35 million Americans visit the chiropractor each year for a range of reasons. Whether it be headaches, backaches, or other musculoskeletal pain, a good portion of people find them to be incredibly effective.
However, one thing that stops many people from going to the chiropractor in the first place is this lingering question: if you start going to you have to keep going? If you get one adjustment, are you beholden to continue visiting a chiropractor?
In this blog post, we’ll look at the number of chiropractor visits most people make and whether or not once you start, you’ll be unable to stop.
Read on for more information.
Once I Go to a Chiropractor, Do I Have to Continue to Go for Life?
As we stated in the introduction, one thing that puts people off going to a chiropractor is the fear that they’ll be stuck going for the rest of their lives. If they get adjusted once, will they continue to get adjusted to keep the pain at bay?
The short answer is no. Once you visit a chiropractor, you won’t have to continue to go for the rest of your life. In fact, a chiropractor that asks you to visit over and over is a red flag and a sign of a chiropractor who doesn’t have your best interest in mind.
A good chiropractor will create a treatment plan and help you heal from your injury or create exercises for long-term pain. They won’t ask you to come back every single day for the foreseeable future, though they may ask you to come back for a short period of time.
Why Don’t You Need Unending Chiropractor Visits?
The answer to this question is relatively simple: if you have pain and it’s been cured, why would you need to return to have it worked on more? If you get ill, you don’t continue to see the doctor every week after you’ve gotten better unless the condition was severe. Even then, once you’ve reached a stable point, check-ups will be fewer and further between until they’re non-existent.
The same should be the case with a good chiropractor. A chiropractor that asks you to continue to visit even after you’ve made a significant improvement in your health is clearly after your money. It isn’t as invested in helping you get better.
The Problem May Not Be a Problem a Chiropractor Can Solve
Another reason you most likely won’t need unending chiropractor visits because your issue may not be one a chiropractor can solve. A good chiropractor will consider and refer you to another type of doctor if necessary.
For example, if you come in reporting a certain kind of pain in your hips, your chiropractor should first assess if they can treat it. In some cases, different injuries are beyond a chiropractor’s remit, or you should only visit a chiropractor after a certain period of time after your injury.
A good chiropractor will know their boundaries and recognize when something is wrong that they cannot treat. As such, the chiropractor will refer you to a different doctor who can treat what is wrong with you. Then, you won’t have to go back to the chiropractor at all, as they won’t be able to treat you effectively.
Can I Visit a Chiropractor Just Once?
This is a question that cannot be answered without a full chiropractic evaluation. Depending on the problem, the answer may be yes, but more often than not, it is no.
Why Do Most People Have to Visit a Chiropractor More Than Once?
Most people have to visit a chiropractor more than once to help them heal from their injuries or correct a lifetime of poor posture.
Typically, the first time you visit a chiropractor, you’ll have an evaluation done. During this evaluation, the chiropractor will evaluate your injuries or what needs correcting. They will then work on a plan of action with you.
If it is beyond their remit, they will refer you to another doctor if, as we stated above, it is beyond their remit.
But, if the chiropractor can fix the problem, they will develop a treatment plan to help relieve the discomfort or pain you’re in.
What Is a Typical Treatment Plan?
It depends, and treatment plans will be different for everyone.
Most often, a chiropractor will evaluate before making some initial adjustments. They may also give you exercises to do at home. Depending on the extent of your injuries or imbalance, you may need to see them once a week or several times a week initially.
Once you start to feel better or the course of treatment is satisfied, you won’t need to revisit the chiropractor unless or until you begin to feel pain again.
Some people do like to visit the chiropractor often for “tune-ups” and like how their bodies feel once they’ve had an appointment. These appointments are by no means necessary.
Finding the Right Chiropractor for You
Finding the right chiropractor for you may take a bit of trial and error. You should, however, understand that while you may have to visit the chiropractor for several visits after the initial visit, you won’t be beholden to them forever. Once your problem appears to be resolved, you will be able to go about your life and may not need to visit the chiropractor for years.
Do you need more information on finding the best chiropractor for you? Click here to contact us.