The Pain is Gone! What Now?

Okay, you have successfully completed the initial phase of chiropractic care.  Your pain is gone and you feel great.  What now?  Are you done?  Will it come back?  Should you schedule maintenance?

These are very common questions.  My answer is different for each person.  I determine my answer based on a few questions of my own...
What does the patient do for a living? Hobby?
Is there an underlying permanent condition?
Has this happened more than once in the past?
What are this patient's long term goals for wellness?

Not everyone who comes in to my office is looking for increased overall wellness.  Not everyone is looking to just get out of pain.  You really have to take a look at each person as a whole.

Say you have a patient with low back pain who is an avid runner who is on a healthy diet.  This person may be pain free in a week or two, but ending care may not be the best thing for this person.  If the back pain is a result of the training or a combination of the training and other lifestyle issues (such as a desk job), continued monthly visits may keep the pain from returning, improve athletic performance and overall energy and health for this patient.  If your everyday life is what is causing your pain, you need to do things to counteract that or you are likely to continue to have episodes of pain.  In addition to that, the episodes, as proven scientifically, tend to increase in their frequency, intensity and duration over time.  A maintenance care regimen can significantly reduce the chances that someone will have multiple worsening episodes and can help prevent degeneration and arthritis.

Now take the case of a college student who stayed up all night studying and developed severe, sudden neck pain.  This type of condition will generally resolve in a week or two with treatment, just like the last case.  However, the need for any type of maintenance or preventive care is probably not there unless there have been several episodes prior to this one.

Lastly, consider a patient who is a truck driver, has 2 degenerative discs in his back and is 70 lbs overweight and smokes.  You may be able to help resolve the episode of pain with a month or two of care, but the likelihood of future episodes is nearly a certainty.  Plus, the disc degeneration creates an unstable environment, which is likely to worsen.  This is especially true when you factor in the extra weight and the smoking.  What does smoking have to do with it?  Smoking slows healing and increases the body's inflammatory response.  It is estimated that a smoker can heal up to 50% slower than a non-smoker.  This person will benefit immensely from maintenance care.

Bottom line:  Every person is different.  Every injury or pain is different.  A treatment plan is never one size fits all.  They generally start out similarly, but the ending is determined by individual factors.  Not sure where you fall?  Discuss it.  Ask questions.  Think about what you really want- long term and short term- and work with your chiropractor to form a plan that is right for you.