There are plenty of patients that come into the chiropractor saying something to the effect of, “I thought it would go away.” This is a phrase we hear regularly, but if you know what to watch for you may be better able to prevent unnecessary pain or discomfort from any conditions you may have. After all, one ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.
Here are 10 signs you may need to see a chiropractor:
Sometimes your body just isn’t working the way it used to. Do you keep waking up with a sore back? Do you have pain that moves around in your body—maybe from the low back to your hip and now your knee? Everything in your body is connected, and ignoring one area of pain may lead to additional pain—limping, for instance. This is pain you don’t have to live with and think is normal. Come in and see if chiropractic can help ease some of the aches and pains you’re dealing with regularly.
If you’re an athlete or if you’ve injured yourself after working out, a chiropractic visit can help immensely. Soft tissue therapy, muscle massage, and cold laser therapy are all beneficial in helping the muscle heal. If you don’t believe it’s the muscle that is plaguing you with pain, it’s definitely worth asking the chiropractor to take a look—particularly if you’ve done something out of the ordinary. (e.g. lifting heavy furniture, playing with grandchildren, or working on your hands and knees for an extended period of time).
If you have general discomfort in your body, or you’re experiencing numbness or tingling in your extremities, that’s not normal! You may have pinched nerves and/or your spine may be out of alignment. A gentle chiropractic adjustment can help realign the structure of and bring your regular functions back to your body.
If sitting gives you pain either immediately, or after a little time, you may be suffering from tailbone pain. If you’re able to get regular adjustments, the release of the vertebra can aid in keeping pressure off of your tailbone and you may find it easier to sit. Back pain can also be to blame for pain while sitting.
Alternatively, if you find that it’s difficult to stand for a long period of time, there are many areas to consider—it could be your feet, with extra pressure put on them for too long. It may be your hips, from hamstring overuse. It could be pain in your lower back due to spinal subluxation. There are so many reasons why you could be in pain from standing—check with your chiropractor to see what is causing the problem.
If your spine is out of alignment, that can put a limit on your breathing capacity. Muscle spasms in the chest (the ones that help the ribs go in and out), having a forward head posture that limits lung capacity, and any dysfunction of the nerves around the muscles responsible for breathing can all impact the way your lungs work and how easy breathing feels.
Poor posture (slouching) or over-correction, with flaring of the shoulder blades can both be problematic for your breathing. When posture is improved, with the help of a chiropractor to retrain muscles and have the body back in alignment, your breathing problems can be less serious, and you should be able to breathe a little more easily, if misalignment is to blame.
Stress wreaks havoc in our bodies. It can increase muscle tension through high emotions. Seeing the chiropractor for a gentle adjustment and therapeutic massage can help soothe the nervous system and settle and/or calm the body’s fight-or-flight response.
Slouching does so much more harm than just impacting your breath intake, as we noted above. Bad posture can be a product of hunching over the desk and can put a lot of stress on the vertebra. The further forward we hold our head (leaning toward a screen, whether it’s a computer, tablet, book, or smartphone) the more pressure we put on our spine. A chiropractor can aid with adjustments that help release muscle tension and will counsel you on exercises and best practices to get your posture back into position. Retraining your body is all part of the process.
When you look at the bottom of your shoes—especially tennis shoes and other flatter-soled shoes, pay attention to how they wear out. If it’s uneven, or on a particular side, this can indicate an issue with your pronation or over-pronation, or uneven leg lengths. Chiropractors can help get you fitted for orthotics if that diagnosis is reached. If you’re experiencing pain while walking, the chiropractor can also help determine what the source of the pain is.
If you find yourself putting weight on one leg rather than another while standing, it’s possible that you have leg length discrepancy. This can put a lot of undue pressure on one of your hips and put your spine in misalignment. Your whole body will try to compensate for this difference in limb length, and it can cause pain. Check in with the chiropractor to get a measurement of your legs and determine whether you need special orthotics or a leg lift.
Everyone gets headaches—sometimes they occur because of extra stress in our bodies. With some directed therapeutic massage, those muscles can be massaged into a less tight position, and our headaches may be able to be alleviated. The head is, of course, connected to our shoulders, which is an area where many people hold stress. Gentle chiropractic adjustments can help with the release of that tension, as well.
Brain fog can come from lack of proper blood flow to the brain and not enough fluid flowing through the spine. When the spine is aligned, there is better circulation of both blood and spinal fluid, helping with regular functions in the brain.
Be Aware
There are, of course, so many more than 10 signs that you need to see a chiropractor. The basic takeaway? Be aware of your body. When changes happen and when things are different or off, that’s a good time to come in. That’s what can keep small things from becoming big things that interfere with your regular daily activities. Stay mindful and reach out if you need to.
Get evaluated by a chiropractor for the first time, or come back if you haven’t been in for a while. Our bodies can change a lot over the course of weeks, months and years. (And you may not be as spry as in your younger years.)
We’re always happy to help, and we would prefer to see you in full health and help you maintain that good feeling! Keeping up with chiropractic care is key to maintaining ongoing health.
