Throughout the world, Chiropractors are regularly consulted with to address spinal pain and associated dysfunction. Given many spinal complaints are chronic (i.e long-standing) in nature it’s understandable that once initial improvement is noted individuals desire to maintain these changes and therefore prevent reoccurrence. Having said that, many people do not appropriately understand the concept of maintenance care and question why they should see a Chiropractor for “the rest of their life.”
Many Chiropractors promote wellness or maintenance care as a means of ensuring chronic spinal problems do not develop as well as ensuring normal spinal health. Chiropractors achieve this by scheduling additional visits over a prolonged period time but at a longer frequency than the initial stages of care. For example, if an individual required six appointments to appropriately address their neck complaint over a three week period, your practitioner may recommend Chiropractic maintenance care with a regular monthly check-up. While Chiropractors refer to this as wellness or maintenance care, the medical profession as a whole defines this as secondary or tertiary prevention.
While Chiropractor’s promote the many benefits of maintenance care, the decision to continue care is solely with the client. If you do not value ongoing wellness and wish to seek care with your Chiropractor only when you’re in pain then symptomatic or acute care is suitable for you. On the other hand, if your philosophy for health and wellbeing mirrors the Chiropractic philosophy than Chiropractic maintenance care is for you. The frequency of Chiropractic maintenance care differs from individual to individual. Some clients of our office wish to consult with their Chiropractor on a fortnightly basis because they understand that their bodies get the most benefit from care at this frequency. Others choose to visit every 3, 4, 5, 6 weeks and longer. The key is to find what is right for your body and stick to it long-term.