For Your Best Between Visits

Simple tips to support your body, mind, and spirit after your Healcove session.

At Healcove in San Diego, your care doesn’t stop when you leave the room. What you do in the hours and days after matters just as much — and small choices make a big difference. These gentle tips will help you feel your best between visits and extend the benefits of your chiropractic, acupuncture, massage, cupping, gua-sha, or other therapies.

General Care Tips

  1. Hydrate well: Drinking water supports circulation, lymphatic flow, and detoxification.

  2. Rest if needed: It’s normal to feel relaxed, a little tired, or even mildly sore after treatment. Allow your body to integrate.

  3. Gentle movement: Light walking and stretching can help your body adapt to changes without overstraining.

  4. Avoid alcohol or heavy meals right after: These can interfere with recovery and integration.

  5. Use heat or cold thoughtfully: If you’ve had lighter massage or relaxation-focused care, enjoying a sauna or hot tub afterward is usually fine. If you’ve had deeper bodywork, cupping, or gua-sha, wait about 24 hours before using hot tubs, saunas, or cold plunges so your skin and circulation can settle.

Need extra support between visits?

Our team is here to answer questions and guide your next steps. Whether it’s chiropractic, acupuncture, or massage, these tips help you get the most from your care here in San Diego.

After Chiropractic

  1. Expect mild soreness: This is common and should resolve within 24–48 hours.

  2. Support alignment: Maintain good posture and avoid slouching or prolonged sitting when possible.

  3. Skip intense workouts for 24 hours: Give your body time to stabilize.

  4. Ice or heat — trust your body: If an area feels sore or tight, gentle heat can encourage blood flow. If you notice swelling or the area feels hot, choose cooling instead. Listen to what your body is asking for.

When to call us: If soreness worsens significantly or you notice new symptoms, reach out to the Healcove team.

After Acupuncture

  1. Possible responses: You may feel deeply relaxed, energized, or even emotional — all normal signs your system is shifting.

  2. Rest and reflect: Prioritize quiet, restorative activities the day of your session.

  3. Pause on caffeine and alcohol: Giving your body a break from stimulants helps it fully absorb the benefits of your session. Return to them later if you choose.

  4. Keep track of changes: Subtle shifts in sleep, digestion, or mood are often part of progress.

When to call us: If you experience prolonged dizziness, fainting, or unexpected discomfort.

After Massage

  1. Soreness is normal: Especially after deep tissue or sports massage, but should fade within 1–2 days.

  2. Hydration is key: Flush out metabolic byproducts and support muscle recovery.

  3. Stretch gently: Helps maintain range of motion and reduce stiffness.

  4. Enjoy heat or cold carefully: Saunas or hot tubs may feel good after a lighter massage. If your session was deeper, give it about 24 hours before extreme heat or cold.

After Cupping or Gua-Sha

  1. Expect marks: Circular cupping marks or light redness from gua-sha are normal and fade within a few days to a week.

  2. Keep the area covered and warm: Avoid direct wind, cold exposure, or very hot showers for 24 hours.

  3. Avoid hot tubs, saunas, or cold plunges for 24 hours: Your skin and circulation are more sensitive right after these therapies.

  4. Moisturize gently: Natural oils can soothe the skin.

  5. Hydrate and rest: Helps your body process the therapy.

When to call us: If you notice unusual pain, blistering, or skin reactions.

Whole-Person Care

Your session is just one piece of your overall well-being. How you nourish your body and mind afterward can deepen the benefits.

  1. Eat well: Choose clean, nourishing meals that give your body the fuel it needs to recover and repair.

  2. Choose your inputs wisely: After care, your nervous system is open and responsive. Fill it with things that uplift you — wholesome media, a good book, time in nature — or simply give yourself the gift of quiet.

  3. Restorative rituals: A short meditation or mindful breathing before sleep can help integrate the changes from your session.

  4. Protect your calm: Limit overstimulation — too much screen time, chaotic environments, or unnecessary stress — so your system has space to reset.

Think of after-care as an extension of your appointment. Small choices, repeated over time, create lasting change.

Keep Your Progress Going

Your body is already doing the work of healing. By giving it a little support between visits, you’ll help the results settle in and last. And if something doesn’t feel quite right, reach out — we’ll walk through it together. You’re in good hands.