Chiropractic care is associated with back pain, headaches, and injury recovery, but what if you’re not experiencing any of those problems? Can you go to a chiropractor for no reason?
The answer lies in a concept called maintenance care. This proactive approach to chiropractic health is designed to keep your body in optimal condition, addressing small issues before they become significant problems.
In this article, we’ll explore the benefits of maintenance care, how often you should go for adjustments, and what the research says about its long-term impact.
Maintenance care is a type of chiropractic treatment aimed at maintaining the improvements made after addressing acute pain or injury.
Once patients have moved past the initial phase of treatment, where pain relief and correction are the focus, maintenance care provides ongoing support to prevent the recurrence of pain or dysfunction (How Often Should Someone See A Chiropractor?).
It’s not just about “fixing” something—it’s about keeping your body functioning optimally.
The goals of maintenance care are to prevent minor misalignments from turning into bigger issues, to promote overall wellbeing, and to ensure your spine and nervous system are working as they should.
So, why might someone choose maintenance care when they’re feeling fine? There are several compelling reasons for ongoing chiropractic care, even when pain isn’t present.
Many people find that they experience fewer aches, better posture, and enhanced overall health when they stick to a maintenance schedule.
The frequency of maintenance care varies based on individual needs, lifestyle, and goals. For some, monthly visits are ideal, while others may benefit from appointments every three months.
Factors like your job (whether it involves manual labour or sitting at a desk), your activity level, and previous injuries all influence how often you might need to go.
The effects of a chiropractic adjustment can last anywhere from a few days to a few weeks, depending on the individual and their circumstances.
People with chronic pain conditions may notice that they need more frequent adjustments to maintain relief, while others with mild misalignments might only need occasional care to feel their best.
Regular chiropractic adjustments help maintain spinal alignment, which can improve mobility, reduce pain, and support overall health. Misalignments in the spine can lead to compensations in movement, which can increase wear and tear on joints, muscles, and ligaments.
Maintenance care aims to keep everything in balance, ensuring that your spine functions at its best.
Research supports the benefits of maintenance care for keeping the body functioning well and preventing the recurrence of pain.
By facilitating its normal range of motion, spinal adjustments help the joint reach the end of its paraphysiological joint space.
Hence, adjustments in asymptomatic patients (maintenance care) may retard the progression of joint degeneration, neuronal changes, changes in muscular strength, and recruitment patterns.
The result is preservation of function and fewer injury episodes (A Theoretical Basis For Maintenance Spinal Manipulative Therapy).
A notable study from Sweden, known as the Nordic Maintenance Care Program (The Nordic Maintenance Care Program), highlighted the importance of ongoing chiropractic adjustments. This study followed 328 patients with low back pain over the course of a year.
The researchers found that patients who received maintenance care (regular chiropractic adjustments at 1- to 3-month intervals) experienced significantly fewer days of pain compared to those who only sought care when symptoms returned.
This provides support for the proposal that maintenance care can prevent future problems from arising, thereby contributing to spinal health and overall wellbeing.
Maintenance care doesn’t just help your body— it can have far-reaching effects on your mental health and overall quality of life.
As long as the care is tailored to your needs, regular adjustments can support optimal spinal health with many benefits. If you’re ever unsure about how often you should visit your chiropractor, discussing your concerns with them will help you establish a schedule that suits you.
Finding a sweet spot for your adjustment frequency is about incorporating chiropractic into your lifestyle as a proactive approach to your health and wellbeing.
Many people use it to maintain good posture, maintain good mobility, maintain good strength, prevent injuries, prevent relapses and keep their spine healthy for the future.
In short, you don’t need to wait for pain or discomfort to visit a chiropractor. Maintenance care offers an approach to health that prioritises prevention, function, and wellbeing.
Whether it’s improving posture, preventing injuries, or supporting mental health, the benefits of maintenance care extend beyond pain relief.
By seeing your chiropractor regularly, you can ensure that your spine, nervous system, and entire body are working in harmony—allowing you to live a healthier, more balanced life.