It’s one of the most frustrating feelings in the world.
You’re doing everything right. You’re following the advice, doing your stretches, and being mindful of your posture. Yet, weeks later, you feel like you’re stuck in the exact same place.
It’s at this point that most of us are tempted to think, “This isn’t working,” and give up.
But what feels like a lack of progress is often something else entirely. It’s a necessary and powerful stage of healing that comes just before the real changes become obvious.
Think of an ice cube in a cold room. If you raise the temperature from minus five degrees to minus four, and then to minus three, nothing seems to happen. The ice cube is still an ice cube.
All that energy seems wasted.
But it’s not. It’s being stored. And as soon as the temperature hits zero, the breakthrough happens and the ice begins to melt.
Healing works in much the same way. The small, consistent efforts you make are building up potential. Your body is making changes on the inside—muscles are getting stronger, inflammation is slowly reducing, and your brain is learning new patterns of movement.
These are the invisible degrees of change that must happen before the breakthrough.
This period, where you’re putting in the work but not seeing the results, is often called the “Valley of Disappointment.”
It’s the gap between what we expect to happen (a straight line of steady improvement) and the reality of how our bodies heal.
It’s important to know that this valley is a normal part of the journey. It’s not a sign that you’re failing. It’s a sign that your body is busy laying the foundation for lasting change. Trusting the process during this time is the hardest part, but it’s also the most crucial.
When you’re in the valley, it helps to change how you measure success.
Instead of focusing on your pain level each day, focus on your actions. Did you do your five-minute walk? Did you remember to adjust your chair? Did you show up for your appointment?
Each of those actions is a win.
By celebrating your consistency, you take the pressure off the outcome. You’re acknowledging the effort, which is the one thing you have complete control over. This shift in focus is what will carry you through the plateau.
Everyone who has made a lasting change has spent time on a plateau.
Think of the person who works on their core strength for a month with little change, then one day they bend down to pick something up and realise, for the first time in years, they did it without thinking or wincing.
Or the office worker who improves their desk setup and feels no different for weeks, until they suddenly notice their end-of-day headaches have vanished.
The breakthrough is rarely a dramatic event. More often, it’s a quiet realisation that the efforts have finally tipped the scales.
Navigating the Valley of Disappointment is easier when you have a guide.
Chiropractic care can be a vital support during this phase. While you’re building your healthy habits, regular adjustments can help to ensure your spine and nervous system are functioning as well as they can.
Your chiropractor can also provide reassurance and perspective. They can help you recognise the small, subtle signs of progress that you might have missed and encourage you to stay the course, reminding you that your efforts are not in vain.
Lasting spinal health is not an overnight fix. It’s a process of accumulation.
Every small, positive action you take is another degree of change. While you may not see the results immediately, you are building up the potential for a breakthrough.
Staying patient and consistent through the plateau is the true secret to success. Because just on the other side of that valley is the relief and resilience you’ve been working towards all along.
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