Walking after an adjustment is something we tell all our patients and there is a reason for it. It seems that some of you have forgotten why this simple act is so crucial, so let’s dive into the five main reasons why walking after your adjustments can make a world of difference.
1. Integration of Adjustment: Walking helps your body integrate the effects of the adjustment. It allows your muscles and joints to adapt to the new alignment and movement patterns established during treatment. If you just hop into your car, you could immediately deactivate the postural muscles we just activated and pull your body back into bad posture. It’s like having McDonald’s after going to the gym – counterproductive.
2. Promotion of Healing: Movement, like walking, stimulates circulation and promotes healing. If your body is currently in pain and has inflammation, walking can help move that around into circulation, giving you pain relief. Plus, it delivers nutrients and oxygen to the tissues, aiding in the repair process.
3. Prevention of Stiffness: Some individuals may experience temporary stiffness or soreness after an adjustment. Walking helps prevent this stiffness by keeping the joints and muscles active and mobile, preventing them from tightening up and resisting the change.
4. Enhanced Function: Walking encourages proper biomechanics and functional movement patterns, reinforcing the positive changes made during the adjustment and supporting overall spinal health. When you stand up straight and tall after an adjustment, your brain’s balance center slowly learns this new movement pattern, making the adjustment last longer.
5. Maintaining Alignment: Regular movement, including walking (not just after an adjustment), helps maintain the alignment achieved through chiropractic adjustments at other times. It prevents the muscles from tightening up or weakening, which could pull the spine out of alignment again. Walking activates core muscles, aids nutrition, and boosts mental health – all contributing to a healthier you.
But at the end of the day, the reason we ask you to go for a walk after an adjustment is simple: to get better results. So please take a stroll around the park behind us for at least 5 minutes – 10 minutes would be even better. If you jump straight back into your car, the responsibility for your spine’s holding power falls back on you.
I see people making this mistake all too often, and all I want is for you to get the best out of your chiropractic care. In the long term, this will save you money because you’ll need fewer check-ups.
I hope you found this helpful, and I hope you’ll start taking your walks after your adjustments again. Also, if I could ask you to lay down or stretch before your adjustments while you’re waiting for us, that would help us give you the best care possible. You’ll have a more mobile spine before treatment and better holding power afterward.