Short answer: Going to a chiropractor every week can be reasonable for a period, often early in care, if your chiropractor's findings support it. It shouldn't be automatic or open-ended. A sensible plan is based on what your check shows, is reviewed as you go, and usually spreads visits further apart as you improve.
Is it good to go to a chiropractor every week? When it can make sense
Weekly visits aren't good or bad on their own. What matters is whether there's a reason for them. Some situations where a chiropractor may suggest coming in weekly, or more often, for a while:
- Early in care, when your chiropractor is working on the problem you came in with and checking how you respond.
- After a recent flare-up of a problem you've had before.
- When there's a lot going on, such as a long-standing problem affecting several areas of your spine.
In each case the frequency should come from your findings and be explained to you. You should know why you're coming weekly, what you're both looking for, and when it's likely to be reviewed.
Part of what's being re-checked each visit is the nervous system. Chiropractors look for spinal segments that aren't moving or being controlled well, a finding called a vertebral subluxation, which researchers now describe as a change in how the brain controls a spinal segment.1 Whether those findings are still there is part of what decides whether weekly visits are still needed, or whether it's time to space them out. More in chiropractic and your nervous system.
It's also worth remembering that weekly care takes time and money. A good chiropractor will be upfront about both, so you can decide whether it suits your life and your budget before you start.
When weekly visits deserve a second look
It's fair to ask questions if:
- You've been coming weekly for a long time and nobody has talked about spacing visits out.
- You were given a fixed schedule before anyone checked you.
- You're not sure what the visits are aiming for, or how progress is being measured.
None of this means something is wrong. It means you deserve a clear explanation. A good chiropractor will happily tell you why they're recommending what they are. We cover the honest downsides of chiropractic, including time and cost, in what are the disadvantages of going to a chiropractor?
Weekly, fortnightly or less often: how it usually changes
| Pattern | When it may fit | What to expect |
|---|---|---|
| Weekly (or more often) | Early care, or a recent flare-up, if findings support it | Reviewed as you go, not open-ended |
| Every few weeks | As things settle and you're doing more at home | Gaps between visits get longer |
| Occasional | Once you're feeling better, if you choose to keep coming | Entirely your choice |
The general direction is the important part: visits should taper. For more on how frequency is worked out, read how often should you see a chiropractor?
What you do between visits counts
Chiropractic care isn't only what happens on the table. Many people find home exercises, moving more and paying attention to how they sit and sleep make a real difference to how they feel between visits. That's one reason visits can spread out over time: more of the work happens at home.
Small habits count too: getting up from your desk regularly, varying how you sit, and keeping up the walking, swimming or gym work you enjoy. None of this replaces a proper check, but it's all part of looking after your back and neck between visits.
Good starting points are our posture exercises and neck exercises. Your chiropractor can tell you which ones suit you.
How we approach this at MPCC
We won't suggest weekly visits, or any schedule, until we've checked you. Here's the process.
- New patient appointment. Your story, posture pictures, and a thorough chiropractic, orthopaedic and neurological check of your spine, joints and nerves. It takes 30 to 40 minutes. Whether you're adjusted on the first visit is up to the clinical judgement of your chiropractor. Often more testing comes first, and sometimes X-rays, if your history and check point to them.
- Report of findings appointment. What we found, in plain English, and what we'd do. That includes how often we'd suggest seeing you, why, and how that's likely to change. If we can't help, we'll say so.
- Reviewed as you go. As you improve, visits are spaced further apart. You decide what you want to do at every step.
A new patient appointment is $195, or $125 when you book online through our website (new practice members only, one per person). Report of findings and standard appointments are $95, with HICAPS on the spot. See fees and health funds.
References (1)
- Haavik H, et al. (2021). Contemporary model of vertebral column joint dysfunction. Eur J Appl Physiol. doi:10.1007/s00421-021-04727-z