Pain Relief That Lasts: How Ongoing Chiropractic Care Can Help Manage Chronic Low Back Pain

Lower back pain is a frustratingly common issue, affecting millions of adults each year. While chiropractic care can be a powerful tool for finding relief, what happens once the initial pain subsides?  A recent study explores the benefits of ongoing, or "maintenance," chiropractic care for those with recurrent or persistent low back pain.

The Power of Maintenance Care: Research Shows Positive Results

The Nordic Maintenance Care Program, a recent study published in PLOS One, investigated the effectiveness of chiropractic maintenance care compared to symptom-guided treatment for chronic low back pain. Here's what they found:

• Patients receiving maintenance care reported significantly fewer days with bothersome low back pain over a year compared to those receiving symptom-guided treatment.

• The maintenance care group also experienced longer pain-free periods throughout the study.

• Importantly, no serious side effects were reported.

These findings suggest that for certain patients, ongoing chiropractic care can be a valuable tool in managing chronic low back pain and reducing the overall burden of the condition.

Can Maintenance Care Be Right for You?

At Marks Chiropractic in Marathon, we understand that every patient's journey to better back health is unique. While we don't recommend a "one-size-fits-all" approach to care, the Nordic Maintenance Care Program highlights the potential benefits for some individuals.

Here's who might find ongoing chiropractic care particularly helpful:

• Patients with recurrent or persistent low back pain who have experienced positive results from an initial course of chiropractic treatment.

• Individuals who are prone to low back pain flare-ups due to factors like work demands or physical activity.

• Those seeking a proactive approach to managing their back health and preventing future pain episodes.

Our Tailored Management Techniques

Our chiropractic treatment plans go beyond just adjustments.  We offer a variety of techniques to address your specific needs and promote long-term back health. Here are some of the tools we may incorporate into your personalized plan:

• Spinal Manipulation (Adjustments):  Our chiropractors use gentle, targeted adjustments to improve joint mobility, reduce pain, and restore proper function in the spine.

• Exercise Therapy and Recommendations:  We believe strong core muscles are essential for back health. We may recommend specific exercises to strengthen and stabilize your core, improve flexibility, and prevent future pain.

• Class IV Laser Therapy:  This cutting-edge technology uses low-level lasers to reduce inflammation, promote healing, and accelerate pain relief. We also utilize High Intensity Laser for more complex cases of pain and discomfort

• Dry Needling:  This technique involves inserting thin needles into trigger points in your muscles to relieve tension and pain.

Finding the Right Chiropractic Maintenance Plan: Avoiding Over-Treatment

We understand some patients might be concerned about unnecessary appointments with maintenance care.  Here at Marks Chiropractic, we prioritize creating a personalized plan based on your individual needs and progress.

• Initial Assessment:  During your initial consultation, we will thoroughly assess your back pain, medical history, and lifestyle.

• Collaborative Plan:  We will work with you to develop a personalized treatment plan that incorporates the most effective techniques for your situation.

• Frequency Adjustments:  As you progress, we will adjust the frequency of your maintenance appointments based on your needs.  Our goal is to empower you to manage your back health and reduce reliance on frequent adjustments. This change in frequency is not only based on our provider recommendations but based on the wants and desires of our patients as well. While most of our maintenance care patients find about one adjustment per month to keep them moving at their best, we see people range from every two weeks to once annually.

Contact us today to schedule a consultation and discuss if ongoing chiropractic care could be right for you.