How Long to Heal?

By: Kyo Mitchell / A Healthier You
 
Imagine you have been out of shape for a period of months or years. Now you decide you want to get back in shape and begin to exercise.
 
Will you be in shape in a week? No. How about a month? Probably not. Most people realize that if you have been out of shape for a while, it also takes months to get back into shape.
 
The reason for this analogy is a problem that is growing in medicine and health care. We have become a society where most forms of gratification are now immediate. Patients now also expect this of medicine.

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If they are in pain or have a medical condition, many simply want a quick and easy fix to get rid of the problem. The body however, usually does not work like that. Most chronic medical problems develop due to changes in how the cells and issues function over months (or years) and only when the level of function decreases below a certain level do you begin to see symptoms.
 
For the body to heal, it needs consistent input over time to make positive changes in the structure and function of its tissues.  A pill, acupuncture needle or chiropractic adjustment may decrease or eliminate the pain, but that does not mean that the problem is gone. This just means the overt symptoms are gone. The tissues need much more time to heal.
 
While many people realize this, knowing it and following it are two different matters. Many patients start some form of treatment protocol for a few weeks and then fail to follow through because the symptoms are gone.
 
Failure to follow through means that the problem does not get fully resolved and can quite probably worsen over time. This may result in increased pain, decreased level of function and more time and money to effectively treat it again in the future.
 
The quality of your life is highly determined by your level of health. Invest in your future “quality of life” by thoroughly and adequately treating any health concerns before they progress.