This is a common question and is difficult to answer concretely. The number and frequency of adjustments will vary from patient to patient. Healing takes time. Some people progress quickly, while others progress more slowly.
It takes time to rebuild depleted, destroyed, injured or worn-out tissue structures. Difficult, longstanding cases may require multiple visits over months or years to achieve lasting changes. Factors such as age, pre-existing conditions, congenital imperfections, scar tissue and/or damaged tissue will influence the time factor of the healing process.
Generally, the younger the person, the quicker the healing process. This isn’t a hard and fast rule, but rather a tendency of biological function. The passage of time itself taxes the efficiency of healing. Cellular repair systems can misstep over time as we age, leading to mutations, damage and dysfunction. The younger the person, the fewer metabolic byproducts are created that can’t “gum up the works.”
This question needs a change of perspective. We need to go from “how many adjustments?” to “how well am I holding my adjustment?”. The ability to hold an adjustment is crucial to the healing process. Connective tissues, such as muscles and ligaments, get stronger when an adjustment is held.
The ability to hold an adjustment is related to one's capacity to adapt to life’s stressors. We all need to take stock of the physical, chemical and emotional stressors that aggravate a vertebral subluxation. What are my postural habits? How much physical activity do I do? What are my dietary/nutritional practices? How do I deal with emotional situations?
Adjusting a vertebral subluxation is the main objective of upper cervical care. Additionally, we explore methods to enhance the holding capability of the adjustment and strategies to remove potential causes of the vertebral subluxation.
- Jarek Esarco, DC, CACCP
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Jarek Esarco, DC, CACCP is a pediatric, family wellness and upper cervical specific Chiropractor. He is an active member of the International Chiropractic Pediatric Association (ICPA). Dr. Jarek has postgraduate certification in Pediatric Chiropractic through the ICPA. Dr. Jarek also has postgraduate certification in the HIO Specific Brain Stem technique through The TIC Institute. Dr. Jarek is happily married to his wife Regina. They live in Youngstown, Ohio with their daughter Ruby.
