This is hard to answer with a blanket statement. Everyone is different. Everyone’s subluxations are different. Everyone’s “holding” potential for an adjustment is different.
There are variables when it comes to determining the presence of an individual subluxation and the need to adjust it. While there are plenty of variables, it doesn’t make the checking of a subluxation arbitrary.
There are patterns of an individual subluxation that a Chiropractor starts to determine over a period of time. For this reason, all new patients I accept start with an initial care plan. The initial care plan starts as an outline that hones down throughout care to make it “tailor-made.”
Let me provide an analogy. When tuning an instrument such as a piano, no two pianos tune exactly the same. Yes, you start with a general protocol, but finely tune the process the more you get to know the individual instrument.
Checking an individual subluxation is very similar. I start with a set protocol, but finely tune the process the more I get to know the patient and the subluxation.
Very often, a subluxation is checked once a week for so many weeks, then once every 2 weeks for so long, then once every three weeks for a time span, and so on. The design of the initial care plan is to take at least 6 months.
If the patient is holding their adjustment after the initial care plan, a wellness care plan follows. Care at this point is guided to best suit the individual person. On average, wellness checkups are recommended anywhere between 2 to 6 weeks.
The goal of wellness care is to be as proactive as possible. As the old saying goes, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” Actively taking care of your health has better outcomes than reactively treating sickness.
You can’t wait until the pains and symptoms return before getting checked for a subluxation. Over 90% of subluxations exist in the spine without any major noticeable symptoms such as pain. Fortunately, a subluxation can be checked on a sub-clinical level. Preventing a subluxation from contributing to negative effects improves your health potential.
Jarek Esarco, DC, CACCP is a pediatric, family wellness and upper cervical specific Chiropractor. He is an active member of the International Chiropractic Pediatric Association (ICPA). Dr. Jarek has postgraduate certification in Pediatric Chiropractic through the ICPA. Dr. Jarek also has postgraduate certification in the HIO Specific Brain Stem technique through The TIC Institute. Dr. Jarek is happily married to his wife Regina. They live in Youngstown, Ohio with their daughter Ruby.