How many visits will it take to get me better?
How many visits will it take to get me better?
This is one of the most common questions that gets answered on the first visit after a thorough examination is performed. Most of the time there is no exact number given to the patient. Generally some conditions take longer to heal than others do. A disc injury with pain into the leg or foot will take much more treatment than someone seeking chiropractic care for stiffness and tightness. Another factor that comes into play is the patients history and day to day duties. A condition can take much longer to heal if the area has had previous trauma to it or has started to experience spinal degeneration. Also it can take longer to heal if a person has to perform duties that aggravate their condition, such as a construction worker who needs to lift heavy material for their job but has a lower back injury.
Our goal with the initial examination is to education our patients about what condition they are experiencing and how long it will take them to return to normal based upon their specific problem and unique health history. Occasionally there are conditions that chiropractic care cannot help. If this is the case we will make sure to help find you the correct provider for your problem.
Treatment is typically given to patients in a 1-3 week prescriptive interval. After the initial interval of care has been completed, we will re-evaluate how effective care has been and if more care is necessary or the patient has reached their goals. Most patients with acute pain are likely to be seen multiple times during the week. As patients start feeling better they are generally seen less and less. Patient should not expect to be given multiple month long visit schedules with no changes in frequency. Care should always be subject to change based upon outcomes.
At the end of treatment many patients continue to treat on an as needed basis. Currently literature supports the idea that wellness/maintenance care at 1 visit per month helps eliminate or limit major episodes of acute pain and improves bodily mobility.
