Maintenance care means planned check-in visits after an episode of pain has settled, rather than waiting for the next flare-up.

The best evidence comes from a Scandinavian trial (Eklund et al., 2018) in people with recurring or persistent low back pain who had already responded well to chiropractic care. Those who had maintenance visits reported, on average, about 13 fewer days of bothersome pain over a year than those who only came back when pain returned. They also had about two more visits a year.

That's a modest benefit in a specific group. It doesn't show that maintenance care prevents problems for everyone, and the evidence for neck pain and other conditions is limited.

We only suggest maintenance care if you have a history of recurring episodes, you've responded well to care, and it's what you want. Many people do just as well with a home exercise plan and booking in when they need to.