By: Adam Renelt, DC
Updated 3/18/2024
One concern that we hear commonly from the general public is that if they go to a chiropractor one time, they will need to continue having chiropractic care for the rest of their life. This makes them hesitate to seek chiropractic care out for a problem that may benefit from visiting a chiropractor. They think that receiving a chiropractic adjustment will somehow make their body “need” to be adjusted. Sometimes, we will be told that “so and so” is in a lot of pain but doesn’t want to visit a chiropractor because of this misconception.
How Does Chiropractic Care Work?
Chiropractic focuses on checking the spine for subluxations, or misalignments, and then adjusting them. Subluxations place pressure on the nerves that carry signals from the brain to the rest of the body. This nerve interference can cause your body to have tingling, numbness pain or many other symptoms. The goal of the adjustment is to improve the motion of the spinal vertebra and reduce this nerve interference. Often, this will help the body function better and the patient will feel better as a result.
Why do Patients Continue with Chiropractic Care?
Many patients do choose to continue to visit a chiropractor once they start. This isn’t because an adjustment causes them to need chiropractic care. Most commonly, they continue chiropractic care because they find that they feel better after receiving an adjustment. The frequency of adjustments will vary based on a person’s health and lifestyle. For some people, continuing care means getting adjusted once or twice a year. For other people, an adjustment every month may work better. For patients that want to be checked, and adjusted if needed, on a regular basis we have patients on intervals from 1x a week to once every 3 or 4 months. Every person is unique and will have different needs and our chiropractors will base their recommendations on each patient’s needs and situation.
Care Recommendations at Our Office
In our office we welcome and encourage people to continue with chiropractic care after their initial visit. However, we don’t typically require frequent visits for an extended length of time in order for someone to be a patient at our office. In fact, many of our patients choose to call for an appointment when they feel it is necessary. We are happy to work with patients to find the right amount of chiropractic care they need and desire. If you have questions about how frequently adjustments may be needed in your case, please contact us or call us at 605-271-5717. We would welcome the opportunity to discuss your case and to be your chiropractor.