The best way to answer this is to use an analogy. If you had an infection and visited your MD, there is a chance he would prescribe an antibiotic to fight the infection. That prescription might need to be taken twice a day for 14 days. In that 14 day time period you received 28 treatments. It doesn’t seem like it because you only had one actual visit to the office. Chiropractic and acupuncture are much like going to a physical therapist in that we are all trying to change the dysfunctional muscle, joint and soft tissue memory that is resonsible for the condition. Physical treatments such as ours are given in the office and not out of a bottle. Pain killers are more convenient but you should ask yourself; are they really correcting the physical cause of the pain?
In actuality, many patients CHOOSE to receive adjustments and/or acupuncture throughout their lives because they see the improvements in their lifestyle and health. Let’s face it; our society is geared towards fast food, fast cars, and immediate gratification. It is no wonder that people also want fast food healthcare. Let’s give you another analogy that may help. Diabetics and those with allergies sometimes need medication every day or every week of their life! In some cases, patients with significant structural problems need structural support for long periods of time and perhaps the rest of their life. Fortunately, most patients can be totally corrected and dismissed without their condition ever returning.
While this situation was very common 20 years ago, we occasionally encounter medical bias. It is unfortunate that this occurs. I personally don’t believe that any doctor has all the answers. That is why I refer to most other types of doctors when the need arises. In most cases, the medical doctor who has this attitude may still carry the prejudices of years past or has a total misunderstanding of what chiropractic/acupuncture treatment consists of and what our goals of treatment are.
This goes back to the concept of threshold level of pain. Soon, with the treatment, the pain level is reduced or gone. In many cases, if treatment is stopped at that time, the bulk of the condition is still looming, much like the part of the iceberg that does the damage. Once normal activity is resumed and the normal daily stresses occur, the pain will again re-appear.
I came to you for a few months, was satisfied with the results and decided to stop care. Now a few months later or more, my pain has returned. Do I have to start all over with care?
This happens from time to time. Please understand something, I recommend the treatment that YOUR condition requires. The best thing I can tell you is that if it has been a long time since treatment ended, let’s say six months to a year, there is a good chance at least a brief examination is needed to determine if the condition is the same or different than before. In most cases, the same amount of treatment is NOT needed. If you make it clear what your goals are, I will customize your treatment to give you what you need.