I was recently talking with some of my fellow doctors about treatment plans and how often we see patients when they first present a new issue. One of the younger doctors could not imagine seeing someone every single day during an entire week. He was wondering why that would be necessary.

 Case example: If you have a disc herniation, it is terribly debilitating. You may have to use a bowl for the bathroom because you can't move or get out of bed you are in that much pain when you even roll over. When that kind of case somehow walks in your office, it is every day for a week until it gets under control. This is an extreme case of course.

 So what about average back pain? We typically start with 3 times a week, even though most chiropractors would rather see you every day, maybe at least for the first three days to get things moving. We are literally altering how your body works and moves, so spreading out the appointments may be convenient for the patient, but it can often set things back or lead to slower progression toward better health. I consider myself an ethical doctor, only prescribing what my patient's really need. Unfortunately, the population is used to seeing doctors once, or twice for a followup, getting a medication, and then never coming back.

Chiropractors are different. Imagine each treatment we give is like a pill. Would you stop taking your antibiotics every other day so you could finish them SLOWER? No, you'd take them every day until you beat that infection. This is a better perspective to keep.

 I recently had my own acute low back pain. I started doing as much treatment as I could give myself and realized that I was doing it every day, sometimes twice a day so I could feel better and get this issue over with. Even my 'bad problem' patients getting only 3 times a week suddenly felt like I was shorting them from getting better more quickly. The irony being, even with bad pain, my patients find it very hard to prioritize their health. They just live with it, even if it means seeing me only 3 times a week to start and working our way down to once a week.