Chronic Low Back Pain in Denver: Can Maintenance Chiropractic Care Help?

Low back pain is one of the most common musculoskeletal conditions worldwide. Research estimates that 60–70% of people will experience low back pain at some point in their lives. It remains one of the leading causes of disability, missed work, and decreased quality of life.

For many people, the pain resolves within weeks. However, 5–10% of individuals develop chronic low back pain, defined as pain lasting longer than three months. Chronic low back pain is most common between the ages of 30–60, prime working and active years.

If you’re dealing with recurring or persistent low back pain in Denver, understanding your long-term treatment options is key.

What Is Maintenance Chiropractic Care?

Doctors of chiropractic have used maintenance care (also called wellness care or preventative chiropractic care) for decades to help patients manage recurrent or chronic low back pain. New research now supports this approach.

Maintenance care is defined as "An individually tailored, clinician-guided, preventative treatment plan designed to reduce flare-ups and manage persistent or recurrent chronic low back pain." Rather than waiting for pain to return, maintenance chiropractic care uses scheduled, proactive manual therapy visits to help reduce symptom recurrence.

What Does the Research Say About Maintenance Care?

A landmark randomized controlled trial by Eklund et al. (2018) compared maintenance care patients and symptom-guided treatment patients (n=158). Over 12 months they found that maintenance care patients had 12.8 fewer days of bothersome low back pain and received an average of only 1.7 additional visits per year.

In follow-up studies (2019–2020), researchers identified a subgroup of patients labeled as “dysfunctional” — those with:

• Higher pain levels

• Increased emotional distress

• Lower activity levels

• Greater interference with daily life

This group experienced:

• 30 fewer days of bothersome low back pain

• More pain-free weeks

• Fewer painful days during acute flare-ups

These findings suggest that maintenance chiropractic care is especially beneficial for patients with persistent, recurrent, or high-impact chronic low back pain.

Our Approach to Chronic Low Back Pain

At Washington Park Chiropractic in Denver, we combine:

• Evidence-based chiropractic adjustments

• Individually tailored maintenance care plans

• Graded exercise rehabilitation

• Patient education and lifestyle guidance

Research consistently shows that a multimodal approach; combining manual therapy, exercise, and education, produces the best long-term outcomes for chronic low back pain.

Our goal is not just to reduce pain, but to help you become:

• Stronger

• More resilient

• More active

• Better able to meet your personal and athletic goals

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How Is Maintenance Care Frequency Determined?

Every patient with chronic low back pain is different. We consider several factors before recommending a maintenance schedule, including:

• Detailed medical history

• Frequency and intensity of pain

• Duration of symptoms

• Time between flare-ups

• Response to prior chiropractic care

• Functional limitations

• Occupational demands

• Stress and psychosocial factors

• Social determinants of health

This allows us to design a personalized, preventative chiropractic care plan that fits your lifestyle and goals.

Is Maintenance Chiropractic Care Right for You?

If you:

• Experience recurrent low back pain

• Have flare-ups that disrupt work or activity

• Want to reduce the frequency of painful episodes

• Prefer a proactive, preventative approach

Maintenance chiropractic care may be a valuable option.

If you’re looking for chronic low back pain treatment in Denver or the Wash Park area, our team would be happy to discuss whether maintenance care fits your needs.

Schedule an Appointment

Chronic low back pain doesn’t have to control your life. A structured, evidence-based chiropractic maintenance program may help reduce flare-ups, increase pain-free weeks, and improve long-term function.

Contact Washington Park Chiropractic today to learn more about your options.

Eklund A, Jensen I, Leboeuf-Yde C, et al. The Nordic Maintenance Care Program: Does psychological profile modify the treatment effect of a preventive manual therapy intervention? A secondary analysis of a pragmatic randomized controlled trial. PLoS One. 2019;14(10):e0223349. Published 2019 Oct 10. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0223349

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Ferguson, S.A., Merryweather, A., Thiese, M.S. et al. Prevalence of low back pain, seeking medical care, and lost time due to low back pain among manual material handling workers in the United States. BMC Musculoskelet Disord 20, 243 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12891-019-2594-0

Leboeuf-Yde C, Hestbaek L. Maintenance care in chiropractic--what do we know?. Chiropr Osteopat. 2008;16:3. Published 2008 May 8. doi:10.1186/1746-1340-16-3

Meucci RD, Fassa AG, Faria NM. Prevalence of chronic low back pain: systematic review. Rev Saude Publica. 2015;49:1. doi:10.1590/S0034-8910.2015049005874