Once I go to a Chiropractor, do I have to go forever?

This is a very common question I hear from people.  The answer depends if you are using it for symptom relief or wellness care.  The traditional approach for medical care is if we have a symptom, we visit the doctor for treatment (typically prescription meds) until the symptom goes away and then we stop the treatment.  I should say this applies to symptoms like a flu or infection because symptoms that are associated with chronic disease, for example high blood pressure, people usually end up taking their prescription medication “forever”.  

Side note: I understand those “forever” medications play a role in preventing death.  However, how often are patients guided by their doctors in making healthy lifestyle changes to get off of the medications? Most end up taking the medications “forever” because their doctor don’t give them the proper actions steps to make the changes necessary to get their bodies healthy.  I am not trying to knock those doctors.  They are simply doing what they learned in medical school which is allopathic care (disease focused).  There are many doctors that also attend a functional medicine school to learn how to help patients make healthy lifestyle changes and get them off of medications.  If you would like to get off of these medications, I recommend finding a functional medicine doctor who can help guide you.  

People apply the same method to Chiropractic.  You see a Chiropractor for neck or back pain and once the pain is resolved you don’t return for care.  There is nothing wrong with that.  I first went to a Chiropractor for lower back pain almost 20 years ago.  You can read more about my Chiropractic testimonial here: Link to Bio

However, Chiropractic is not the same as Allopathic care which is disease focused.  Even though it’s used as allopathic care, the truth is Chiropractic is an important aspect of Wellness care.  Wellness care is all about making healthy lifestyle choices: taking care of your mental health, exercise or movement for your body, healthy eating for good nutrition.  If you want to be well, how long do you have to make healthy lifestyle choices? If you want to have optimum health, then the answer is as long as you’re alive. 

Some people have asked if they need to see a Chiropractor forever once they start because their “spine will fall apart” and become dependent on chiropractic. Nothing could be further from the truth.  Once you start exercising or eating healthy do you have to keep doing it forever because your body is dependent on those activities? No, it’s because those are essential in order for you to be healthy. The purpose of chiropractic adjustments is to restore proper motion and alignment to the spinal joints and remove interference to the nerves that cause pain and lead to dis-ease.  Chiropractic helps to improve the communication of your brain to your body by improving the function of your nervous system which controls every part of your body. How essential is a proper functioning spine and nervous system for health? If chiropractic adjustments caused spines to “fall apart” then patients wouldn’t feel relief but would feel more discomfort over time.  

I have been getting Chiropractic adjustments for almost 20 years now.  The reason is because I choose to.  Why do I choose to? When it comes to living a healthy lifestyle – practicing mindfulness, exercising, and healthy eating etc., I keep doing those activities because it adds to my health. Let me give you an example.  If your goal is weight loss and you reach your weight loss goal by being disciplined with your eating habits and exercise routine, what happens if you stop your routine? You will gain back the weight.  

Health is like having a bank account.  If you’re not making deposits into your account and only make withdrawals, your money will dwindle away.  

Confession: I am not perfect.  I LOVE food! However, I strive to live by the 80/20 principle.  80% or more of the time I am making healthy choices.  The other 20% of the time I eat whatever I want! 🤤.

I get adjusted every 2 weeks for maintenance/wellness, sometimes 1x/week.  Because my goal isn’t just preventing injury or back pain but to make sure my nervous system is free of interference so that my nervous system is functioning as close to 100% as possible.  Some of my patients choose to only prevent pain so they may get adjusted less frequently – 1x/month or once every few months. Some choose to wait until they are hurting before seeing me again.  Some patients choose to get adjusted weekly or every other week for overall wellness.  I should mention, if you see a Chiropractor because you have some sort to symptom, you start in the relief/active phase of care where you will see the Chiropractic more frequently in the beginning until your symptoms are under control before you transition to the maintain and/wellness phase of care.  You can read more about this here: “How Often Do I Have to see a Chiropractor?”. 

So to answer the question: do you have to go forever? No, you don’t have to.  If you choose to see a Chiropractor for symptom relief, you can stop going after you achieve the goal of symptom relief.  Keep in mind that most Chiropractors will prescribe exercises, stretches, and ergonomic tips to help keep your spine heathy so make sure you keep up with that routine if you want to prevent the pain from coming back.  If you choose to go for wellness care, then you go at whatever frequency you choose to.  It’s your health so it’s your choice.  No matter  what’s your choice, I am here to help you achieve your goals.  🙂

Are you dealing with neck or back pain? Or dealing with stiffness or tension? Or wanting to implement Chiropractic as a part of your wellness care? Have you considered seeing a House Call Chiropractor? If you are a busy parent, busy professional, or prefer to receive care in the privacy of your own home, House Call Chiropractic saves time, provides convenience, and longer appointments – Why House Calls