How often should you visit a chiropractor? Can you see a chiropractor too much? There are several factors that will help you determine how often you should visit a chiropractor and not all may apply to you. With so many people seeing chiropractors, you can’t always see what someone else is doing and decide that you should follow the same approach.
Every person is different and your goals are different as well. Where you are in your healthcare journey also plays a big role in determining the frequency of visits. Let’s start with that…
Your Condition Affects How Often You Should Visit A Chiropractor
Is your problem brand new or is it just that the symptoms are brand new? Have you had this problem for days, weeks, months, or years? All of these will determine how often you should be seeing a chiropractor. In nearly every case, you will see a chiropractor more at the beginning of your case and then gradually reduce how often you should go.
How often you will see a chiropractor at the beginning of care can vary, but most will start at a frequency of at least three times per week. This is due to how your supporting muscles handle your spine being adjusted. When the bones are out of their normal alignment, how long they’ve been that way will determine how likely your muscles will want to pull the bones right back out of place again following an adjustment.
In some cases, when the patient is in a lot of pain, you may even see the chiropractor daily. It doesn’t happen a lot, but I have had patients in enough pain that I’m back up at the office on the weekend to make sure they get enough treatment to make it until Monday.
How long you stay at a frequency of three times per week will depend on how long you’ve had the problem, the severity of the problem, and your overall health at this moment in time. We have learned that people that exercise will respond much faster than those patients that don’t. Younger patients respond much faster than older patients. How diligent you are to home care recommendations also can have an effect.
Your initial visit frequency may seem like a lot, but it’s better to be seen a few extra times than not get the initial relief and the eventual long-term results by not getting enough care.
Your Goals Affect How Often You Should Visit A Chiropractor
Once you have completed your initial care plan and are feeling great (maybe for the first time in a long time), regular care is still beneficial. How often you visit a chiropractor once you “no longer feel like you need it” will affect your health and this is based entirely on your goals.
Some patients have healthcare goals that are “I’ll call you when I hurt,” while others are much more proactive and preventative in how they approach their health. We keep an open door policy in our office, so if you want to wait until you hurt, you can do that. That’s not how we approach health and we will always give your our best recommendations, but it has to match with your goals.
The patients that get the most out of our care are those that ask questions, are consistent, and look for what’s next when it comes to taking another step towards good health. Chiropractic care is just one part of your overall health plan.
Another thing to consider is what you put your spine through on a daily, weekly, and monthly basis. Are you doing yoga or just sitting at your computer? Are you traveling a lot or working out harder than usual? How has your posture been? Has this month been particularly stressful? Are you starting to feel signs that your sciatica is attempting a return visit? What you are going through, will go through, or what you just do on a daily basis will have an impact as to how frequently you should visit your chiropractor.
Financial Considerations And Convenience Can Affect How Often You Visit A Chiropractor
When deciding on visit frequency, I would love to say that finances and convenience of location shouldn’t play a part, but I know they do. You simply can’t have time for everything, nor can you afford everything you want to do. However, hopefully you’ve selected an office that is reasonable in both price and proximity to your home or work. How often you should see a chiropractor becomes how often can I see my chiropractor?
Taking the time out even once a month on a consistent basis will play a huge part in your overall long-term success with your chiropractic care plan, so making sure location isn’t a factor will help a ton. Being consistent with care makes a big difference, but if you find that you can’t get to the chiropractor at least once a month, ask your chiropractor for advice on things you can do at home to help your spine stay as healthy as possible between visits. (You should really do this even if you are seeing the chiropractor once a month anyway.)
Ultimately, there’s no one-size-fits-all answer to how often you should get a chiropractic adjustment. Consulting your doctor, assessing your lifestyle demands, and listening to your body will guide you in making informed decisions for optimal functionality and well-being.