Why should I return if I’m feeling fine?

You remember entering our office feeling aweful, but now you have experienced the wonderful feeling of being free of subluxations. You have less stress on your spine and your nervous system can send more healing energy throughout your body. You feel good, but your chiropractor tells you that you should return even if you are feeling fine. "Why should I return if I’m feeling good?" you ask. You know you would certainly come back if your health declines and you start to feel terrible again so, why can’t you wait to see?

You could wait until you feel miserable again, but why should you? Big mistakes are often made when you wait until you feel symptoms to do something about your health. Just because you don’t have pain, does not mean you are healthy. People who feel fine can be walking targets just waiting for pain or disease to strike. They are not proactive about their health. Even though they "feel fine", they might have low energy, or sleep poorly or are tired, have aches and pains, headaches or backaches. Think of the people you know who have felt fine and then one day have a sudden heart attack, stroke, or a serious diagnosis like cancer. "Feeling fine" will NOT indicate whether you are healthy or not!

Why do I need so many adjustments?

By the time most people have their first visit to their chiropractor, they have been subluxated for years, perhaps even decades. Scar tissue has built up around the spine, discs, nerves and joints. (1) Perhaps the person feels fine, until a tender spot is touched. What was that? Any chronic subluxations will cause tender muscle areas, postural changes (2) and trigger points. Scar tissue will not heal overnight, it will not be healed by the time you feel better. In fact, it may take years of adjustments before your spine is strong again.

The longer you wait to receive chiropractic care, the more scar tissue builds up, (3) and it will most likely take even more time to resolve. Weakness in your spine, ligaments, discs, tendons and muscles continues even after your pain has gone away. It may take months to years for the internal scar tissue to heal. Healing takes time.

Why periodic care?

Perhaps your symptoms have disappeared; maybe it’s been just a few adjustments. Even though the pain is gone, the degeneration in your spine remains. Your chiropractor has been honest with you about the amount of time it will take the degeneration to heal.

Sadly, it takes a long time and your spine will not be as strong as it should be until the healing is complete. Ever wonder why in times of stress you feel the need to return for adjustments because you back has "gone out"? This is why. Your spine has degenerated further without regular adjustments. You may have noticed that your symptoms take longer to go away.

Periodic Subluxation Correction

The purpose of chiropractic is not to treat your aches and pains but to rid your body of subluxations, making it better able to cope and adapt to life’s stresses. That is true health. It is no wonder why people who chose regular chiropractic adjustments enjoy a healthier life. A better quality of life, improved physical health, less perceived stress in their lives, emotional health, fewer drugs in their life, more energy, increased vitality and life enjoyment are just some of the benefits that people who chose a chiropractic lifestyle enjoy. (4>10)

What is the goal for your health? Will you use chiropractic life an aspirin to relieve your pain or will you chose optimal health through regular chiropractic visits? Why would you just relieve the pain when you can have the benefits of better health, life enjoyment and vitality for you and your entire family? Periodic chiropractic checkups are essential to keeping pain away for good and enjoying optimal health and an increased quality of life.

1 Gunn C. Treating myofascial pain: intramuscular stimulation (MS) for myofascial pain syndromes of neuopathic orgin. University of Washington, 1989.
2 Hiemeyer K., et al. Dependence of tender points upon posture: a key to understanding of fibromyalgia syndrome. Journal of Manual Medicine. 1990;5:169-174.
3 Dishman R. Review of the literature supporting a scientific basis for the chiropractic subluxation complex. JMPT. I1985;8:163-174
4 Meade TW. Follow-up to Meade study. British Medical Journal. August 5, 1995.
5 Blanks RHI, Schuster TL. A retrospecitive assessment of network care using a survey of self-rated health, wellness and quality of life. JVSR 1997;1(4).
6 Marino MJ, Phillippa ML. A longitudinal assessment of chiropractic care using a survey of self-rated health wellness & quality of life: a preliminary study. JVSR 1999;3(2).
7 Owens EF, Hoirlis KT, Burd D. Changes in general health status during upper cervical chiropractic care: PBR report. Chiropractic Research Journal. 1998; V(I).
8 Hoirlis KT, Owens EF. Changes in general health status during upper cervical chiropractic care: a practice based research project update. Chiropractic Research Journal. 1999;VI(2).
9 Splendori F. Chiropractic-therepeutical effectiveness social importance. Incidence of absence from work and hospitalization. Survey on a sample of 17,142 patients. Italy, 1987.
10 Study associates chiropractic with better health in the elderly. Today’s Chiropractic. November/December 1996.