pain, especially in the neck and back. There are a number of reasons why you might seek out chiropractic care for pain, like for help with migraines, a herniated disc, or chronic lower back pain. Car accident victims also look to chiropractic care for help recovering from car accident injuries such as whiplash. No matter what brings you to the chiropractor, your goal is likely about feeling better. So why might you end up feeling worse after an adjustment?

When you visit a College Park orthopedics clinic and meet with a chiropractor, you are likely experiencing some kind of pain and discomfort and hoping to find some relief. Your doctor’s goal is also to develop a treatment plan that relieves your pain and discomfort while also addressing the root cause. With chiropractic care, your doctor is using chiropractic techniques that gently move your bones when they are out of place, which affects the muscles and other soft tissues that support them. You might worry that feeling some discomfort afterward means that something didn’t go right or something is wrong with your body. But actually, there are a number of normal physical responses to chiropractic care.

Feeling Sore After an Adjustment

Your chiropractor will use gentle adjustment techniques to help find places where your spine may be out of alignment and to help gently move those vertebrae back into their proper place. This can leave you feeling sore afterward as your body adjusts to this positioning, even though your spine is more healthily aligned. The soreness has to do with your body’s response to breaking an unhealthy habit and re-learning a healthier position. Your muscles around the area that was adjusted can feel sore because they are stretching and supporting your spine differently than they are used to. Think about how you feel after trying a new exercise – your muscles feel sore afterward because they are doing something different than they are used to. This is very similar to how your body responds to chiropractic adjustments.

Immune System Responses to an Adjustment

Have you ever gone to the chiropractor and then noticed you have a runny nose or even a cough afterward? Some people are surprised by this, but your body’s immune system can actually react to a chiropractic adjustment by encouraging your body to get rid of unhealthy stuff inside of you. You likely already had those germs or a cold inside of you already and the chiropractic treatment helped jumpstart your immune system. Your immune system helps protect your body against infections, and when it is functioning optimally it flushes out germs and toxins out of your body. A chiropractic adjustment encourages your body to function more healthily and optimally, and one of the ways your body responds is by flushing those toxins so you can experience better health.

Digestive Responses to an Adjustment

Another surprising reaction to chiropractic adjustments is how your digestive system responds. Some people who get adjusted experience more regular bowel movements, which can be related to chiropractic adjustments in your lower back. If you struggle with irritable bowel syndrome or other digestive issues, you may begin to notice more regularity in your bowel movements as your body begins to function more healthily. Misalignments in the spine can affect your nerves and how your body communicates, so your digestive system may get messages signaling too many or not enough bowel movements. Aligning the spine properly can help encourage better communication from the brain to the rest of your body.

How to Help Minimize These Responses

You might find yourself wondering if there is anything you can do to help prevent these responses to chiropractic adjustment. It turns out, there are a few things you can do in your daily life that will help your body respond better and get healthier. First is to drink plenty of water, especially before and after a chiropractic adjustment. Drinking water helps to nourish your muscles and also flush toxins out of your body. Eating healthier is always encouraged, but can be especially helpful along with chiropractic care to make sure your body is getting the nutrients it needs to continue staying healthy. And finally, sticking to a consistent chiropractic routine will help your body stay properly aligned. When your body gets more used to a proper posture and healthy spine, your muscles will stop getting sore because they are used to their new normal.

It is important to find a chiropractor who you trust and feel comfortable talking to about how your body is reacting to adjustments each appointment. Additionally, a chiropractor who works with a team of medical professionals like at College Park orthopedics can help provide you with the best, most comprehensive care out there. Call us today!