How Much Treatment Do I Need?
How much treatment you will need depends on a number of factors including the nature and severity of your symptoms and conditions, your age, physical activities, as well as your individual health and wellness goals. Most people initially come to the chiropractor because they are suffering with a physical symptom of pain or discomfort, and the goal of initial care is pain relief. This initial course of care is always the most intensive phase of care, and many people will require 2-3 treatments per week in the first few weeks. As symptoms fade away and posture improves, less frequent care is required.
Once the spine has stabilized and the patient is satisfied with the results of their relief care, there will be a decision to be made on how to proceed with care. Some individuals will choose to pursue care beyond just pain relief and look to truly correct posture and underlying problems – this is known as corrective care. Corrective care is a more long term process where care is continued 1-2 times per week until full spinal unwinding is achieved or the patient chooses to transition to maintenance care. Maintenance care can be started at the end of relief care, or at any point during corrective care. Maintenance care is ongoing care at regular intervals which are less frequent, like once a month for example, which serve to maintain the body in a pain free and functional state by combating the day-to-day stresses and strains on the body which result in new subluxations and compensations in the spine.
The alternative choice is to leave care, in which case it is likely that there will eventually be new problems/symptoms which arise, or perhaps exacerbations of underlying chronic problems which were not yet addressed during the short relief care phase. How long a person will go before he or she feels the need for further treatment is a completely individual experience which depends on personal pain thresholds, physical activities of daily life, and other health factors. For some this may be a few months down the road, and for others it may be many years. Whatever the case, you are always welcome to re-enter relief care at any point.
Once the spine has stabilized and the patient is satisfied with the results of their relief care, there will be a decision to be made on how to proceed with care. Some individuals will choose to pursue care beyond just pain relief and look to truly correct posture and underlying problems – this is known as corrective care. Corrective care is a more long term process where care is continued 1-2 times per week until full spinal unwinding is achieved or the patient chooses to transition to maintenance care. Maintenance care can be started at the end of relief care, or at any point during corrective care. Maintenance care is ongoing care at regular intervals which are less frequent, like once a month for example, which serve to maintain the body in a pain free and functional state by combating the day-to-day stresses and strains on the body which result in new subluxations and compensations in the spine.
The alternative choice is to leave care, in which case it is likely that there will eventually be new problems/symptoms which arise, or perhaps exacerbations of underlying chronic problems which were not yet addressed during the short relief care phase. How long a person will go before he or she feels the need for further treatment is a completely individual experience which depends on personal pain thresholds, physical activities of daily life, and other health factors. For some this may be a few months down the road, and for others it may be many years. Whatever the case, you are always welcome to re-enter relief care at any point.
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