Why Does It Take More Than One Visit?

We chiropractors spend a lot of time answering the question of why you can't adjust something one time and be done with it. And contrary to popular belief, we would if we could! There would be a line around the block at every office if one treatment could eliminate most people's pain. Sadly, things are rarely as simple as "putting it back in place."

The human body is amazingly complex. Everything is connected. That means that there are a lot of things that contribute to movement and/or abnormal movement. A tight muscle or muscles can restrict joint movement. Driving long periods for work can cause things to tighten up over and over again. Arthritis can restrict motion, as can poor posture and improper walking patterns. There are countless reasons why something that is adjusted moves back to the faulty position or remains restricted.

Realistically, you should expect to need to be seen more than once. However, if someone tells you that you need a year of care on your second or third visit, I would be suspicious of that, as well. Treatment should be goal based and there should be a plan laid out that has been discussed and agreed upon. In my office, initial treatment plans will last anywhere from 2 days to 4 weeks. For more serious or chronic issues, a re-exam will be performed at 4 weeks and the treatment plan will be adjusted based on the exam findings.

Things to take away:
*There is no magical adjustment that can cure severe pain in one shot(although sometimes there is great improvement with one visit).
*Treatment should have an estimated end date or re-evaluation date.
*There should be a plan set out for the event that treatment is not successful. This could be imaging or a referral to another facility.

Chiropractic care is safe and effective and has a great success rate when plans are followed through with. You have to stick with it and follow instructions to get well. However, you are entitled to ask questions and should understand the details of your plan.