Chiropractic care can provide a variety of health benefits, from pain and tension relief to better posture and sleep patterns. However, you may have a few questions before starting chiropractic treatment.
How many times a month should you see a chiropractor? How often should you receive adjustments for urgent cases versus chronic pain and regular maintenance? This article will answer some common questions surrounding chiropractic visits and how often you should seek treatment.
When Should You See a Chiropractor?
Below are some common reasons you might visit a chiropractor:
- Back pain: A chiropractor can manually move the joints in your spine to realign the bones, helping ease chronic back pain. They can also recommend back stretches and ways to improve posture and determine the cause of your pain.
- Neck pain: Chiropractic treatment for neck pain can be as successful as conventional medical treatments. According to research, patients who received chiropractic care for chronic neck pain showed high levels of pain improvement over time.
- Sports injuries: A chiropractor can help treat various sports injuries, such as strains and sprains, concussions, knee injuries and shin splints.
- Auto accidents: If you were recently involved in an auto accident or motorcycle collision, you may have internal injuries that require chiropractic care. A chiropractor can help relieve your pain, and you may be able to avoid invasive surgery.
- Workers’ comp: Common work-related injuries include falls, transportation incidents and repetitive strain injuries (RSIs). Whether your medical insurance covers chiropractic care or you’re paying out of pocket, a chiropractor can help relieve work-related pain and discomfort.
How Often Should You Get a Chiropractic Adjustment?
Because people seek chiropractic treatment for all sorts of reasons, there isn’t a one-size-fits-all approach. After performing a whole-body health assessment, your chiropractor will create a personalized chiropractic plan based on your condition and systems, determining how often you should receive an adjustment.
For instance, you may need to see a chiropractor two or three times a week if you’re experiencing severe pain or recovering from an injury. However, one visit per week may be sufficient if you’re only experiencing minor aches or discomfort. Either way, you’ll determine when your appointments will happen with your chiropractor’s guidance.
How Often Should You Go to a Chiropractor for Maintenance?
If you have chronic pain or want to relieve regular symptoms of a medical condition, you may benefit from maintenance appointments every three or four weeks. Depending on their situations and their chiropractor’s recommendations, some patients may only have to go every three months. As mentioned earlier, every individual’s needs are unique.
Even if you aren’t experiencing any pain or symptoms, regular chiropractor visits may help prevent the occurrence of an injury or condition.
Urgent, Rehabilitative and Maintenance
While we’ve briefly touched on chiropractic maintenance appointments, chiropractic visits for more serious cases may require more frequent treatment. There are three main types of medical treatment that also apply to chiropractic care:
- Urgent: An urgent event, such as a severe injury from an automotive accident, will likely require repeat visits throughout the first few weeks of chiropractic care.
- Rehabilitative: Rehabilitative visits, which involve recovery from a recent injury, may be required a few times per month.
- Maintenance: People visiting a chiropractor for maintenance reasons or chronic pain may only need adjustments once or twice a month, or when they encounter a flare-up.
Why Do Chiropractors Require So Many Visits?
A chiropractor administers treatment through spinal adjustments rather than traditional medicine. A new patient — especially one who’s never received chiropractic care — will require numerous adjustments to achieve the proper degree of correction for a misalignment.
It’s difficult to achieve comprehensive chiropractic treatment in only one session. You’ll likely require several visits to get relief from pain and symptoms. Your chiropractor is addressing the source of your pain or discomfort, focusing on long-term correction instead of short-term relief.
Additional Benefits of Chiropractic Care
There are other potential advantages to receiving regular chiropractic treatment, including:
- Stress relief: A misaligned spine can cause tension and stress. Adjusting the spine can help ease tense muscles, improving blood circulation and relaxing the body. Therefore, chiropractic adjustments may help relieve stress and soothe your body’s fight-or-flight response.
- Better posture: Poor posture can cause the spine to curve. A chiropractor can adjust your spine to improve posture and relieve any pain.
- Improved sleep: Pain or tension throughout your body makes it incredibly difficult to sleep well. Proper spinal adjustment can help reduce pain and stress, thus improving your sleep patterns and overall health.
How Long Should You See a Chiropractor?
Some people choose to continue regular chiropractic visits even when their pain has subsided, or they’ve recovered from an injury. However, there are some instances where stopping chiropractic treatment may be the right decision.
The most common scenario is when an individual has already achieved their original treatment goals. A new session of adjustments can be started at any time, whether for a new set of goals, pain relief, regular well-being or another health concern.
There are certain cases where a chiropractor may recommend stopping treatment when it isn’t providing the intended results. If you don’t see any improvement after the first few sessions or experience increased pain rather than relief, these are signs that it may be time to stop treatment. Speaking with your practitioner is ultimately the best way to determine how long you should continue chiropractic care.
Can You Go to the Chiropractor Too Much?
There isn’t necessarily a limit to how often you can receive chiropractic adjustments, though you should ensure this frequency doesn’t exceed your body’s tolerance. Getting too many chiropractic adjustments may result in adverse health effects, such as a herniated disc, decreased range of motion or increased back pain. On the other hand, insufficient visits won’t achieve the desired results.
A reputable practitioner can create a custom care plan to ensure you’re receiving the proper amount of treatment without overdoing or underdoing your visits. If you’re concerned about visiting your chiropractor too often or not enough, speak with your practitioner about your care schedule.
Schedule Your Appointment at Thrive Chiropractic Group
At Thrive Chiropractic Group, we aim to provide affordable care, informative treatment and long-term healing for every patient that comes through our door. Whether you’re experiencing chronic back pain, neck pain or headaches, our customized chiropractic care is designed to reduce inflammation, improve flexibility and mobility, enhance mood and sleep and accelerate recovery.
With personalized treatment sessions, you’ll also receive valuable lifestyle and nutritional education, stretches and exercises to help ease pain and discomfort. In addition to pain relief, our specialized approach aims to combat the root of your condition to improve your long-term health. Schedule an appointment at one of our Oklahoma offices for customized chiropractic solutions today!
