How Often Should I Get Adjusted? - Your Wellness Bucket

One of the most common conversations I have with patients is answering the question of how often they should get adjusted once they’ve fully recovered from “X”. Many chiropractors have a set answer for this question, but I feel the answer should be specific to each individual.

The Wellness Bucket Analogy

The analogy I like to use in this conversation is the Wellness Bucket. We all have a bucket, and it holds our wellness. Things in life that steal wellness from us are leaks in this bucket—bad habits, stressful job, lack of exercise, age, etc.  We need the bucket to be full, otherwise we will be unwell. So we basically have two choices:

Plugging the Leaks

One option is to plug the leaks, ie rid ourselves of these negative influences on our wellness. The other is to add more to the bucket, ie add more healthy things to our lives to offset the leaks. If you’re able to plug all the leaks—congratulations! You have achieved balance. We can all benefit from plugging some leaks—eating better, getting better quality sleep, exercising more…

Adding More to the Bucket

However, most people have leaks that cannot easily be plugged. These would be things like a stressful or sedentary job, being a parent, getting older. In the case of these leaks, it’s often more realistic to add back into the bucket. Things that may offset leaks include taking nutritional supplements, doing an exercise class, getting a deep tissue massage, meditating, therapy, or…back to the original question…get adjusted. 

Determining Your Adjustment Frequency

So the answer to the above question lies in your specific wellness bucket. How many leaks do you have that cannot or will not be filled? If there are a few, consider getting adjusted more often—perhaps weekly. Already on top of your wellness? Perhaps a lower frequency will suffice—every other week? Monthly may be enough. 

Listen to Your Body

It’s also important to listen to your body. For true maintenance you ideally should be coming BEFORE you’re hurting again! 

See you soon! To schedule an appointment, visit our Contact page for more information on how to get started.