This is a great question. It’s actually not unusual for people to feel worse after beginning chiropractor care. Fortunately, it’s only temporary. Here’s why adjustments may make you feel worse in the beginning, and why it’s actually a good sign.
Feeling Worse to Feel Better
When you visit the chiropractor, especially when it’s something new, you may notice immediate relief during your adjustment. But within a few hours, you start to feel sore – maybe even worse than the pain that drove you to the chiropractor in the first place.
Years and years of accumulated spinal misalignments can mean that the first few adjustments cause discomfort. This is because changes are happening in the body, and even they’re good changes, they’re uncomfortable all the same. But discontinuing care after one, two, even three visits because you’re expecting to feel better and you’re actually feeling worse, doesn’t allow your body the time it needs to adapt to these new changes.
Here’s an Example
Think of it in terms of exercise. The first time you lift weights or go for a run, you may feel physically ill from the exertion. Afterward, your body will feel sore and weak, and you may even feel nauseated. But if you stick to this program, you body adapts quickly and within just a few weeks, you’ll start feeling better.
The same is true in chiropractic. When misalignments that have been present for years are suddenly corrected, your body needs time to adjust to that change. Muscles, ligaments and joins must re-adapt to the new, improved position of the vertebra, and that can take time.
Understanding this can help alleviate the disappointment or suspicion you may feel if there’s no “instant fix.” Like many things, chiropractic care is a process. Processes take time, so try to be patient.