Spinal Hygiene Snippet #6: The 3 Phases of Your Healing Journey
Updated: Sep 26
When people come to see me with pain, they usually have one very understandable goal:
“I just want to feel better.”
And that's okay.
If your back is stopping you from sleeping, your neck is making work difficult, or pain is keeping you from doing the things you enjoy, feeling better is going to be your priority.
But here's something important I want my patients to understand:
Feeling better is the beginning of the journey—not necessarily the end.
I often explain this journey using three broad phases:
RELIEF → CORRECTION → WELLNESS
Let's look at what each one means.
Phase 1: Relief
The first goal is usually to help you feel better and get you moving again.
Depending on what's going on, this may involve reducing pain and irritation, improving movement and helping you get back to your normal activities.
And when that happens, we celebrate it!
Feeling better matters.
But remember what we've talked about in the previous Spinal Hygiene Snippets:
“Pain is usually the last thing to show up and the first thing to leave.”
So when your symptoms improve, it doesn't necessarily mean that everything else has already returned to healthy function.
Relief is an important milestone—but it may not be the finish line.
Phase 2: Correction
Once things are settling down, we can look more closely at how your body is functioning.
Are there areas that aren't moving well?
Are there movement patterns that need attention?
Have you lost strength or mobility?
Are there habits or physical demands that may be contributing to the problem?
This phase is about giving your body the opportunity to move and function better, rather than simply making the symptoms quieter.
And this can take time.
If something has been developing gradually over months or years, we shouldn't expect your body to completely adapt in a handful of visits.
Healing takes time. Adaptation takes time. Learning new movement patterns takes time.
That doesn't mean you aren't making progress.
It means we're allowing your body time to make lasting changes.
Phase 3: Wellness
Eventually, the focus can shift again.
We're no longer simply asking:
“How do we get rid of this pain?”
We're asking:
“How do we help you stay healthy and keep doing the things you love?”
This is where spinal hygiene becomes part of everyday life.
Movement.
Strength.
Mobility.
Healthy habits.
Recovery and sleep.
Awareness of how you use your body.
And, when appropriate, ongoing professional care to help you monitor and support your spinal health.
Think about your teeth.
Once your dentist has dealt with a problem, you don't stop brushing your teeth.
You move from treating a problem to maintaining good habits.
Spinal health can be approached in a similar way.
Why does understanding the journey matter?
Imagine starting a journey without knowing where you're going.
You might wonder:
“Are we there yet?”
The same thing can happen with healthcare.
If you believe that the only goal of your care is to make your pain disappear, then the moment your pain improves, you may quite reasonably think:
“I'm better. Why do I need to do anything else?”
But when you understand the bigger picture, you can see that there may be different goals along the way.
Relief → Correction → Wellness
Each phase has a purpose.
And your goals may change as your body changes.
Your progress is about more than pain
Pain is important—but it isn't the only thing worth measuring.
As you move through your journey, we can also look at things such as:
How well you're moving
Your strength and mobility
What activities you can do
How confident you feel in your body
How well you're sleeping
Whether everyday tasks are becoming easier
How well your body is coping with the demands of your life
Feeling better is wonderful. Functioning better is important too.
Your spinal hygiene takeaway
Your journey isn't simply:
“Pain → No Pain.”
It's about helping your body move, function and adapt as well as possible—and learning how to support that progress in your everyday life.
Think of the three phases as a roadmap:
RELIEF
Help things settle and get you moving again.
CORRECTION
Work on the factors affecting healthy movement and function.
WELLNESS
Build habits that support your health for the long term.
Your journey may not follow these phases in a perfectly straight line. That's okay.
Health isn't a straight line. It's an ongoing process of adapting, learning and taking care of yourself.
A question to think about this week
Where do you think you are on your own journey right now?
Are you looking for relief?
Are you working on rebuilding strength and function?
Or are you ready to focus more on maintaining the health you've worked hard to achieve?
Wherever you are, the next step is simply to keep moving forward.
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