Chiropractic care is rarely presented as an immediate panacea for pain. While it’s true that some degree of pain or discomfort can be remedied with an initial adjustment, lasting, restorative effects are usually only seen after a series of visits. The entire premise of Chiropractic BioPhysics is built on the idea of incremental adjustments.
This idea of results over time isn’t often digested well by patients, however. In a world ever-striving to offer immediate gratification and results, explaining the concept of small progressions can be met with resistance or mistrust.
It’s the job of a Chiropractic BioPhysics professional to quell these emotions from the outset of treatment, and to set expectations for what proper care looks like throughout the duration of treatment.
Map the timeline
Cultivating realistic expectations for chiropractic care starts with a big picture approach, and is then refined down into a more intricate explanation. In this way patients will have a broad understanding of their course of adjustment first and foremost.
Let patients know that one or two adjustments are not going to yield results. Moreover, present them with an estimated timeline based on their initial comprehensive assessment. Explain that they will require X number of visits, broken into Y stages, over a period of Z weeks.
Offering this information at the outset is imperative, as it shows transparency and curbs expectations from the outset. After, patients will look at their estimated timeline and understand that results are paced, rather than immediate.
Make imperatives clear
Once a timeline has been estimated, focus must shift to making imperatives explicitly clear to patients. Often, as they begin to see and feel results, patients lose sight of the remainder of their timeline. Corralling focus upfront creates a sense of urgency in staying on track with treatment and lifestyle until the fullest results are achieved. Some examples of imperatives include:
- Treatment doesn’t stop just because you feel better; it continues until the spine is properly realigned.
- Developing new habits is essential in facilitating lasting results and habits must be continued even after treatment is discontinued.
- Adjustment is comprehensive, which can mean focusing on areas of the spine that don’t seem to be affected, in order to correct those that feel.
Assert the quantitative approach of Chiropractic BioPhysics with patients. For those wary of general advice, being confronted with data-driven assessments is often more comforting than qualitative advice from even a tenured chiropractor.
Execute transparently
Being upfront, open, and honest with patients is more than just your duty as a healer, it’s also the best way to set expectations. Giving a patient a clear assessment of their prognosis and your expectations for their recovery over time sets the tone for adjustments moving forward. It also helps promote realism, optimism, and perseverance.
Allow for fluidity
Finally, it’s important to leave the door open for flexibility over the course of treatment. Ensuring patients understand the potential for ongoing assessment and adjustment of a corrective care plan means being able to better communicate throughout the duration of that plan. Patients need to know that things can change and that adjustments can be made to accommodate those changes.
Take time to set realistic expectations with patients before delivering care and make sure these expectations are mutually understood. This critical first step will not only prepare a patient mentally for the journey ahead, it’ll keep them grounded in the tailored, targeted approach that Chiropractic BioPhysics has to offer them.
Consult with the professionals at Ideal Spine Health Center today and see why we’re the leading resource for chiropractic care in Boise, ID. We’re ready to offer you a free exam to determine the health of your spine.
Chiropractic BioPhysics, or CBP, is one of the most scientific, researched, and results-oriented corrective care techniques. CBP-trained chiropractors aim to realign the spine back to health, eliminating nerve interference and addressing the source of pain, fatigue, and disease. As with all chiropractic care, CBP is gentle, painless, and non-invasive.