There exists a number of reasons why you might choose to see a chiropractor.
It might be that neck and back pain, poor sleep quality, fatigue or headache. Or, it might be injuries due to car accidents, stress, or pain and tingling from conditions such as Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.
Irrespective of your reasons for seeking chiropractic treatment, different chiropractors have different philosophies concerning treatment.
For some chiropractors, the goal is to help you return to your former state without necessarily expecting to see you again. The only exception here is where you have further problems.
Others believe in a preventive maintenance program that is regular. Such chiropractors may require you to visit them every week or once every couple of months to assess if you need an adjustment or not.
There are also those chiropractors who believe that they should be visited only when one feels that s/he need an adjustment. This brings us to the question, how often should you get a chiropractic adjustment?
Before answering this question, we need to first understand what chiropractic adjustment is.
What Is a Chiropractic Adjustment?
A chiropractic adjustment refers to a procedure that involves the application of a controlled, sudden force to a spinal joint. The procedure is performed by a chiropractor using hands or a small instrument.
It is generally meant to adjust misaligned joints of the body, particularly the spine. This, in turn, help reduce spinal nerve stress which promotes health throughout the body.
The procedure serves the goal of improving spinal motion and improving the physical function of the body.
It is commonly done for people with low back pain, neck pain, and headaches, although other related conditions may be addressed as well.
What Do Chiropractors Do?
Chiropractors deliver the chiropractic treatment by using various manipulations to align the spin.
During one’s initial visit, chiropractors typically perform a physical exam. This they do while being specifically attentive to the spine and whether one has normal bone density.
For those individuals with lower levels of bone density, gentler treatments are recommended. During the treatment, the chiropractor will use his/her hands in applying controlled, rapid force to the joint that is injured or damaged.
This will enable the joint to move in a normal manner, reducing pain and inflammation in the process.
Should You See a Chiropractor for Neck Adjustment?
The general answer to this question is yes. However, you must ensure that the specialist you are seeing is properly trained licensed.
As established by research, chiropractic adjustment is ideal in treating muscle-related or unexplained lower-back pain. However, caution must be taken when it comes to chronic issues such as arthritis.
The other risk that you should be aware of before visited a chiropractor is when your source of pain comes from a slipped or herniated disk. If spinal manipulation is not performed correctly, it can actually make things worse.
There may also be a rare case of stroke should the chiropractic neck adjustment result into overstretching of arteries. When arteries are overstretched, it could lead to the formation of a clot that blocks the flow of blood to the brain.
However, a properly trained and licensed specialist will know how to avoid such a case. Read more now to understand how spinal decompression therapy works!
How Often Should You Get a Chiropractic Adjustment?
There isn’t one specific answer to this question as different chiropractors have different philosophies concerning treatment.
How often you should have a chiropractic adjustment thus depends on the seriousness of your condition and the treatment plan adopted by your chiropractor.
Generally, no one can literally predict your response to treatment. For this reason, a chiropractor will not always tell you the amount of time it will take for your condition to heal.
Most chiropractors recommend that your treatment be assessed every 3 to 6 weeks to establish if more or fewer visits will be required.
However, for a beginner with a minor condition, it is recommended that you see your chiropractor for multiple appointments per week for a period of 1 to 4 weeks.
This way, your condition, in the aforementioned time period, may be reduced significantly. This will then allow for the reduction of frequency of your visits.
If your condition is a little more serious, you will need to visit your chiropractor for up to 12 months within a period of 3 to 4 months.
It is advisable that once you have an appointment with your chiropractor, you should commit to the visits. This way, you will be able to see results much quicker.
Also, when your pain persists after the first four weeks, you should tell your chiropractor to enable him/her to adjust your treatment plan and your frequency of correspondingly.
If you are a type of patient who is seeking chiropractic adjustment as a precautionary method and to maintain your health, consider making appointments once every few weeks.
Finally, even after being healed from your condition, you should consider seeking adjustments at least once every few weeks.
Chiropractic Adjustment Side Effects
Chiropractic adjustments, when performed by trained and licensed persons, are generally safe.
Therefore, the reactions to chiropractic manipulation are generally non-threatening. Some of the most common reactions include:
• Local discomfort in areas of treatment
• Pain in areas other than that of treatment
• Fatigue
• Headaches
When to Avoid Chiropractic Adjustment
If you are having any of these conditions, you should consider avoiding chiropractic adjustment.
• Spine cancer
• Increased risk of stroke
• Severe osteoporosis
• If you have an abnormality in the upper neck.
Moreover, there are a few questionable elements of chiropractic treatment programs that you should always check out.
One of these elements regards lengthy treatment program. You should be cautious if a lengthy chiropractic program is recommended by a chiropractor after just 1 or 2 consultations.
The other element regards continued treatments after symptoms have resolved. Once symptoms have been addressed, chiropractors are expected to discontinue treatment.
Bottom Line
The question of how often should you get a chiropractic adjustment has no one specific answer. It all depends on the seriousness of your condition and the treatment plan adopted by your chiropractor.
We hope this article was useful in helping you decide on the frequency with which you should get a chiropractic adjustment.
Keep tabs on our blog for more health and physical fitness insights.