Great Question! Back Pain is usually the easiest symptom resolved by Chiropractic Care but in some cases the underlying damage to the discs and vertebrae are severe enough that the answer isn't so black and white.  Unlike skin, muscle and bone joints lack high levels of blood supply meaning they are the slowest to heal and the easiest to injure.  You spine is made up of over 150 joints! You can imagine how easy it is to injure any number of them. I've had patients who have "blown out" discs that were consistent and very compliant with my home care recommendations and their healing took 8 months.  It is tough tissue until you injure it. But the end outcome was 90% better than if that patient had opted for surgery which for laminectomies has a 90% failure rate. If you have not been X-Rayed it is a good idea in my opinion.  Most Chiropractors will not start treatment without an X-Ray of the area they are adjusting because they want to be exact and thorough from the get go.  I'd discuss this with your Chiropractic Physician and ask if there are any other recommendations they can give you to heal quicker.  Often complicating factors are excess weight, poor sleeping surface, stressful careers and home life, poor dietary choices, smoking tobacco (which increases healing time), sitting on surfaces that are too soft and the list goes on.  If you have back pain there is no doubt Chiropractic Care should be a big part your well-care but there are other pieces to the puzzle that need to be addressed.  Generally the best person to know the culprits of soreness is the one in charge of their health, that means you. So have a sit down with your Doctor of Chiropractic and bring a pen and pad they should be able to give you some great insight on how to heal faster.  Yours in Health and a Happy Spine,Dr. Malik