I like to get a patient back within one week to follow up on a first visit. If someone is doing "great", I often send them off for three weeks to confirm that, then follow up - this allows me to establish a new "baseline". I like to see a "well patient" a minimum of once a season (four times a year). It is up to you, it's your choice, but sometimes your body makes the call.
It is far easier on everyone to maintain a patient's wellness than it is to correct a problem. It is far more responsible to take an hour off from an afternoon at work than it is to lose a week due to injury or flare-up.
I sometimes see patients with conditions that are recurrent once every three weeks.
Do I have to come back forever?
Nobody should be telling you that. Statistically, patients that
go to see chiropractors return after their acute event because they appreciate
the results. Like dental hygiene, we perform "spinal hygiene". It's
often your choice, but don't neglect the fact that many problems build
slowly and can be alleviated by an occasional "pit-stop".
On a pit-stop visit, we are likely to use heat packs, soft tissue massage, adjusting, soothing natural medicine rubs, and discuss exercise and diet. Our promise: it's intended to work for you.