The Myth of Addictive Chiropractic Care

The practice of medicine is thousands of years old. Chiropractic is a relatively newer practice, being approximately 125 years old, and therefore, some myths and misconceptions persist about it. One of the most persistent is that chiropractic care is “addictive,” that once you start going, you have to keep going back for the rest of your life.

This is not true. Many patients stop having adjustments after completing their course of treatment and never go back to the chiropractor again. However, some patients continue going back to the chiropractor for maintenance treatments after completing their course of treatment. This is their choice, and they do so not because they cannot function without it but because they like the benefits that chiropractic adjustments offer to their health.

Is Chiropractic Care Addictive?

Chiropractic care is not compulsory. You can stop having treatments any time you want, even if your treatment course is not complete. The myth of chiropractic care being addictive might have arisen because people who stopped having treatments experienced recurrent pain. This may have occurred because they stopped treatment before finishing their course, just as if you stop antibiotic treatment before finishing all your medication, your symptoms of infection may come back.

The other reason is that people who stop chiropractic adjustments may have pain come back is that once they stopped treatment, even if they completed the course, they may have fallen back into the same habits that caused their symptoms in the first place. When you have ongoing visits to a chiropractor, he or she can recommend lifestyle changes that can help you maintain your current condition and avoid future pain. However, the notion that chiropractic permanently alters your spine so that you have to keep having adjustments is not true.

Why Do People Keep Going Back to the Chiropractor?

You might as well ask why people keep going back to the dentist after having a cavity filled. No matter how diligent you are about your dental hygiene, there are some cleaning tasks that you can’t do on your own. Similarly, you may do very well taking care of yourself and exercising, but just as you don’t have the tools and professional knowledge to remove tartar from your teeth, there are health benefits to chiropractic that you can’t duplicate by yourself.

An addiction is a behavior that you can’t stop even though it harms you. Chiropractic treatment does not qualify because there are few, if any, harmful side effects and the treatment has been clinically proven as beneficial for certain conditions. 

Speaking with a chiropractor in Crofton, MD from Mid Atlantic Spinal Rehab & Chiropractic can help answer any of your questions and concerns. Contact our office to make an appointment for an initial evaluation.