Phases of Care
Each patient is unique and different. While a tailored treatment plan is prescribed specifically for each patient's needs, there are four phases of care that most of our patients go through. These phases include:
Phase 1 - Pain Relief or Intensive Care
Our first goal is to get the patient out of pain. Pain not only puts a damper on an active lifestyle, but can also be completely debilitating. We want the patient to enjoy life and be pain free. The goal of PHASE 1 of treatment is to reduce and/or eliminate their pain so they can begin functioning and healing. We offer many quick pain relief treatment processes and will find the one that works best for each patient. This individual treatment will be discussed in the rehab management section, however this phase of treatment typically lasts anywhere from two to four weeks. Our average patient is able to decrease their pain by as much as 50% in just a few visits. However, the treatment processes offered in all phases of care can and are sometimes repeated as necessary for the patient to be ready to move into the next phase of care. During each phase, special testing is done to make sure the patient is on track for the next level of treatment and care. Helping our patients heal is our goal, but protecting them in the process is a top priority. Some patients come to us with very damaged soft tissue, including muscles, tendons, ligaments and discs. In order to get a patient to even hold an adjustment strengthening of these damaged muscles has to happen. Certain exercises will be given to help them in this phase before they are ready for corrective care. This is why chiropractic has failed for these patients in other offices. We will not let that happen here. During this phase we often implement acupuncture. Our acupuncture approach has amazing pain relieving capabilities without the side effects often seen using medication or other procedures.
Phase 2 - Corrective Care
Most of our patients, upon completing the Pain Relief – Intensive Care phase of treatment, realize that if they simply stop at that point, the pain and symptoms they initially experienced will most-likely return. It may take weeks or months, but they will return. Many chiropractors specialize only in relief of pain and/or symptoms. But at our goal is to get each and every patient back to a level of optimal health that is not a life-long dependency upon intensive care. Our goal is to help patients regain their fully active life with only the occasional need for wellness care.
During PHASE 2, the Corrective Care phase, we will teach and educate them on the lifestyle exercises that will not only strengthen the muscles surrounding the spine (to restore normal function in the body), but when continued, will protect you from recurring flare ups or a return of symptoms. We have the technology to repair the wear and tear caused by repetitive stress or major trauma. We can repair the damage and strengthen the spinal muscles to allow normal function to return. Pain always shows up towards the end of the degenerative process. That is why it goes away early in the treatment process, or PHASE 1. The stronger and better-conditioned the muscles surrounding the spine become, the healthier the overall body function will be. That is why it is crucial that you understand these phases as you will be fully responsible to manage these steps and the progress of the patient. Following PHASE 2, the patient should be able to handle a reasonable amount of stress without the painful symptoms coming back.
Phase 3 - Stabilization Care
A simple analogy explains this phase. Once an orthodontic patient gets their braces on their teeth removed, they are typically fitted with a retainer to assist the teeth in maintaining the corrective procedures experienced. This is known as stabilization. In our treatment of the spine, once we correct the issues affecting it, we then need to stabilize it. In many cases, the ligaments (connecting bone to bone) and tendons (connecting muscle to bone) have lost their elasticity. They are like a spring that has been stretched out and is unable to naturally recoil. Due to their great blood supply, muscles heal within weeks and provide us with the optimal avenue for changing the shape of the spine typically in a rapid fashion. However tendons and ligaments (which don’t have a very good blood supply) heal much slower. They can take many months. This is why patients need to understand why continuing their exercise program is so important. We have to keep the muscles strong enough to do the job of the tendon and ligaments until they have recoiled and become stable. The Stabilization Care phase of treatment focuses on the re-strengthening and rebuilding of muscles, ligaments, and tendons; all in an effort to support the spine and create a level of optimal health and functionality.
Phase 4 - True Wellness Care
Once the patient has their health back and have become active and healthy again, we want to make sure they stay that way! However, it is unrealistic to expect patients to simply go the remainder of their lives healthy and happy when they are faced with the same stressors that probably caused their initial symptoms. Physical, emotional, and chemical stressors can rake havoc on the body, and the mere force of gravity experienced daily on the spine will eventually cause a patient to require care. Just as teeth will eventually move out of alignment again, so will the spine. This is why we have developed PHASE 4 - True Wellness Care.
Patients who attend our periodic wellness workshops, maintain their weekly exercises, and come in every so often for their wellness checkups are able to maintain their spinal correction, combat any new stressors such as the effects of gravity, and maintain a high level of functionality. These patients are better prepared physically to handle life’s stress and still feel great. Patients who consistently follow PHASE 4 can truly understand and apply the sage advice of Ben Franklin when he said, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.”
We have helped people from all over Montgomery County, Maryland with quality pain relief and healthy living. Visit us today to see what we can do for you.
