General Wellness / Maintenance Care

Honest answer: it depends. A 2018 study published in PLOS One found that maintenance care patients had 12.8 fewer days of bothersome low back pain per year compared to those who sought care only when symptoms returned. For patients who've had recurrent episodes, physically demanding jobs, or high-load athletic training, there's meaningful evidence for periodic care. For patients who feel genuinely well and have good movement habits, ongoing visits may not add measurable value — and we'll tell you that directly.

No — that's a myth worth dispelling. Active care (frequent visits aimed at resolving a specific complaint) and maintenance care (periodic visits to sustain function) are distinct phases with different goals and different frequencies. Many patients complete a course of active care, establish good habits, and discharge entirely. Others choose periodic check-ins — monthly, quarterly, or seasonally — because they find genuine value in it. That decision is yours, and it should be based on what actually helps you, not habit.

It varies considerably by person. Typical maintenance intervals range from every four to twelve weeks, depending on your activity demands, how well your body holds adjustments, and what you're managing between visits. Athletes in heavy training often benefit from more frequent check-ins; desk workers managing mild postural strain might do well with a quarterly visit. We establish the right interval through observation — we don't default to weekly visits without clear justification.

Maintenance visits combine a targeted adjustment with a quick movement and posture screen, a check-in on any new stressors or training changes, and a reinforcement of your home exercise and ergonomic habits. If something has shifted since your last visit, we address it early before it becomes a bigger problem. Think of it less as a passive treatment and more as a periodic movement audit combined with targeted care where needed.

That framing comes from some practices that run on a high-volume, dependency model — and we don't operate that way. Our goal with every patient is to restore function, build the habits that sustain it, and transition to the least care necessary. If you're getting better and maintaining it, we'd rather you come in less. We re-examine periodically to confirm care is adding real value, and we'll say so honestly when it's time to space out or stop.