Chiropractic care takes time because what loads up your body builds over time too. As a chiropractor in Royal Oak, Dr. Anna Saylor hears "Why is this taking so long?" a lot, and she answers it the way you would answer it about getting in shape or getting braces: it takes consistency, time, and reps.
Why does chiropractic care seem to take so long?
It takes time for the same reason getting in shape takes time. Dr. Saylor shared a recent conversation at Van Every Family Chiropractic Center: a patient told her that her brother, a few months into chiropractic care, wondered why he wasn't fixed yet.
When the patient asked him how long he had had the problem, it turned out he had had it for quite a long time. Dr. Saylor said we hear this question a lot, and she gave the patient an honest answer to take back to her brother.
Why does a chiropractor in Royal Oak talk about reps?
Because the best comparisons are the ones where nobody expects a one-day result. Dr. Saylor put it plainly: "You wouldn't work out once and expect the abs you want." She said the same about braces: "You wouldn't wear braces for a week and expect straight teeth."
Both take consistency, time, and reps. She also pointed out that when the braces come off, you still wear a retainer, because otherwise your teeth drift right back. Chiropractic works the same way, she said, and the work in our Royal Oak office is one part of it.
What are the three T's that fill the bucket?
The three T's are Trauma, Thoughts and Toxins, and Dr. Saylor describes each one as something that loads up your body over time.
- Trauma: the big things you remember, like car accidents, slips and falls, and also the little things. She said "sitting at your desk, looking at your phone, that's daily trauma". Our page on posture and tech neck covers that daily load.
- Thoughts: the stress you carry, sometimes for years. Dr. Saylor said, "Stress is really what brings most people into our practice." You can read more on our stress page.
- Toxins: what you put in your body, and what you don't.
Every one of those fills the bucket. In her words, "we can only unfill it so fast".
What happens after you leave our Royal Oak office?
The time between visits counts as much as the visit itself. Dr. Saylor said that once you leave, "you have the next 23 hours and 50 minutes to either protect the work we did, or undo it".
So if you are a few visits in and wondering why you're not done yet, her message is simple: "you're not behind. You're doing the reps."
Families come to see us from Ferndale and Berkley and from Troy and Birmingham, as well as from Royal Oak itself. You can read about chiropractic care near Ferndale or near Berkley, learn about your first visit, or meet our doctors, Dr. Anna Saylor, Dr. John Johr and Dr. Zach Conner. To get started or keep going, call or text (248) 616-0900 or book online.
Frequently asked questions
Why does chiropractic care take so long?
It works like getting in shape or getting braces: it takes consistency, time, and reps. Dr. Saylor shared that a patient's brother, a few months in, wondered why he wasn't fixed yet, and he had had the problem for quite a long time. Trauma, thoughts and toxins load up the body over time, and we can only unfill it so fast.
What are the three T's?
The three T's are Trauma, Thoughts and Toxins. Trauma covers car accidents, slips and falls, and little things like hours hunched over your phone. Thoughts means the stress you carry, sometimes for years. Toxins means what you put in your body and what you don't. Dr. Saylor says every one of them fills the bucket.
Why does what I do between visits matter?
Dr. Saylor says that after you leave our office you have the next 23 hours and 50 minutes to either protect the work we did or undo it. That is why she compares care to wearing a retainer after braces: otherwise teeth drift right back. Call or text (248) 616-0900 to talk with our Royal Oak team.
