What is Maintenance Care?
Stay well, stay active — proactive care for long-term health.
Staying well after you've recovered
Maintenance care is regular, scheduled chiropractic treatment aimed at keeping you well once your acute or rehabilitative treatment has concluded. Rather than waiting for pain to return before seeking care, maintenance patients attend at regular intervals to preserve the gains they've made and catch small problems before they become big ones.
There's good evidence, including from long-term Scandinavian studies, that patients who continue with periodic chiropractic care after recovering from back pain have fewer recurrences and better function overall. This isn't surprising — the underlying factors that caused the original problem don't simply disappear once the pain has gone.
Dr Poulton recommends maintenance care for patients who have responded well to acute or rehabilitative treatment, particularly those with underlying degenerative changes, recurring presentations or physically demanding lifestyles. The interval between visits is always individualised — some patients benefit from monthly visits, others from fortnightly or quarterly check-ins depending on their circumstances.
Who can benefit from maintenance care?
Maintenance care suits a wide range of patients — not just those with chronic conditions.
People who want to stay ahead of problems
You don't need to be in pain to benefit from regular chiropractic care. Maintenance visits help preserve spinal mobility, pick up restrictions before they cause symptoms, and keep the body functioning well. Think of it the same way you think about regular dental check-ups — you go before something hurts, not after.
Many patients with no current symptoms choose to continue regular visits simply because they feel better for it — and because they'd rather not go through the acute phase again.
People who've had a recurring problem
After completing an acute or rehabilitative programme, the body has made real progress — but the underlying vulnerabilities that allowed the original injury don't simply go away. Maintenance care preserves what was gained and helps prevent the pattern of dysfunction from re-establishing itself.
For patients who've had the same problem come back multiple times, maintenance care can make a real difference to how often that happens.
Active individuals and athletes
Regular physical activity places ongoing demands on the musculoskeletal system. Athletes and active people can benefit from maintenance care as part of their overall approach to performance — maintaining joint mobility, identifying overuse patterns early, and making sure the body is holding up under the loads being placed on it.
Dr Poulton works with recreational and competitive athletes across a wide range of sports and understands what different physical demands do to the body over time.
People with degenerative conditions
Patients with osteoarthritis, cervical spondylosis or long-standing disc changes often find that regular maintenance care can help reduce the frequency and severity of symptom flare-ups. These conditions aren't reversible, but their impact on daily function can often be meaningfully managed with ongoing, targeted care.
Maintenance care for chronic conditions typically involves regular adjustments, soft tissue work and monitoring of symptom patterns over time.
What to expect during maintenance visits
Maintenance visits are typically shorter than initial or rehabilitative appointments. Dr Poulton reviews how you've been, performs a targeted assessment, and delivers treatment to the areas that need attention.
Brief check-in and assessment
Each maintenance visit starts with a short review of how you've been since your last appointment — any new symptoms, changes in activity, anything to address. Dr Poulton then does a focused assessment of the relevant areas, picking up any restrictions or changes that need attention.
Targeted treatment
Treatment is focused on what needs attention that day — spinal adjustments to maintain alignment and mobility, soft tissue work for any areas of tension or restriction, and other modalities where indicated. Laser therapy may be incorporated if there are signs of tissue inflammation or specific areas that need extra attention.
A schedule that fits your situation
How often you attend for maintenance care depends on your individual circumstances — your history, your lifestyle, any degenerative changes and your response to previous care. Dr Poulton recommends a schedule that makes sense for you specifically. For most patients, that falls somewhere between monthly and quarterly visits. As things change, so can the frequency.
Ongoing monitoring
One of the real benefits of regular maintenance visits is early detection — new or developing issues are picked up before they become significant problems. Dr Poulton monitors changes in posture, movement quality and symptom patterns over time, which allows for early intervention when needed and genuine peace of mind between visits.
Explore More
Related Services
Our Fees
Transparent pricing — no hidden fees. We have HICAPS on-site for instant private health rebates.
Full assessment, diagnosis & first treatment
All follow-up chiropractic appointments
Supervised reformer Pilates sessions
Want to stay ahead of the problem?
Talk to Dr Poulton about whether maintenance care makes sense for you. No referral needed — open 7 days in Templestowe.
Enjoyed your experience at Momentum?
We'd really appreciate you taking a moment to leave us a Google review. It helps other locals in Templestowe find the care they need — and means the world to us.
Leave a Google Review