There are many reasons you might be considering a visit to a chiropractor. Before you make that first visit, it’s important to know what to expect.
Specifically, you may wonder, “how long does a chiropractic adjustment last?”
After all, knowing this answer can also tell you how often you should see a chiropractor.
Simply put, how long an adjustment lasts depends on the person because there are several factors that impact how long you hold an adjustment.
To give you a better idea of how long you can expect an adjustment to last, we’ve compiled what can impact your adjustment. Additionally, we’ll discuss how you can eventually get your adjustments to last longer.
What Impacts How Long a Chiropractic Adjustment Lasts?
Spinal Alignment
A major factor that will determine how long your adjustments last is your spine’s initial alignment.
Commonly, people who’ve experienced a head or neck injury in the past may believe they’re completely healed.
This can be untrue; in fact, you can have a misaligned spine for a long time without knowing it because it doesn’t cause pain.
An injury isn’t always the cause of misalignment, either.
Your spine can become misaligned if you sleep in a certain way or if crane your neck to look at a computer or phone.
A misaligned spine left untreated will continue to cause damage to your spine and body over time. Accordingly, people who’ve had a misaligned spine for an extended period of time have more damage that needs to be addressed by chiropractic care.
As a result, these people initially require multiple adjustments a week because this built-up damage makes it difficult for their spine to maintain an adjustment.
Type of Injury
Like we discussed in our previous example, experiencing an injury to the neck or head can lead to a misaligned spine.
That goes to say that the type of injury that you experience can have an impact on your adjustment. Additionally, the seriousness of the injury and the number of injuries sustained can impact how long an adjustment holds.
Why?
Similar to misalignment, numerous or profound injuries to the head and neck can weaken the spine and make it difficult for the spine to hold an adjustment.
Strength of Your Muscles and Ligaments
On average, the human head weighs around 11 pounds.
So, it makes sense that the muscles and ligaments in your neck need to be strong to support this immense weight!
The strength of your neck muscles depends on a variety of factors, such as how often you exercise or if you’ve been injured.
The weaker the muscles and ligaments in your neck, the shorter the amount of time you’re able to hold an adjustment.
Make Your Adjustments Last Longer With Ongoing Chiropractic Care!
By now, you have a better understanding of the answer to “how long does a chiropractic adjustment last.” So, it makes sense that you’re likely wondering how to get an adjustment to last for longer.
Depending on your unique situation, the first few adjustments may not last longer than a few days, which is why your chiropractor may suggest more frequent adjustments.
The more frequently you are adjusted early on, the better you will be able to hold adjustments for an extended period of time later in your treatment plan.
Are you looking for genuine and personalized chiropractic care?
At Begin Within, each patient is our number one priority, because it’s true!
Contact our office at (480) 699-3086 and receive a complimentary consultation.
