What Is Maintenance Care
Maintenance Care is defined by this office as chiropractic care that is provided on a regular and ongoing basis with the intent to maintain your condition in the state you are in when care is initiated.
Why Maintenance Care
Have you ever known anyone who has driven a car and not changed the oil? Probably not…at least not for very long anyway. Otherwise, their engine would wear out early or maybe even blow up. What if they never get their wheels aligned? Have you ever lost a perfectly good set of tires to poor alignment because they wore out prematurely. Such is the nature of machines. Fail to maintain them properly and they just don’t last as long as they should nor do they perform as well as they could. So it is with your body. If you get an annual physical or see your dentist for periodic check-ups, you already understand this. So why aren’t you doing so for your back?
How Often
As mentioned above, maintenance care is provided on a regular and ongoing basis. The interval at which it’s provided tends to vary from patient to patient. The shortest interval at which maintenance care is provided could be once or twice per week…the longest interval is three months. Most patients on maintenance care average around one visit every four weeks. The interval that’s right for you depends on such things as the type of work you do, recreational activities, previous injuries, how you cope with stress, age and other factors. Your doctor will work with you to decide the optimal interval at which maintenance care should be provided to you.
Good News / Bad News
The bad new is, most health insurances do not cover Maintenance Care at this time. This is unfortunate as it could save the insurance companies money in the long run and prevent the needless suffering that almost always occurs when you wait till a problem begins before you seek care. Think of your car..do you maintain and change the oil regularly? Or do you wait till the engine blows up and replace it? Should you get your back checked periodically to try to avoid problems? Or should you wait till you’re in severe pain before you call and hope I can fix it saving you from a complicated and risky surgery? It really is that simple. The good news is, at Turano-McCall Chiropractic, we make maintenance care affordable to encourage our patients to take better care of themselves and to try to prevent problems before they start.
Something To Consider
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had the following conversation with a patient during a maintenance visit:
Me: “Has your back bothered you since your last visit?”
Patient: “No, but I can tell I’m due for a treatment.” or “No, but I can tell I need to be here.”
This is a patient that is looking beyond the pain and focusing on their function. They’re not hurting, but they can tell they aren’t moving as easily as they could be either, maybe they’re a little stiff. And they notice they are more “loose” after. Here’s a suggestion…schedule for a checkup in four weeks and take four weeks to decide if you want to try it. I'm confident after your maintenance visit that you'll notice a difference.